360Photography

I have gotten rather tired of setting up and breaking down equipment with each set of tutorials that we record. So, this past week I have been wanting to setup an actual area in our studio for recording tutorials for slrlounge.com. Since most of our 3,000 square foot studio is already accounted for, my partners Justin and Chris laughed sarcastically as they said, “well, I guess that leaves you with the back garage door entrance for your little recording studio.”

So, with a very limited scene, and a budget of about $ 150 for lighting gear (which pretty much limits us to Home Depot or Lowes lighting), I began putting my scene together. This tutorial is the written version of the behind the scenes video on the SLR Lounge YouTube Channel. Enjoy!

Don’t Fight the Scene While Finding the Vision

Whenever I am setting up a new scene for a shoot, regardless of it being still shots or video, I am always doing the same thing. The first thing I look for are the existing strengths of the scene, or in other words what can I actually use in my shots. If I am shooting in a warehouse, but I need it to look like a garden, well, then I need to bring in a lot of extra props, lighting and gear to pull of that effect. The less I need to change, the easier my setup will be. So, I always try to use the existing scene rather than fight it.

I think an industrial warehouse background would work very well for these photography and shooting tutorials, so I am going to play to the scenes strengths. I love the fact that I have daylight coming through that window right above the door. I plan on using it as a rim light on my subject, as well as using the daylight to create a nice color graduation from the other tungsten lights. The goal is to create a controlled mixed temperature environment to enhance the drab colors of the scene which you see below.

1. Setting Up the Background

I felt like the old palettes sitting against the right wall would make a great addition to spicing up my background, which is going to be the garage door. So I moved six of them into place, 3 sitting on top of each other on the right, and 3 leaning against the garage door to the left.

2. Placing the Subject’s Chair

To allow me to build the lights for the scene, I needed to know where my subject would be positioned. So, I placed the subjects chair in the scene where I approximately wanted him/her.

3. Adding a Background Light

For our first light, I am placing a 500 Watt Workforce Halogen Work Light ($ 15 at Home Depot) right behind the palettes pointing directly up to back light the palettes as well as create a nice bit of directional light on the background.

4. Adding the Left Side Tungsten Rim Light

For my second light, I am hanging a 250 Watt Workforce Halogen Work Light ($ 10 at Home Depot) right on the chain hanging to the left of the palettes. These lights come equipped with clamps, making them quite easy to hang on their own. I am going to use this light as a rim light on the subjects left side.

5. Adding the Key or Main Light

For my key light, I am using a modeling light as a place holder light. When I created this tutorial, I ran out of work lights and didn’t want to make another trip to Home Depot. So, I used a modeling light as a place holder. However, for the final in camear image that you see, I did actually go get another 500 Watt Workforce Halogen light to replace the modeling light.

In front of that light, I placed a scrim simply to act as a soft box. Without the scrim, the light was a little hard causing the subject’s skin to appear more oily.

6. Adding the Right Side Rim Light

As previously mentioned, I want that daylight coming through the right side to add a nice mixed temperature look to our scene. It is going to help in adding color into this rather boring scene. So, this time I picked up a Husky Daylight Balanced Work Light ($ 50 at Home Depot) to add to the strength of that window light.

Normally, I would just open the door to add additional window light. However, because there are trucks and cars outside of our warehouse area, it would have been too loud to record with the door open. In addition, the Husky work lights will allow us to continue recording regardless of time of day, we would just need to add one extra Husky to get the exact same effect during a night time shoot.

7. Finishing Touches

To make sure the back left tungsten rim light doesn’t move, I taped the chain to the wall. In addition, I purchased a little Duct Connector ($ 10 at Home Depot) to act as a little snoot in directing the light more towards the subject and away from the walls.

8. Room Lights Off, Ready to Record

I now turned off the warehouses fleurescent ambient lights, and here is our final setup. Our lighting gear including the scrim cost less than $ 125 in total (remember, the model light was replaced with another 500 watt work light). We are now ready to record.

9. Final Shot in Camera

Here is a frame from our final video showing what our scene looks like in camera. Notice how the daylight rim light on the right of the subject, as well as the daylight colors hitting the back right of the background add a really nice color mixture to a scene that otherwise would have just been pure tungsten.

Not bad considering what we had to work with, and considering the fact we used Home Depot work lights for everything. Hope you guys enjoyed!

To watch this full behind the scenes video, please go to SLR Lounge.

– Pye

Post from: Digital Photography School’s Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

Creating and Lighting a Scene on a Home Depot Lighting Budget

Digital Photography School

As mentioned elsewhere, I bought this camera’s predecessor — the HX5V — about a year ago for family use. And enjoyed every still and video pixel it shot!

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX9V Features

So what do we get with the new boy?

We can now enjoy a 16x optical zoom, (24-384mm on a 35 SLR). In 16:9 HD movie mode the zoom range resembles 25-400mm.

The 10fps burst rate continues in this model and, frankly, 10 full size JPEGs should keep everybody happy — but note this gives you a total of only 10 shots in each burst. No more.

Sweep panorama is an amazing feature and possibly limited by the choice of ideal subject matter, your own shooting skill and access to a large format printer.

