GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHY: LIGHTING

One of the figure topics has been veering off- topic in to a discussion about photography and photo equipment. A topic dedicated to photography seems called for. I suspect there are such topics hidden among the many discussions on the forum, but I couldn't find 'em - so I'm starting a new one.

I'm hoping this particular discussion stays largely focussed (focussed - photography - get it? 'Kay, never mind!) on lighting. Eventually, perhaps other topics using the title format GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHY: CAMERAS or GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHY: LENSES or something similar can appear.

As for lighting, let's hear about, and, ideally, see what you use, whether it's bare-bones basic or high-end studio style flash and flood systems.

Here's the comment that inspired this post:

skywalkersaga wrote:And even just the LED lights for photography are so expensive.

That used to be the case, but times have changed. The price of clean, white LED lights has come down from stratospheric levels to throw-away cheap. I use two of these LED desk lamps from Walmart, eight dollars apiece (they used to be five bucks - thanks, Inflation):

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-LED-Gooseneck-Desk-Lamp-with-Catch-All-Base-AC-Outlet-Black/789690769

One on the left, one on the right will pretty much give you everything you need for a basic set-up. Add another similar lamp to provide a back light, and you'll have everything you need for a basic "3-point" lighting set-up.

The plastic diffusers on these lamps are pretty good as they are, but to get a softer, more even illumination, put a piece of tissue or a white plastic bag in front of the lamp. "Tissue" doesn't need to be anything fancy. Kitchen-grade waxed paper is excellent. I usually end up grabbing a Kleenex tissue out of the box in the bathroom when I'm in a hurry. Peel the 2-ply tissues apart in to single ply to allow more light penetration.

Expensive "photo lights" have more adjustments and offer greater control and a better purity of light, but to get started, inexpensive LED desk lamps are adequate.

Thanks for starting this thread, davidd. I'm all for lighting tips and recommendations -- keep them coming!

this is a long-due thread for photography amateurs.

I wished there is a step-by-step guide like Photography for Idiots kinda instructions that lets beginners get in quick and easy!

brassco wrote:I wished there is a step-by-step guide like Photography for Idiots kinda instructions that lets beginners get in quick and easy!

That's a good idea, either for this topic or for a separate topic. Members could show us an image, then include some behind-the-scenes pics of the set-up and a description of how they went about taking the photo and what they did in post-processing or editing to get the final result.

Coincidentally I started quiet similar as davidd a few years ago: with two clamp lights from the discounter.  Halogen lamps in my case - they get veeery hot though and aren't dimmable, which is the only real downside.
(I have a flash system which I'm only using for 1:1 persons or action shots though)  With LED light you see what you get which is more fun and easier to work with.


I can really recommend little Video LED lights, there are thousand versions on amazon like this one: 
https://www.amazon.com/ULANZI-Rechargeable-2500-9000K-Photography-Vlogging/dp/B093LHRL42/ref=sr_1_5?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=XICD6BD9KX9M&keywords=video+led+light&qid=1643127438&sprefix=video+led+light%2Caps%2C337&sr=8-5

I would watch out for it to be dimmable and has a Kelvin range to choose between warm and cold light (at least 3300-6500K or more) without using color gels. If it has RGB colors on top of that, you can even play with the color options. You can buy them with little tripods so you can move them around your table
The good thing is that they are also useful for outdoor pics. If you pose your figure with the sun in their back or in a darker forest, you basically always want one of these lights in the front to make the figure pop out from the background or simply illuminate the eyes!

That is basically the cheapest setup to start with, two desk lamps and one video light. You can always upgrade from there with more or bigger LED Panels or more special lights. But the budget options is very good and helpful to learn the effects of the light angles, intensity...

Those video lights look great!! I got sucked into the wormhole of pursuit. Meaning I shopped around for lights. There are so many! You can get lights for 30 or 40 bucks, but it seems that spending double gets you better control, especially when it comes to RGB light. The cheap models often only have a set number of colours you can switch around. I would look for a 0 - 360° color option next time.

