Lighting a small room

<p>I am taking a lot of pictures of my family in my living room at night using on-camera flash (SB-600), using an older DSLR.<br>

I'd like to permanently mount some lights in the room (strobes?), to get better light.<br>

The current room lighting is a combination of halogen and flourescent, which makes for some pretty awful lighting. I could replace the in-room lighting, but what to use?<br>

<br />If I augment the existing lighting, any suggestions on what to use? Should I buy another flash, and mount it on a lightstand? Should I get some strobes?<br>

This is a living room, so aesthetics matter.<br>

<br />Thanks,<br />Gregory</p>

 

<p>Gregory, Bounce! Just make sure you have spare batteries as bouncing, though providing soft even and more flattering light, sucks energy. Old time wedding photographers used this technique every chance they could. Simplifies your lighting decisions. Come back & let us all know how you made out (with samples if you can). Best, LM.</p>

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<p>Living rooms are generally pretty easy. Have you tried simply bouncing your SB-600? </p>

<p>Or are you thinking of getting simply better permanent lights? Anything that makes the room brighter will be a plus. Using lights that are all of the same type will make the white balance problems easier to deal with....</p>

<p>Hi, I should've mentioned, I am already bouncing the flash off the ceiling or using a diffuser. These help, but am thinking of more light sources, mounted permanently. Thanks!</p>

<p>Gregory,</p>

<p>Well, my first thought is, if you're already bouncing and you don't like the results, you might consider working on your bouncing technique. Try bouncing into upper corners, where two walls meet the ceiling. </p>

<p>But if you're sure you're already doing everything that can be done with bounce, and you want to get rid of the flash altogether and just use fixed, permanent electric lights, well, I think that's a new problem that might not have a good solution. </p>

<p>If you were trying to light an art gallery, that would be one thing. The paintings hanging on the wall stay put. But people in a room do NOT stay put. They turn their heads. They sit on the chairs in different ways. They stand. They move the chairs around. And so on.</p>

<p>So I think the answer to your question has to be, very soft, very diffuse light. If I were going to do this, I think I would put some bright-ish lights in the four corners of the room pointing up into the corners, just the way I bounce my flash, except that now there would be light coming from all four corners.</p>

<p>But to be honest, I think that would make the room unlivable. It would be like a light room. You'd be better off adding a couple nicely shaded lamps—perhaps some of those lamps that point up to the ceiling.</p>

<p>Will</p>

<p>Instead of rushing into buying some lights I would suggest that you take some time to study lighting, specifically understanding portraiture lighting. Once you've got the basics with short, broad, flat, butterfly, Rembrandt lighting strategies then consider the lighting equipment. I also totally agree with others who endorse bouncing the light, especially in a small room such as a living room......having two bounced light sources with appropriate lighting ratios between them should fit your purposes nicely.</p>

<p>Flourescent in the living room? I think this question is better suited for a home design/ home improvement forum- Apartment Therapy is one of my favorites. If it were me, I'd want to make the existing light in the room better. It'll cost more, but you'll get more use out of it. And I bet your family will appreciate it too.</p>

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<p>Agreed. I'd just bounce.</p>