Do any of you so-called "Content Providers" know anything about studio lighting?
 

I know most of you fuckers use off the counter piece-of-shit digital cameras. You spend $700 on a point-and-shoot digital camera and think you're a content provider.

If that is you, don't fucking bother replying. I want the serious content providers.

Here's my question: I am going to buy studio lights today or tomorrow. I'm torn between two brands:

ProFoto Acute 2400

* or *

Speedotron 2405 blacklines

I've been told that Profotos are overpriced (yet still good of course) and that Speedotrons are more of a "work horse". I abuse the hell out of lights. I have been using Novatron's but we've blown up 4 Novatron Power supplies already this year. We shoot 500 to 1,000 photos a day, 5 to 6 days a week.

Anyone opinions on brand?

(This doesn't really matter, but if you want to know the camera's we use with them: A Nikon D1x, Nikon D1, and a Fuji S2 Pro)

I use 400w lowel fren650l's as primaries myself. The lamps run about 50 a piece to replace and last about 100 hours or so.

I can use 300w lamps in them if desired.

Just as I thought.... most of you are hot air. Very few of you actually know jack-shit about photography.

Hey guys, pointing a camera at a naked girl DOES NOT make you a photographer.

So you use hot lights instead of strobes? Do you like the results?

Dude, you gave them a whole of 6 minutes to reply before you slammed them. Maybe they are all just waking up or something. :helpme

At times. Honestly never played much with strobes. I know I should but its one of those things ya know. I learned using them and its hard to pick up new tricks when ya do not work with others.

What are we really after? Good photography? Or good pornography? Are they one in the same? I personally don't think so.

Cool down there big guy. No reason to get your panties in a bunch... unless you're kinky like that. :winkwink:

Boy who pissed in your Cherrios today? Did you wake up on the I am asshole side of the bed today or what?

Judging by your attitude I would be surprised if anyone gives you the time of day.

Nor a pornographer.

Got to be honest and say I do not know anything about those makes, they do not sell here in EU. We got the new MultiBlitz Varilux 550 and the older MultiBlitz Ministudio 606. These will bang off 3 sets of 400 stills a day at full power, no problem.

They cost around $700+ a light and worth every penny.

Also got some MultiBlitzt 300 lights that must be 10 years old and still going strong. Another light I would recommend is Elinchrome.

With lights you get what you pay for, a light blowing up in the middle of a set that can be worth $3,000 is a very expensive light. You're not saving yourself $100 on buying crap.

A content provider bashing other content providers??????

Well i never...

It's all about attitude.

I like it when they come out with guns blasting.

:thumbsup

Where was he bashing?

At the PhotoExpo in NYC last week the Profoto guys were pushing their 7-system over the Acute, making the Acute sound like the stepchild. And everything is a la carte, so you gotta buy a shitload of new light modifiers and power suplies for the lights you buy. They had a wicked power supply system there, but I didn't check into it. Their web site might have info on it.

Profoto seems really elitist and perhaps not worth the money. They are overpriced.

Try the speedotrons.

And, damn, you shoot a lot!!!

Did you check out photo.net? They debate this kind of stuff. Click here

wow i guess all those people who like my photography are idiots, because i use a $900 off the shelf camera & a $200 set of lights. aparently i dont know anything about photography. my 1000 to 2000 pics i shoot per day dont even compare to your 500 to 1000. guess my nominations for photography awards are all buillshit too.

i could answer your question, even in my stupidity i know what youre talking about. but i wont answer it. you dont deserve an answer.

nice attitude. ill do my best not to come near you at any trade show, as i would hate to spoil your holy presense.

:321GFY

I wasn't bashing anyone. I am just making it very clear that I want to hear from photographers. A content provider and a photographer are often times two different animals.

And I have no patience with content providers that have some junky $700 digital camera and think that makes them a photographer. They can shoot content (if they're lucky) with such a setup, but they do me no good when discussing serious photography.

Sorry you took it that way, man.