As mentioned in the previous thread, my only investment was in a small, dimmable RGB "selfie" ring light for around 30 bucks a couple of years ago. They don't have it anymore and it seems hard to find ones that are as small (my phone doesn't even fit in the middle). But it's great, because you can hold it in your hand together with your phone, and the light then comes from all around your lense.

But a bigger model with stand would probably be even better.

I also really like the light "wands" or sticks. There are some that have roughly the same length as a 1/6 figure is tall, so used vertically the figure would get lit somewhat evenly top to bottom. Then I'd look into getting one of the little ones, for creating a camp fire vibe (or otherwise single point of origin lighting).

I work in a small room, where I already have two Philips Hue lights, so I use those for the surrounding lights. They aren't cheap (50 bucks for each bulb? plus the lamp itself), but they are so worth it in everyday life, too! I have one in an IKEA paper lamp, which diffuses the light perfectly, and another in a... in one of these:
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00XLFZHKY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

No longer available, but you can find similar "spot" lamps for around 30 bucks. And again, that milky glas front diffuses the light beautifully.

I think I'll go buy a lamp now. I'm looking for a light wand, because I like the idea of placing it vertically, next to her just outside the frame.


PS: Just searching for RGB table lamp works, too! I just found a pair of RGBIC lights, 29 cm tall, for 50 bucks.

I'm currently using two video lights that match Valiarde's specifications (mounted on cheap stands) to illuminate the figure, and - if needed - a more powerful (but cheap) LED-lamp as a fill light. That said, my first attempts also involved halogen desktop lamps and a handhelp flashlight to set highlights. One can produce acceptable photos with such makeshift setup with household lamps, but it becomes tiresome quickly. I would recommend to get at least one dimmable LED video light on a stand to start experimenting.

BTW: there are really helpful tutorials on lighting on Youtube (just search for "3 point lighting"). This will easily teach you enough in 5 min to avoid flat looking pictures of your figures in standard situations. Getting the right light in a diorama setup or establishing a desired light mood, however, is a differnt issue and can be complicated. For me this involves a huge amount of trial and error, but I feel there is a learning curve. Just don't get discouraged.

Have fun playing with light!

Cool thread, full of useful suggestions, and doubtless many more to come.

Many thanks for starting this!
I have always struggled with light and keep postponing looking for possible solutions (not least due to the immense variety of options.)

Let's take a journey behind the scenes with The Star Patrol!

Here's a glimpse at how to quickly assemble and light a fairly convincing space ship interior.

Well, I'm convinced. Your standards may be higher.  

First, here are a couple of demo photos. All I did in "post-production" was adjust saturation and contrast and sharpness using basic software:


Here's how I assembled the set: a few random bits of cardboard and styrofoam (polystyrene) packing material scavenged from rubbish and recycle bins and less than five minutes with spray paint. I use three colours of paint: flat black, flat grey primer, and flat rust primer.


Here's my fancy lighting setup - a desk lamp and a flashlight (electric torch). I turn off the main room lights, and dial back the exposure compensation on the camera by 1-1/3 f/stops. Otherwise, the camera is fully automatic. I move the desk lamp around, and sometimes hold it by hand, to continually change the lighting angles and create different shadows, while shooting a lot of images, most of which end up being discarded.


There ya go! Space ship interiors do not need to be fancy, especially for run-down smuggler and pirate space ships! Extremely basic lighting tools can be used to create "atmospheric" or "moody" scenes.

I have a few old canned food tins I still need to mist with paint, then I will add them to these scenes when I need to suggest a cargo hold or warehouse.

If I'm feeling ambitious, I will sometimes perform additional post-production image editing using inexpensive or free iPad apps. The two apps I use most frequently are called PhotoToaster and Mextures. I did not use anything on the images seen here other than the basic image editing slider controls for contrast, highlights, saturation, and vignette (gotta keep those corners dark and spooky).

Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks, davidd! The scavenged backdrop really does look the part in your photos!

