What the hell is a kicker? What’s a key light? The names photographers use for studio lights.
The video above was lit with three Aputure 120D and 300D lights, two of which were in photo soft boxes.
Some years, about a quarter of my income comes from shooting video, making it hard for me to describe what I do in one sentence so I often just say “I light things.”
But when I started capturing motion, I had to rethink how I would light everything. I had to use fluorescent banks in place of softboxes, and giant hot lights bounced off of reflectors and through diffusion when I really needed to up the ante.
I employed a booklight while working with @Storyographers on a series of interviews showcasing the inspiring students of Villiage Leadership Academy (http://www.vlacademy.org). While the #behindthescenes show a gold reflecter I ended up using the shiny white reverse side for my bounce. Because it was less reflective I added a second #coollights 150W #HMI. To boost contrast I used a 4×4 black floppy overhead and on the subjects right side. #filmmaking #videoproductioncompany #videoproduction #sonyalpha #a7s #a7sii #zeiss #igerschicago #chicagodirector #chicagodirectors #chicagovideographer #filmmaker #interviewlighting #cinematography #rode #setlife #iso1200 #kupogrip #matthewsgrip #manfrotto #avengergrip #videographer #ntg3 #sonya7sii #boommic #cinematographer #4k A post shared by John Gress (@johngressmedia) on
Recreating #windowlight thanks to a tip from the @hurlbutvisuals blog. #booklight #cstand #reflector #Strand #Phillips #HMI #PAR @Roscoe_LABS #Griphead @kupogrip #onlocation in #linconshire #behindthescenes #videoproduction #videoproductioncompany #c100 #manfrotto #setlife #ISO1200 #cameraporn #Chicagovideographer #Chicagodirector #famousbtsmagazine #Canon #cinemaeos #JohnGressMedia #storyviewllc #canonc100 #redrockmicro A post shared by John Gress (@johngressmedia) on
But sometimes I just couldn’t get a bright enough pleasing light in a small space like when I shot the piano scene in the video below. Chicago video production company: Marcus Matteo’s Boomerang Music Video – 1DX Mark II 4K from John Gress on Vimeo.
Plus, it has tripled the physical space needed to store my lights. These constant sources don’t break down very well, or require 6x6s and 8x8s to modify. I also had to learn about different types of diffusion and buy new sheets of color correction gels so I could move them far enough away in some cases to prevent melting. In addition, I was constantly doing math trying to determine just how much power I needed to run the setups, and lighting things with lights outdoors was almost impossible. This all changed dramatically when I discovered Aputure 120D and Aputure 300D LED lights. The fixtures are more in the form of monolights, and the Bowens mount is adaptable to an Elinchrom mount, which means I can use almost every modifier I own to shoot video. In addition, I put Elinchrom Rings on my Mola Setti 28″ Softlight and Mola Rayo so I can use these beautiful modifers to illuminate beautiful faces for the first time while capturing motion. It’s such a pleasure to go back to lighting like a photographer, and space has been freed up on my equipment storage racks so I can further my compulsive hoarding.
1/3 ⬅️⬅️⬅️⬅️⬅️⬅️ to see more #behindthescenes and a LIGHTING DIAGRAM from my #videoshoot for @sastylestudio featuring a Valentines Day💄 #makeuptutorial by @kimoramulan with @ashley.india. Preview to follow in my next post you can see the full video at https://youtu.be/mwqKoscqrbw Lit with @aputuretech three 120d and 300d units, a @mola_softlights Setti and two @chimeralighting strips. Shot with a #CinemaEOS #C200. #aputure #chimeralighting #atomos #atomosshogun #molasoftlights #johngressmedia #setlife #iso1200 #chicagovideographer #chicagovideography #chicagodirector #canonusa #teamcanon #blackmodels #blackmodel #cinematography #johngressmedia #cinematographer #videoproduction #videoproductioncompany #prores #4k #chicagomodels #chicagomodel #videography #videographer A post shared by John Gress (@johngressmedia) on
SA Style Studio Makeup Tutorial – Full Legnth from John Gress on Vimeo.
They will also run off of batteries, so I can for the first time set up in a convention center or hotel event space with ease.
Hippocratic Cancer Research Foundation Gala 2018 from John Gress on Vimeo.
This is not a promoted post.
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