# Worklights from hardware store?



## curveshooter (Dec 1, 2012)

To boost indoor lighting in my home for picture taking, a friend suggested worklights from the hardware store as an inexpensive option. He suggested I could bounce the light off a wall for softer lighting.

Something like this can be had for $20. It's halogen and very bright (1000 watts).






I could also probably find incandescent bulbs if that would work better.

Thoughts?


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## SCraig (Dec 1, 2012)

I have one as a worklight in my shop and they do provide a lot of light.  They also provide a lot of heat so I'd recommend not putting them too close to the subject.

As I recall, and it's been a long time so I may be wrong, halogen lamps are close to incandescent in color temperature but a little bit cooler.  A good bit warmer than daylight but not as warm as incandescent.  I'm not sure if it's enough difference to see a mix if you add some additional incandescent lighting but you'd certainly notice a difference if you use daylight-balanced strobes or white balance.


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## Designer (Dec 1, 2012)

As hot as these lights are, they probably will not allow for smaller apertures and fast shutter speeds.  Borrow one to try before you invest your money on one.


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## Helen B (Dec 1, 2012)

Halogen lights are incandescent, and as Scott says, they usually have a slightly higher colour temperature than standard household incandescent lamps with a lower wattage (3000 K to 3200 K vs 2600 K to 2800 K). Lights like that would be called "open face" in photography, and they work well when bounced or diffused (always make sure that the diffusion etc does not interfere with the cooling of the lamp and that it is far enough away to be safe - you can use high temp reflectors and diffusers). They are less controllable than fresnels, but usually put out more light for the wattage. Gelling with a CTB to match daylight or strobe loses a lot of light.


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## texkam (Dec 1, 2012)

They'll work. Shot this with a shop light bounced off a white board. Don't burn anything down. As far as color temp, I thought they were the same as incandescent bulbs (tungsten). No worries though, just shoot in raw, or in this case, convert to b/w. : )


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## curveshooter (Dec 2, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. Would I be better served by worklights that use  incandescent bulbs (and their lower wattages) if I want to minimize post-processing effort?

Can a basic photography-specific light setup be had for anywhere near this price range ($20)?



Designer said:


> As hot as these lights are, they probably will not allow for smaller apertures and fast shutter speeds.


I don't follow. Can you explain why the heat affects ability to use certain settings?


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## Designer (Dec 2, 2012)

curveshooter said:


> Thanks for the replies. Would I be better served by worklights that use  incandescent bulbs (and their lower wattages) if I want to minimize post-processing effort?
> 
> Can a basic photography-specific light setup be had for anywhere near this price range ($20)?
> 
> ...



You will not be gaining anything by switching types of incandescent bulbs, just a different color of light is all.

The lower power in these work lights mean that you will have to boost the ISO quite a bit in order to shoot "normal" apertures and shutter speeds.  Sorry if my "hot lights" comment was confusing.  So if you want to try to shoot above 1/125 sec., and medium aperture, those lights will probably not have enough power.  Remember; strobe lights produce far more light than those work lights.

No, you cannot purchase photography strobes for anywhere near $20.  Too many neophytes attempt to use regular lighting fixtures in an effort to save money, only to have less than ideal lighting for photography.

I will advise you to start saving up for either a speedlight or a studio strobe.


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## KmH (Dec 2, 2012)

All electromagnetic radiation, from radio waves to gamma rays, are subject to the Inverse Square Law. Inverse-square law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

When you bounce light for photography, you usually add quite a bit of distance to how far the light has to travel.
According to the Inverse Square Law, the intensity of radiation (like light) passing through any unit area (directly facing the point source) is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the point source.

If when pointing a light directly at a subject the distance is, say 10 feet, but we then bounce the light off a wall such that the total distance the light travels is 20 feet, only 1/4 as much light will reach the subject - not 1/2 half as much.
Of course in the real world most surfaces would not be a perfect reflector and would absorb some amount of the light too, so less than 1/4 as much light actually reaches the subject.
So your 1000 watt lights bounced off a wall will deliver something less than 1000 watts. At 2x the distance (bounced or otherwise), the Inverse Square Law indicates only 250 watts at best reach the subject.

In addition, bounced light can pick up a color cast from whatever surface that isn't white the light is bounced off of.