I know this is about the lighting, but it is the inventive use of these pieces as props and backdrops that really impresses me. They really are suitable for this style.

Thank you for the view behind the scenes, Davidd!

Your use of the packaging materials is very creative and works perfect. I especially like the paint work
that gives the impression of wheathered metal surfaces.

Your lighting also works nicely. I had to smile when you mentioned that you move the light sources around and take and discard a lot of pictures. That is exactly how it works for me -- and this is the reason why I have not produced a tutorial yet. My workflow still feels completely random, and I end up placing lamps all over my living room to accomplish the desired illumination of the figure.

Nicely done. Excellent behind the scenes photos and description.

Ok, I have a question for those with knowledge about lighting --- I'm hoping to finally purchase some LED lights specifically to use for photoshoots with my Star Wars figures. But I just want to check what kind of lights I should get for the types of scenes I have in mind.  

I want to recreate the look of several lightsaber duel scenes (so, with directed coloured lights to give the effect of lightsaber glow from off-camera), as well as some Clone Wars animated scenes (with its distinctive colourful, neo-noir-ish , dramatic lights and shadows vibe). With also the occassional brighter/lighter scene. So I need both some general lights and some colour-changing lights.

For general lighting, I really have no idea. I was thinking of getting a basic ring light anyway so I could use it for both photos and videos. What else in addition would you suggest?

As for coloured lights, I'm thinking a pair of these?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08PYN6LWP/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?smid=A1FND2G4OYN01O&psc=1

and/or should I do something like these small wand lights?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09JC474Y7/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?smid=A13GL03B8OB62&psc=1

Suggestions welcome. : )

skywalkersaga wrote:Ok, I have a question for those with knowledge about lighting --- I'm hoping to finally purchase some LED lights specifically to use for photoshoots with my Star Wars figures. But I just want to check what kind of lights I should get for the types of scenes I have in mind.  

I want to recreate the look of several lightsaber duel scenes (so, with directed coloured lights to give the effect of lightsaber glow from off-camera), as well as some Clone Wars animated scenes (with its distinctive colourful, neo-noir-ish , dramatic lights and shadows vibe). With also the occassional brighter/lighter scene. So I need both some general lights and some colour-changing lights.

For general lighting, I really have no idea. I was thinking of getting a basic ring light anyway so I could use it for both photos and videos. What else in addition would you suggest?

As for coloured lights, I'm thinking a pair of these?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08PYN6LWP/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?smid=A1FND2G4OYN01O&psc=1

and/or should I do something like these small wand lights?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09JC474Y7/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?smid=A13GL03B8OB62&psc=1

Suggestions welcome. : )

Hi Skywalkersaga,
for general lighting, you might be fine with normal lamps in your room to produce enough ambient light for your scenes. If I need higher light intensies, I'm generally using this lamp that I originally bought for ZOOM conferences:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fotga-CN-T96-Studio-Adjustable-Bracket/dp/B012VI7W18/ref=sr_1_3?crid=20TFR8MWIV78I&keywords=96pc+LED+Light+CN-T96+18W+5600K&qid=1646054241&sprefix=96pc+led+light+cn-t96+18w+5600k%2Caps%2C52&sr=8-3

It's very bright, but cannot be adjusted. Sometimes I also use it as my primary key light for a figure. Most of the time, I'm however only relying on my two LED RGB lights and some ambient light sources (living room lights) in my settings. My LED lights are slightly larger than the Ulanzi video light that you linked in your post. Still, I would think that the 800 lux stated in the description should be sufficent for you application. Obviously, your camera/lense combination will also determine how much light you will eventually need. So, it might be a good idea to go for a slighty bigger light. My video lights are similar to this one on Amazon.co.uk:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/360%C2%B0Full-2500K-9900K-Dimmable-Dynamic-Lighting/dp/B09MFDDHD7/ref=sr_1_20?crid=2J6J347SKZWH2&keywords=2500-8500K+RGB+Video+Light+CRI+95%2B&qid=1646057626&sprefix=2500-8500k+rgb+video+light+cri+95%2B%2Caps%2C53&sr=8-20

I have not used a wand light so far, but I feel that the light emission will be more diffuse. This might be useful for some scenes (producing light gradients) but might pose problems in others.