The specs indicate that a sweep pano of 42.9MB can be captured with the final image size running to 10,480×4096 pixels. As a print: 88.7×34.6cm at 300 dpi.

This parking station shot was taken by panning in the direction of the car, which shows some of the genius in the pano mode. I count 30 plus segments.

You can shoot vertical or horizontal panoramas, tilting or panning in up/down or left to right/right to left directions.

As an adjunct to this function you can also shoot 3D image pairs, captured in 15 images at different angles and then compiled into one image, viewable on compatible TV sets. The PR blurb claims you can view these images “in simulated 3D on the camera’s LCD screen” by tilting the camera back and forth. I failed miserably to see 3D!

Full HD resolution of 1920×1080 is maintained in AVCHD capture and video capture is vastly improved in the bit rate figures: top rate (PS) is 28 Mbps, moving down to 9 Mbps (HQ).

MPEG4 capture at 1440×1080/1280×720/640480 pixels, rendered at rates of 12/6/3 Mbps.

The new camera can also capture smallish stills (2304×1296) while shooting video.

And More

Maximum image size is 4608×3456 pixels, or 39x29cm as a print.

The HX9V has GPS and a compass feature inbuilt so you can log your position after shooting an image or even find true North if you are trudging through the bush!

Newbies will like the in-camera guide. Sure helps when you’re on the road and need a hand up!

I had an issue with the instruction manual: too brief at 30 pages. There is an HTML guide but this is not searchable and, with the HX9V’s many complex features, the camera deserves better.

There is one factor missing from the HX9V. The HX5V had 45MB of internal memory … the new feller has none.

Movies

I had high hopes in this department.

To begin with, the new camera’s movie mode has fixed one of my major objections to the HX5V: the zoom’s wide angle end no longer has pronounced barrel distortion.

I then ran a comparison of the HX5V and HX9V, strapping the cameras together and shooting a walk through. Frankly, I could not pick a distinct advantage with either in smoothness; it depended on your own movement, with the stabiliser cushioning any violent movement.

However, the highest bit rate setting (PS) produced considerably less image noise.

When importing the clips into editing software the story became more interesting …

I could import all four quality levels (PS/FX/FH/HQ) into Adobe Premiere 5.0. However, my attempts to import the clips into Mac’s iMovie software were slightly less successful … all except the PS clip could be imported.

My advice? Go into the editing situation carefully before you buy the camera.

To see some incredibly good, professionally captured footage with this camera go to:
www.dslrnewsshooter.com/2011/06/19/sony-hx9v-tested-for-run-and-gun-by-johnnie-behiri/

ISO Tests

I was frankly surprised to find the camera’s rendition: quite good in resolution and noise all the way up to ISO 1600. Only at ISO 3200 was there was any (slight) sign of a problem … but in fact this setting could quite satisfactorily be used for non-critical photography IMHO. A very good performance.

Layout

The HX9V has been slightly redesigned and some control points moved around. For me, there was not a lot of difference, as I had found the HX5V’s layout to be quite OK.

The 10 position mode dial gives access to auto camera operation as well as Program AE, manual exposure, scene modes, movie mode, iSweep plus a High Dynamic Range mode that relies on two identical exposures to maximise image quality. There is a mysterious one called MR for Memory Recall which gives a status display. A useful one if you shoot a lot portraits may be Background Defocus, but I couldn’t get it to work for me.

The flash is now a pop up job but still gives about the same output power as the predecessor.
Now there’s a new comfort pad on the camera’s back just beneath the shutter button; the speed grip is also textured.

Startup Time

Two seconds after I hit the power button I took my first picture, with follow-ons coming in at about a second each.

Distortion

The still image and video modes showed no distortion at the zoom’s wide or tele end.

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX9V Review Verdict

Quality: excellent in all my shots. This one of the skateboarder is an enlargement from about a quarter of the full image. Not bad!
Why you would buy this camera: biggish zoom; fast burst rate; sweep panorama function; Full HD with high bit rates; GPS feature.
Why you wouldn’t: you want a simpler, de-featured camera!

For me — a phenomenal camera.

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX9V Specifications

Image Sensor: 16.2 million effective pixels.
Sensor Type: CMOS.
Metering: Multi-zone, centre-weighted; spot.
Sensor Size: 11mm.
Lens: Sony G f3.3-5.9/4.28-68.48mm (31-496mm as 35 SLR equivalent).
Shutter Speed: 30 to 1/1600 second.
Continuous: 10 fps.
Memory: MemoryStick Duo/Pro Duo/PRO-HG, SD, SDHC, SDXC.
Image Sizes (pixels): 4608×3456 to 640×480. Movies: AVCHD 1920×1080, 1440×1080 at 50/60i + 50/60p. MPEG4 1440×1080, 1280×720, 640×480.
File Formats: JPEG, AVCHD, MPEG4.
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100 to 3200.
LCD Screen: 7.5cm (921,600 pixels)
Interface: USB 2.0, AV, mini HDMI, and DC input.
Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery.
Dimensions: 104.8x59x33.9 WHDmm.
Weight: Approx. 245 g (inc battery, card).
Price: Get a price on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V at Amazon or at B&H Photo and Video.

Post from: Digital Photography School’s Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX9V REVIEW

Digital Photography School