Would you consider yourself a "photographer" or a "content provider" ? They are not the same. A content provider is not necessarily a photographer.

im both. i choose to use the equipment i use for content because its cheap, somewhat disposable, portable, light and fast. i find that i if i try and use my d1h or d1x i get tired faster, and spend 3 hours setting up a scene, i just waste time and really dont get anything better. well maybe slightly better pics.

but i AM shooting amateur male content. it isnt supposed to be playboy quality. so thats my logic in what i use :)

friend of mine doesnt have a studio, ALWAYS travels, and he beats the hell out of his speedotron, and it always works. :2 cents:

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it. I'd like to see your work sometime. I can appreciate good photography.

As a phtographer I love to use studio lights or stobos to get the best desired result.

As a content provider, who books a model and has other expenses and selling to webmasters who always wants the cheapest price you simply cannot afford to take as much care about each photo. In my experience the studio lights ususlly burn out when you are shooting the most expensive model :(

As a pornographer I love amateur style shootings as you can just grap the emotion on snapshots and shady video that you simply don't have in staged studio pictures.


So I think your title is misleading as you mistook a photographer as a content provider. Sure you can produce the best quality but it would be so expensive that you go down broke while performing your art of photography.

We sell well over $20,000 a month in content (exclusive, made-to-order), shoot for my Naked College Girls site, and shoot for several single-girl sites under development. Studio lights are a necessity. Point and shoot camera's won't keep up.

By the way, if an amateur look is desired (that's what we shoot the majority of the time) it can be accomplished with strobes as well.

Exactly.

You, sir, are a photographer AND a pornographer. I was hoping you'd reply.

I bought a set of "NightLamps" down at Kragen Auto Parts. Combined with my Canon Powershot A40, I've managed to do pretty well.

Dawgy, you need a new model?

I'm all shaved up.

you like rocker boys?

:Graucho

broncolor/visatec produce high end lighting in very reasonable price.They also have great video lighting (absolutely silent) and results are great and pro.
I am sure you know far better then most of us about lighting so no need of long stories

I'll photograph you. I've got a client that would buy a shoot of ya. And I'll be in LA tomorrow too buying lights.

I dont like lights though.

I havent been outside in the daylight in 3 years ;)

hahaha

haha :thumbsup

It is true that most "content" providers do not know much about lighting or photography. That does not necessarily make their content bad, but it does make all the content look pretty much the same. And when content starts looking the same the surfer doesn't respond to it much.

Interesting photography has to do with inventive lighting, and photographing the model in a different way. With proper lighting you can make an average model beautiful, with improper lighting you can make a beautiful model average, or worse.

Saying that, I am an advocate of strobe bounced light when shooting erotica, especially when shooting skin. For me hot lights are not erotic and create an artificial sterile look, like having sex sitting in a dentist chair. Yes working with hotlights is easier for the photographer because everything can be done autoexposure, but the models get hot and uncomfortable, and it is not such a sexy look.

For a sexy look "mood" lighting is good, and this can be easily achieved with strobes and bounced light. Another advantage of shooting the model with strobes is that it gives the models' eyes a more sexy glamour look, because (unlike hot lights) when you work with strobes your set lighting will usually be subdued causing the pupils of the models' eyes to enlarge---the flashing strobe captures this glamour look, and it is a completely different look to the eyes than hot lights which cause the pupils to close down.

In erotica when the girl looks at you with big pupils that means she is hot for you---when she looks at you with small pupils it means she does not care for you so much.

Subliminal messaging yes, but we're talking about getting signups here.

Back to the original query by the poster.

I favor Speedotron---I use the brownline series, but blackline is basically the same, just more accessories. I like speedotron because it is tough and reliable, a powerpack has never failed, and the 1604 I use recycles very fast. Normally I shoot with D1x and wein infrared wireless slave. Usually 2 heads, and 2 big umbrellas. In this way I can create the "mood" of sex lighting, simulating the real look of an atmosphere most people have sex in. I also use a smaller powerpack that I had speedotron modify for 110-120V so it can be used all over the world. It travels well, just does not recycle so fast.

