# build a wall of light



## jstuedle (Jul 18, 2007)

*    I don't know if any of you subscribe to or  have heard of Photo-Vision or Ed Pierce. But they/he offers a 6 DVD disk/year  series of pro ideas, interviews, and examples mostly geared to the pro portrait  and wedding photographer and his/her business. One of his Ed's ideas is a wall   of light. It looks and works like a portable picture  window.*
*     It's fairly simple to build and although he  puts the cost at 2K, he uses a lot of purchased materials from one of his  sponsors, Westcott. I am convinced it can be built for $5-600 dollars. The trick  is using 5500 K balanced compact florescent bulbs. It consists of a frame made  of black iron pipe with wheels mounted to pipe flanges. On the frame is mounted  5 strip light channels equally spaced. To each channel is attached 5 standard  Edison base sockets. All 25 sockets have  5500K C.F. bulbs installed. A  reflector is attached on the bulb side. Ed used a 8' X 8' Westcot reflector. I  thought a sheet of foam board insulation with one side a reflective aluminum  foil would work. The other side Ed used a similar sized Westcott scrim Jim. I'm  up for experimenting but a cheaper solution must be available. Bed sheet maybe?  The top, bottom and sides were covered with more westcott reflective material.  The foam board cut to size and duct taped to the front and back would work  cheaply. The light output is even, and bright. It matches strobe color temp. And  is light and portable. All the tracks can be slid to one side to make a strip of  very bright light, or all the bulb sockets can be moved up or down to make a  horz. strip light. It is a very neat and simple "portable picture window". The  C.F. bulbs are cool, much more so than incandescent bulb. Westcott sells a set  of 5 for there spider lights for about $100. I found them for about $5.00 each  online.*
*    I plan to build one this winter if the studio  is online by then. If any of you have any ideas or want to build one let me  know. Maybe we can improve on the design, or find ways to build it more  cheaply.*


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## Big Mike (Jul 19, 2007)

Sounds interesting...I look forward to seeing your version.


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