Kino Flo with strobe fill

<p>Hi,<br>

I'm trying to use Kino Flo for fashion photography. I like the light quality & softness Kino emits and wanted to use it as key light. I tried three 4 bulb banks (one on the top, 2 on each side) for portrait, but I can't get it above f4 1/30 sec at iso 200, and it's still underexpose.<br>

I'm thinking of adding a large softbox behind the camera as a fill, has anyone used strobe as fill without over powering the Kino? The goal is to get to f11, 1/60 or 125 at iso 100 for both portrait and full length. Any diagram or link to further research would be greatly appreciated. <br>

Thanks!</p>

<p>Flourescent continuous light do not have power or light intensity for still photography, as per your stated specifications.</p>

<p>You need flash lighting instead of continuous lighting.</p>

<p>Kino is good for making movies.</p>

<p>Mixing strobe with continuous lighting could not match in light intesity and color temperature.<br>

<br /> </p>

 

<p>Flourescent light could possiby flicker a bit at 60 Hz, or 50 Hz in Europe, while flash short pulse will last very short time. Each time you shoot the flash, this will happen at a different AC line phase of the sine wave feeding the possibly flickering lights.<br>

In addition to huge differences in light intensity, and perhaps color temperature, you could have also not repeatable results from the 60 or 50 Hz powering flourescent lights, even if their filtering is of best quality. You could possibly even out a bit the continuous light by taking longer exposure, but that could make your shooting even more complicated.</p>

 

<p>Those lights are best used in very close range around 3 feet or less. Your other option is to use strip lights by profoto or broncolor. These will give you any f-stop you need. Otherwise you have to increase your iso to 1600.</p>

<p>Peter Hurley is arguably one of the top headshot photographers in the country, based in NYC. He's known for his lighting look and uses Kinos. I just Googled "peter hurley kino flo setup" and there are many search results that will help to answer your question.</p>

<p>Angela Looking at Peter Hurley site is not going to help you unless you are doing headshots only. You own these lights or you rent them so you have some experence with them. You did not give us any info as to your working distance. I only assume that it is further away than closer as these lights are only off or on with one power setting. You only have two choices either up your iso or move the lights in closer. These lights are more of a specialty light not something you should make as your main light source unless you are only going for this type of look or just doing close portraits.</p>

<p>Hi Michael,<br>

Thank you very much for your input. I've seen Peter Hurley's videos before and you're right about it's mainly good for close up portraits. I tried it very close up, but the power is too low, that's why I thought about strobe fill.</p>

<p>I've seen a documentary with Peter Lindbergh using Kino (or lights resemblance of Kino), granted this is for a movie but I read he uses continuous light for most of his shoots so that prompt me to think Kino is possible for full length shots.</p>

<p>Here's the clip: http://www.nowness.com/day/2011/11/3/1709/charlotte-rampling-the-look</p>

<p>cheers!</p>

<p>Yes, Kinos won't have the output you're after unless placed very close to subject, and even then, a small bank just doesn't have the footcandles for those apertures. However, I do love shooting in continuous light. I like the immediate lighting feedback, but most of all, I love being able to shoot continuous at full-tilt without waiting for recycle times. I've been thinking of buying an 8-foot, 4-bank KinoFlo for full-length shots. Even so, the light will have to be extremely close. Ideally, I'd stack two KinoFlo Image 80s, which have much greater output, but are very expensive.</p>

<p>KinoFlo 8-foot, 4-bank:<br /> http://www.kinoflo.com/Lighting%20fixtures%20with%20Remote%20ballast/Mega%204Bank,%20Double,%20Single/Mega%204Bank/Mega%204bank.htm<br /> KinoFlo Image 80/85:<br /> <a href="http://www.kinoflo.com/Lighting%20Fixtures/Image/Image.htm">(link)</a></p>

<p>You can use continuous tungsten light with white kinos fill, it gives nice color effect. Sometimes seen in hollywood movies. I tried it for fashion and it does work.</p>

<p>I agree that strobes are the way to go. But if you're committed to Kino-Flos, one simple option is to bump up your ISO. Don't know what camera you're using, but if you can' get clean images at ISO 400 it's probably time for a new camera, and it could be cheaper than getting enough Kino-Flo light on the subject to shoot at 100. <br /><br />You can mix strobe and Kino-Flo. If the Kino is the same color temp as your flash (plus or minus 5500) you don't need to do much of anything. If it's 3200, you need to use a CTO gel on the flash. As others have noted, fluorescent can have some fluctuations in color, but this is probably less a problem on professional units like Kino that on the cheap CFLs. Just about any strobe, of course, will overpower the Kino as said above. <br /><br />Quality of light is usually determined more by the modifiers used -- umbrella, soft box, scrim, etc. -- than the light source itself. I would think that whatever light quality you're getting from the Kino can be replicated with strobe, probably easy and certainly more cheaply.</p>

<p>I have tried Kinos and I agree with Craig, Im not sure if there is a quality I cant get with strobes. Maybe someone can tell me what quality they have that cant be duplicated with strip boxes. It sure wasnt enough to wow me. Shot it in the Hurley headshot pattern, 4 strips in a square a few feet from the subject. Angela, if you over power the Kinos with strobe, arent the strobes becoming the main, so what is the purpose? You will have to do that to get the 4 or 5 more stops you are seeking. Hurley is shooting medium format but I understand the equivalent of a full frame 35 mm using an 85 mm lens at f/1.4. Note he shoots on a tripod as well around 1/30 or 1/60 if I recall. </p>

Criag the strip softboxes are not going to wow you i agree. The only thing close is the strip lights by profoto or light bars ny

broncolr.

<p>Thanks evreyone for your input!</p>