Having said all that, it ain't the hardware that creates great pix, it is the photographer's imagination. There's plenty of shitty photography done with great equipment, and the converse is also true.

Hello!

We use for shoots:

for video Sony DCR2000
Light: 5 or 6 units Fluorescent Light On base of the lamps Kino Flo (each unit 1200w)

for photo Canon 1D, Canon D10 or other cameras
Light:
for digital: 5 or 6 units Fluorescent Light On base of the lamps Kino Flo, each unit 1200w or 3 units Multiblitz (each unit 1500w)
for roll: only 3 units Multiblitz

So true, so true! :1orglaugh :thumbsup

Donovan, it's a different world today. Horny guys surfing the Net buy reality, not Herb Ritts, Annie Liebovitz and Scavulo photography.

Not saying pro photography doesn't work, but that's not where the money is right now.

Most guys can yank good enough quality with consumer - pro am level equipment.

:thumbsup

Most photographers that shoot amateur and reality photos use pro equipment. Check out my Naked College Girls site. The photography is amateur stlyle. But I've been shooting with pro equipment for 4 years.

I have a photogenic powerlights, with an Aurora backlight, and honestly they've done well by me.. They're older but they are fantastic and reliable and don't overheat like some lights tend to do, and they are easy on bulbs.

I've heard a lot of great things about Chimera's products, but I haven't really investigated the prices all that much.
http://www.chimeralighting.com/

It's been so long since I had my full studio set up it makes my brain hurt, and I haven't been in the market for lighting in so long I honestly don't know what the newer lighting equipment is like. I have my old reliables. My softbox and umbrellas are currently in my closet with my lighting heads packed away and I have my stands wrapped in plastic to prevent rusting.

Wish I could help more.. give me a day to go back through some of my newer magazines (which I have barely cracked no time lately) and see if I see anything that catches my eye.

You going to Vegas, I assume, Donovan?

I use floodlights from Home Depot. You would be amazed how well they work!

I'm with you there.. I think some people automatically assume that "amateur" equates to crappy lighting, bad framing, etc etc etc in the photos.. This is far from the case. Just because a photo is set up to be "amateur" doesn't mean it has to be a shitty picture and use bottom-end equipment. Most of my amateur stuff was shot with my F5 :)

I'm sure you do... they must give you a lot of color variation in the end product.. Most floodlights aren't daylight balanced so they tend to be either excessively hot or cold. How do you compensate for that?

Dork :P

I have heard that Profoto is really good but have not used it myself .... dont know anything about Speedotron ....

We use both broncolour and mulitblitz .... bronclour for our studio and a mutiblits travel set for location shooting.... Bronclour is cool but also too expensive I think....

I heard the bulbs go a lot in Bronclour.. is that true?

Well, I am a big Speedotron advocate. I have used Speedo's for virtually all of my studio lighting. Definitely go blackline as the recycle times are faster, and as a pro it just sucks waiting for the pack to recyle. Waiting can really kill the flow of a shoot.

I have been shooting blacklines for over 10 years, bought all of my equipment used on EBay, and all of it is still in use today.

I have 2400ws packs, one a 2403X, and one the older 2401. The variable output dial on the 2403X is the bomb for fast adjustments to power.

The heads are usually really well made, and can withstand a lot of abuse. I have accidentally tipped mine over off of 8' stands and the heads still work fine after impact. If you need modifiers, get a few 60" umbrellas, or a 3'x4' or larger softbox. I shoot with it vitrually every day. I also have some larger reflectors, some snoots, barndoors, and honeycomb inserts, but rarely need them for what I shoot most.

Now if you travel alot, they have 1200ws packs with small footprints, and you can use the same 102 heads.

Great thing about Speedo is that you can find them all over the place if you need extra heads, or accessories.

Oh, and when you get the heads, be sure to get the color corrected bulbs. Makes for better skin tones.