Hope this helps a little bit.

Thank you so much for the response and for the detailed tips! I really appreciate it.

Oh yeah I forgot to answer here. Well anyway, I thonk people shouldn't forget the clamps and tripdos and linkage for your lights. I have had the situation, that I put up my photography table and mini diorama only to realize I have no good spots to place the lighting.   That is another cost factor on top of the lights. 
If you really wanna place spotlights you need to put them somewhere so they aren'T in the picture but reach exactly the spot they should highlight...

Arrgggh!!! Dave, you'd have to bring up Photography lighting! I haven't been on here for awhile. But, as you might remember, and others won't know. My favourite lights, are very small Lume Cubes. They aren't cheap, but as a photographer myself, I already had these before getting into 1/6, but they are so small, they can be part of a diorama.

See below.

PPS_1_Page_13 by Colin Foyle, on Flickr

I can use them within my Spy Camp Photo Studio stories, as part of the diorama. They don't need the "wire" coming from the back as they have built in batteries. They are only white, but the pro version comes with coloured magnetic plates you can attach to give different hues. You can also see they have barn doors on them too. In fact they also have grids, not that you can notice them when the lights are on.

These are brilliant lights. and if you want something that can really get in close to 1/6, or further away, as in my Stage setup. Below, they are used as Stage lights with snoots on them. (Top left, right and centre).



Of course, I do have other RGB LED lights, such as

Amazon RGB Lights 1

Amazon RGB Lights 2

Amazon RGB Lights 3

I like to have plenty of options for lights. But my all out favourites are the Lume Cubes (Lume Cube Link).

Hope that sheds some light on the subject.... Ha ha ha!

Thank you for the additional tips.

I should have also mentioned that I specifically want/need lights that are cordless and battery powered, which is why I was looking at the ones I listed. I don't think I have an easily accessible plug or power source n the area that I will be using for photoshoots.

skywalkersaga wrote:Thank you for the additional tips.

I should have also mentioned that I specifically want/need lights that are cordless and battery powered, which is why I was looking at the ones I listed. I don't think I have an easily accessible plug or power source n the area that I will be using for photoshoots.

Every one of those lights I mentioned all have rechargeable batteries in them. I wouldn't want a light cable to be trailing around a diorama.... Although the cable in the Photo Studio is fake, just to be clear.

But they can all work with cables as well. The Stage has them with the cables attached, just because I want them to be fully charged for a concert. No other reasoning.

Thanks for the information, illustration, and links, londonroadhog.

londonroadhog wrote:

skywalkersaga wrote:Thank you for the additional tips.

I should have also mentioned that I specifically want/need lights that are cordless and battery powered, which is why I was looking at the ones I listed. I don't think I have an easily accessible plug or power source n the area that I will be using for photoshoots.

Every one of those lights I mentioned all have rechargeable batteries in them. I wouldn't want a light cable to be trailing around a diorama.... Although the cable in the Photo Studio is fake, just to be clear.

But they can all work with cables as well. The Stage has them with the cables attached, just because I want them to be fully charged for a concert. No other reasoning.

Thanks, good to know. Though I wasn't meaning to single out your advice, just wanted to mention the cordless thing in general.

I recently bought the Ulanzi VL49 RGB Mini Led Video Light and made some quick and superficial experiments with light intensity and color. I used it for the Three Gals thread, but there I was just going for more or less normal daylight. I also used it for the following, inspired by my tea mug:



PS Apparently associating colors with emotions is a mess, so, yes, there are variant interpretations...

Haha great, now you can place it on some mugs and order them for your kitchen (Remember to put them on seamless mugs)   

(I think the SAFE Stormtrooper is looking to blueish when in front of a white backdrop) But otherwise a really nice idea and execution!