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## texkam (Dec 2, 2012)

A shoplight against a reflective surface will expand your horizons a little, but soon you'll be itching to move on to something more powerful, more comfortable and less cumbersome.

You might consider an inexpensive flash and wireless trigger system like this:
Yongnuo YN-460 YN460 Flash Speedlight/Speedlite for Canon Nikon Pentax Olympus Sony | YongNuo photo equipment online store
Yongnuo RF-603 RF603 Flash Trigger | YongNuo photo equipment online store


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## bunny99123 (Dec 2, 2012)

I use them.  You can purchase different types of bulbs to go in them...soft, daylight, etc... They are not as good as professional lights, but do help in a dimely lighted room.  They are affordable and do get hot.  They can crank out a lot of light in a room.  When on a budget, and you need light, they will work.  I know a women who is a well know photographer in our area, and she uses them.  That is how I found out about the lights. 

 Another short fall, is that the stand the lights come with do not extend tall enough for downward shots.  But they are light weight so you can attach them to a taller mounting system.  I bought used speaker tripods from a yard sale.  The tripods were used by a band.  When money is limited, use your creativity to make what you can until you can afford better.


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## texkam (Dec 2, 2012)

FYI, using compact fluorescent lights can be problematic too.
Cleaning Up a Broken Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb (CFL) | Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) | US EPA
This could be a sticky situation if one breaks while you are working with a client.


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## Tony S (Dec 2, 2012)

You can use them, but learn to set up a custom white balance or use RAW on your camera to reduce post production color correction.


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## Sw1tchFX (Dec 3, 2012)

curveshooter said:


> To boost indoor lighting in my home for picture taking, a friend suggested worklights from the hardware store as an inexpensive option. He suggested I could bounce the light off a wall for softer lighting.
> 
> Something like this can be had for $20. It's halogen and very bright (1000 watts).
> 
> ...




No..Just...no. 


why do people think that things like shoplights are a good idea? If your daughter was getting married and the photographer showed up with SHOPLIGHTS, would you think highly of them??

hell no.


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## texkam (Dec 3, 2012)

^ Lighten up and read the first post. It doesn't appear that the OP is looking to impress anyone, rather just trying to boost lighting a bit. No wedding photogs will be harmed.


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## gsgary (Dec 3, 2012)

Learn how to use avaliable light indoors like the great Jane Bown
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/interactive/2009/oct/22/jane-bown-photography


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## curveshooter (Dec 3, 2012)

texkam said:


> ^ Lighten up and read the first post. It doesn't appear that the OP is looking to impress anyone, rather just trying to boost lighting a bit. No wedding photogs will be harmed.


That is correct. I'm not an aspiring professional, just a guy looking to improve indoor lighting for the purpose of taking better pics.


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## gsgary (Dec 3, 2012)

curveshooter said:


> That is correct. I'm not an aspiring professional, just a guy looking to improve indoor lighting for the purpose of taking better pics.



For that you need fast lenses


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## curveshooter (Dec 3, 2012)

texkam said:


> A shoplight against a reflective surface will expand your horizons a little, but soon you'll be itching to move on to something more powerful, more comfortable and less cumbersome.
> 
> You might consider an inexpensive flash and wireless trigger system like this:
> Yongnuo YN-460 YN460 Flash Speedlight/Speedlite for Canon Nikon Pentax Olympus Sony | YongNuo photo equipment online store
> Yongnuo RF-603 RF603 Flash Trigger | YongNuo photo equipment online store


That's a lot less expensive for a flash than I had imagined. I assume an inexpensive flash like that is still much more powerful than the flash on my m4/3 Panasonic G3?

I guess boosting indoor lighting with fixed lights seems easier than using a flash for a newb in the sense that I can see how the light bounces off the subject. But maybe I just need to spend the time and learn to use a flash.


gsgary said:


> For that you need fast lenses


I've heard people argue both sides of this. I.e., some say you need fast lenses, and others say a kit lens with good lighting is more important than a fast lens. Not sure what to think.


