DV Info Net - Low Budget Lighting Article

Good thoughts on lighting.

I did a shoot a couple days ago in a hospital where we had no access to any decent amount of electrical current. We had a patient room with a big window...and no power for any HMIs to speak of.

As mentioned, we had some spiral (normal screw in light bulb) fluorescent daylight bulbs and I used foam core from an office supply store cut and bent to a right-angle to create a sort of "cove" to aim the light (on the salad tongs clamp from the hardware store) into to create a soft light, but not throw across a nearly unlimited area. It make a very good interview key and we had daylight so we simply ran with the window in view. It looked quite natural actually.

So...I would just echo the idea that having some full spectrum spiral screw in fluorescent bulbs (23w draw for a 100w incandescent light output the package says...), which not only come in the curly-queue configurations, but now also floods...

The one thing I do have with me even when I don't have my normal pro gear, is lots of pro stands...there just isn't a good substitute that I've found... I also carry lots of hardware store "A clamps" or sometimes called "Pony" (a brand) clamps. Very handy for getting various things attached to your stands. If you get the little clamps with a magnet on one handle, you can now mount a lightweight piece of foamcore on a drop ceiling metal grid to block an overhead fluorescent quite nicely. I also have some lowel spuds on a bracket...two posts at a right angle with a bracket and set screw...they slide right on an everyday hardware store sliding jaw clamp rail and now you've mounted a light on the top of a door or other area where you need to have light but don't want a stand.

The one thing you can't get at a hardware or office supply store is the DP...you still need someone who knows what the picture should look like...