This is a powerful LED light that’s solid for studio work and light enough to take on location. I appreciate the Color Rendering Index is a high 96 for clean color with no shifts. It produces lots of light 230 watts. It’s easier to show you how this light works than to write about it, so I invite you to check it out. See what I like, a lot, and a small issue or two to watch for…
Review LED Light – Godox LA200 Single color 5600k. Godox also makes a LA150 and bi-color versions.
If you have any comments or questions about this review let me know. BTW, I was able to keep this LED Light at no charge.
The other day I showed you the set for photographing items in the studio with a beautiful radiating feathered edge glow around the subject..(check that post here) The images from that post were cameras which were larger than today products.
Jewelry is a different subject with different needs but can be on the same basic set. The difference is that the scrim is much closer to the subject than it was for the cameras.
Jewelry is well served in this setting.
In the image above the transitions from light to shadow make the color of the beads and turquoise and out from the background, but still have quite a bit of interest overall.
This is a piece of my wife’s jewelry. She noted that it actually could have used a bit of polishing.
When photographing product you need to know what the subject should look like. Since this was a lesson session, I am the final client and think it looks great. If this were a paying customer, I would have noted more information as to the handling of the piece. Also, sets and product must be kept sanitary and dust free. Being very careful while prepping for shooting can save an enormous amount of time in post production. On the job, I will even use a magnifying glass to ensure there is as little schumda in the photo as possible.
Rose gold and diamonds. Care with chains and their layout is critical. Here also a shallow depth of field takes some attention away from the chain.
Jewelry with facets such as diamonds need a bit of extra thought, care and maybe a few additional exposures. Facets of stones are highlighted by light striking different surfaces. If the light is hitting one surface, it won’t necessarily be showing off another surface. One way to sculpt the stone to best effect in to make multiple images with the light in different positions. Then by layering the exposures, it is possible using masks to show off exactly the stone as you wish.
They are often solid creative people and have spent some time in front of a camera so getting good posing is not a chore. Good eye contact with the camera and an idea of the story they want told in the image makes for a fun photo shoot. Especially fine session with Valerie Romanoff of Starlight Orchestras who splits her time between New York, NY and Sedona, AZ.
Valerie was looking for images to use in her social media. Some images were set in the red rocks and some were during a live performances over in Cottonwood at the Main Stage venue. She performed with some great musicians as part of the Bottom Line Jam with host band Bottom Line. (Totally enjoyed the performance by the way!) When I was going through the first edit my wife Holly looked over my shoulder and said, “Oh my, she’s going to have a hard time choosing images! There are so many good ones.” I’d like to think it was mostly my skill, but Valerie is a skilled performer and is extremely photogenic!
Here are a few selects from the outdoor session…
The Path leads right to Valerie and Bell Rock is pointing right to her also…
With Courthouse Butte in the Background.
This is a pose idea I picked up from Peter Hurley (The Head Shot: Secrets to Creating Amazing Head Shot Portraits)
For the outdoor photo session I used my workhorse camera the Lumix GH4 with either the Lumix Vario 12-35mm or 35-100mm f2.8 lenses mounted. We had nice light a little after sunrise supplemented with a Paul C Buffmono light powered with a Vagabond Mini Lithium battery. Having power to take studio lights easily on location gits you enough flash power to control the scene. This was fitted with a 35″ foldable Octabox. In order to keep shape and form the flash was placed on the same side as the sun to not flatten out light.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – Images from the Main Stage performance will be posted tomorrow
Got a chance to work with my buddy Jack Hillman of Hillman Design Group on another shoot with Sky Ranch Lodge in Sedona, Arizona this past week and we dodged rain and wind to traverse between the eight rooms we needed to photograph for the web site and marketing.
Had a chance to work with LED lighting instead of my traditional flash units to supplement the lighting in the rooms and I like it. Because I had more powerful LED lights from FJ Wescott I was able to see the final image a bit better as I was working. Kicking a little light here and there and seeing the effect immediately was a great way to work.
This is a double queen room. The daylight balance lights made it relatively easy to balance with the light entering the room from outside the window.
Sky Ranch Lodge fireplace and table detail. Simple rooms but very neat & comfortable.
Lamp detail. I enjoy when I get the tell the story of a property in detail images like this. Over the years many properties have tried to show everything in a room in one photo and the message of how wonderful the property actually is can get lost.
The lights I was working with are Skylux LED lights that are designed for studio video work. I pushed them into location lighting for the resort I was photographing. All images were captured with my workhorse Lumix GH4 camera body. ANd the most used lens was the 12-35mm f2.8 Lumix Vario with an assist from the stunning 42.5mm f1.2 Nocticron.
I was called on to capture some in-situ art pieces. The mandate was to show the pottery as art but also in place as decor. Of course budget was a concern as is often the case in shoots like this. So in finding the quickest, easiest way to capture the scenes I came up with mounting the Lumix GH4 with the 12-35mm f2.8 Vario lens on a tripod and using the Fiilex P-100 AKA ‘The Brick’ to light small portions of the scene and blend them together in post to gently highlight the pieces without overwhelming the scene…
Four exposures blended together to help light the subjects (pottery) keeping the ambiance of the scene.
Just a kiss of light brightens up the subject nicely…
The really nice part of the Brick is the ability to change the intensity of the light and the color temperature to add just a kiss of light where you need it. Here’s the description of the light from the Fiilex web site….
“The highly compact Fiilex P-100 is the most versatile solution for someone who is constantly on the move and lighting in unconventional locations. Fully dimmable and color-tunable to match daylight or tungsten, this brilliant LED features a spot-to-flood lens and runs off an integrated Li-ion battery. Easily modifiable, “The Brick” puts out 100W of high CRI (>90) light that can serve as either key or fill and will translate all your colors precisely. Revolutionize the way you light with the P100’s flat form factor – place it on almost any surface, mount it on your camera, use it in a three-point set, or simply hold it in your hand. With no bulbs to break and no cords to plug in, go anywhere knowing that you’ll be able to light your shots quickly and beautifully.”
P-100 LED Light from Fiilex. A little smaller than a standard building brick.
I’m enjoying the possibilities while working with LED light and seeing the results of color temperature changes immediately. Often when working on location mixed color from windows, incandescent and florescent lighting can be a problem to match without overpowering the scene.
For infrared conversion of my cameras I use LifePixel. Infrared allows you to put an older camera to use and opens up a new time time of day for productive image creation.
Fotopro tripods are well worth checking out. You can learn about the ones I use and recommend by clicking on the Fotopro Tripods link at the top of this page. If you want to see what other tripods might fit your needs check out the Fotopro.com website. Check back with me before you buy as a Fotopro Ambassador I’m able to get you discounted pricing including complementary continental USA shipping for my followers that you won’t find through retail outlets.
Learn Photoshop in a fun environment. Aaron Nace applies the right amount of fun with easy to understand and follow tutorials. Actions and brushes are included with lessons!
Lightning, waterdroplets, sound, time-lapse, HDR sequences, smiles and much more control for your camera!
Cameras Get Smarter -
A High Speed Smart Camera Remote
Best embroidery ever. Give Queensboro a try, get a $20 instant credit to get started by clicking on the logo! They specialize in great quality custom logo apparel and promotional products with the best customer service.
Platypod has become a great resource for being creative in getting your camera gear easily into unusual places. As an Platypod Pro I get to work/play with the gear even before it comes out. Head over to Platypod, subscribe to the newsletter and you will get special discounts reserved only for subscribers.