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## Designer (Dec 3, 2012)

curveshooter said:


> That's a lot less expensive for a flash than I had imagined. I assume an inexpensive flash like that is still much more powerful than the flash on my m4/3 Panasonic G3?
> 
> I guess boosting indoor lighting with fixed lights seems easier than using a flash for a newb in the sense that I can see how the light bounces off the subject. But maybe I just need to spend the time and learn to use a flash.
> 
> I've heard people argue both sides of this. I.e., some say you need fast lenses, and others say a kit lens with good lighting is more important than a fast lens. Not sure what to think.



Not only more power, but the speedlight can be bounced and removed from the camera thereby giving you more potential for artistic expression.

Some professionals use "modeling light" to "preview" the shot, but you can also just practice a lot and make your best guess.  The pros do it to save time, and they have the modeling lights built into their strobes.

A fast lens using "available light" is one type of photography, and directing light is another type.  What the heck, learn both!


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## curveshooter (Dec 3, 2012)

Designer said:


> Not only more power, but the speedlight can be bounced and removed from the camera thereby giving you more potential for artistic expression.
> 
> Some professionals use "modeling light" to "preview" the shot, but you can also just practice a lot and make your best guess.  The pros do it to save time, and they have the modeling lights built into their strobes.


What's a strobe light? Same as a flash/speedlight?


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## Designer (Dec 3, 2012)

curveshooter said:


> What's a strobe light? Same as a flash/speedlight?



In this case, I was referring to a studio strobe, often called a "monolight".  This kind of strobe has more power than the portable "speedlight" which is usually powered by batteries.

(edit) Both kinds are "strobe" lights.  In strobe lights, both studio and flash attachments, the power is stored in a capacitor, then directed to the tube, which then flashes.  The result is a lot of light delivered in a very fast flash.


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## curveshooter (Dec 3, 2012)

Designer said:


> curveshooter said:
> 
> 
> > What's a strobe light? Same as a flash/speedlight?
> ...


Thanks. Since I'm just looking for in-home lighting, maybe a studio strobe is a better fit for me than a speedlight. How much do basic studio strobes go for?


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## gsgary (Dec 3, 2012)

curveshooter said:


> That's a lot less expensive for a flash than I had imagined. I assume an inexpensive flash like that is still much more powerful than the flash on my m4/3 Panasonic G3?
> 
> I guess boosting indoor lighting with fixed lights seems easier than using a flash for a newb in the sense that I can see how the light bounces off the subject. But maybe I just need to spend the time and learn to use a flash.
> I've heard people argue both sides of this. I.e., some say you need fast lenses, and others say a kit lens with good lighting is more important than a fast lens. Not sure what to think.



Fast lens you can blur any crap in the background, work lights is not good lighting


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## Designer (Dec 3, 2012)

curveshooter said:


> Thanks. Since I'm just looking for in-home lighting, maybe a studio strobe is a better fit for me than a speedlight. How much do basic studio strobes go for?



I don't know.  Just start looking around.  Does your camera have a sync. connection?  I bought an adapter for mine that fits on the hot shoe.  If you don't want to run a small sync. cable from your camera to the flash units, you can also get a radio trigger that will fire them remotely.  

In case you are just now realizing that the cost of shooting just went up, you can start saving up, look for used units, or try the work lights.


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## Mike_E (Dec 3, 2012)

If you're taking posed shots then a tripod or a beanbag on top of something would be better in this situation than having the equivalent of a campfire in your room.

Your subject can stay in the same place a lot longer than you can hold your camera still.


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## 2WheelPhoto (Dec 3, 2012)

I get my lights for portraits from a hardware store when I start getting my dates from the there


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## Designer (Dec 3, 2012)

2WheelPhoto said:


> I get my lights for portraits from a hardware store when I start getting my dates from the there



Or the model!


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## tentwo (Dec 28, 2012)

> No, you cannot purchase photography strobes for anywhere near $20. Too many neophytes attempt to use regular lighting fixtures in an effort to save money, only to have less than ideal lighting for photography.
> 
> I will advise you to start saving up for either a speedlight or a studio strobe.



I did awesome portraits with just a flash light. Thats less then $20. It is called light painting and it takes practice but one you get the nack of it it can create some awesome photos. For instance see this video to see what I am refferring to. It really takes a talent to do and is very fun to do also.


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## tentwo (Dec 28, 2012)

and this is a little more large scale but is amazing if you really want to make it different.


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