Excited about some new lighting

[pyrexandpearls]

I'm pretty excited and eager to improve my pictures.

DBF and I decided to split the cost of this light set. He conviced me it would help me Ebay pics so we decided to split it 50/50 since he really needs it for some video work he is doing. Plus, he is slowly acquiring more and more of the video equipment he needs to do more freelance stuff.

www.ebay.com/itm/271034096844?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I am hoping that this thing is at least somewhat collapsible since we don't have anywhere to store such giant things, lol. It should be here next week

Does anyone use a light kit like this? My Ebay pics are dreadful currently so the only way to go is up. I hope, lol.

[val2525]

Nice!

I use 2 long shop lights with 6500k bulbs (daylight) and a floor lamp with 3 bubs (also 6500k).

[Deleted]

I can't wait to hear how they work for you!

I think when they arrive, you guys need to sing a duet version of Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life".

[pyrexandpearls]

I'm pretty excited. I say he "convinced" me to pay half but it took very little swaying, lol. I will definitely post how they work when we get them.

[somany]

I just purchased something similar from Amazon but sent them back. I can't tell you how they will work because I did not get that far. I will tell you of my experience with trying to put them together so you can be a little prepared. I can't tell if it's the same manufacturer so you may be perfectly fine despite what I tell you here, and you have your DBF to help if you are not mechanical as I am not.

First, there was only the "quick start" instructions (no other instructions), and in the first step, they told me to secure with the attached velcro. There was no velcro, only elastic around the opening so I had to wait until the next day to call their support line. No, there is no velcro, the instructions have not been updated. Talking to the support person, she put me on hold several times to ask someone. At one point she told me to insert one of the rods backwards, after I specifically asked her did the silver end or the black end go where she was telling me to put it. One of the silver ends came off trying to undo what she told me to do. (If you have silver and black ends, the black ends go into the soft box, the silver ends snap lightly into the light socket. I wasn't even sure which holes they went into in the light socket because you had to bend the steel rods in order for them to reach the holes they were to go into.) Trying to bend the rods so they will go into the light socket and into the soft box was difficult. She gave me some youtube videos to watch so I got off the phone with her figuring I could figure it out from the video, but no, the video was of a similar one but not the one I had purchased and did not show me what I needed to see.

I finally got one together and realized two things: 1) I should have first figured out how the bracket that attaches the light socket to the tripod should be situated before putting the steel rods into the light socket. I was going to have to take them all back out again and start over. 2) In my efforts to get the steel rods bent so they would go into the light socket and the soft box, little pieces of plastic from the light socket were chipping off when I missed the place to insert them. At that point, I packed it up and sent it back. I thought about leaving [snarky] feedback that said to take a picture of the stuff in the box before you take it out of the box so you can see how to pack it up to send it back.

Sorry, that's just me venting a bit since it only happened last week. To try to make yours go smoother, understand that that the light box is not square, it's rectangle. There are four steel rods for each light box, but there are six holes in the light socket they can be inserted into. My instructions did not indicate which holes to use, but it does make a difference when you go to attach the light socket to the tripod as to whether your light box will be horizontal, vertical, or something in between (as mine was when I got it together). If you understand that first, you can temporarily attach the light socket to the tripod to determine which holes to use. You will want to put steel rods into two consecutive holes, skip a hole, then two more consecutive holes. Just figure out which hole and which edge of the soft box you need to use to get it to go in the direction you want it to go. I would recommend watching some videos on light boxes if you have not already. I did find it informational, if not helpful in my circumstance.

Good luck, and I look forward to seeing pics using them. I am making do with natural light from a two hour window during the day for now.

[pyrexandpearls]

DBF finally got these set up and I am going to use them today. I will report back and let you all know how it goes.

[Deleted]

Wow, they look great in the listing. Did you have any trouble setting them up? I desperately need new lighting and these look just like what I need. Let us know how they worked for you.

[pyrexandpearls]

DBF is the one who set them up. It took him two days to figure it out and there was lots of cussing involved, lol. He said the directions are pretty much useless but there are a few helpful videos on Youtube.



I have to run to the grocery store and then I am going to try them out so I will let you know how it goes.

[val2525]

Yay for new lights!

[pyrexandpearls]

Here is my first listing with photos taken using the lights. Actually, I should say light since I only set one of them up for pics.

www.ebay.com/itm/COLDWATER-CREEK-Bright-Spring-Jacket-Petite-Medium-Green-Orange-Floral-Cruise-/181685676794?

This works very well and gives you a nice soft light. I still have some trouble because the walls are a grey color and it makes it hard to get a nice true color sometimes. Hopefully when we move I will have a place with white walls for the background. If you have white walls or some sort of backdrop I think these would work even better.

Oh, and this was taken with my 10 year old camera. I lost the charger to my new one so I'm relegated to that one again for the time being.

[kat]

I like the soft light. I have this setup,
The shades fold down like an umbrella.
I prefer yours though, since mine leaves some harsh shadows.

[val2525]

I still have some trouble because the walls are a grey color and it makes it hard to get a nice true color sometimes.

Do you have a rolling garment rack? Buy a white backdrop (I use the fleece sofa throws and fleece from the fabric store), clip it to the rack, and put the rack & backdrop behind your manni. Cheap instant white wall and no holes made in the current wall.

[pyrexandpearls]

Val- I might have to give that a try. The apartment we want to move to has white walls so that would help with that.

So far I have only used one light. There are actually two in the kit. DBF originally wanted these to use when filming interviews. ( He is doing some independent video gigs and is going to be filming interviews with some local people in the matrial arts scene for promotions.) Anyways, he did some research and felt these were a good choice in our under $100 price range. I just set one light up to the left of my manni and turned it out. I'm sure if he was here he could have set them up and made them look nicer.

Also, I take my pictures in a finished basement with only one window that is about 10 feet away, lol.

[Deleted]

I like the gray background, it makes all the colors pop. Nice job!