candida hofer

[geert_de_keyser1]

look at the enclosed picture of famous dusseldorf school photographer candida

hofer (see attachment). i'm wondering how she did this, there is clearly

daylight coming through the windows in the roof of the room but there is also

clearly artificial light from the light fixtures in the room, how did she do

this? i don't think that she had the lamps changed to 5500 K lamps, that's just

not her. The only way I think one could do this is, come in before dawn and

shoot the scene with the lights on and light balancing filter on the lens and

then turn the lights off, wait until daylight comes in and then do a second

exposure. If this is the case, how can you figure out to divide the exposures?

If this is not the case, how would you guys do this?

[darcy_cote]

Maybe I am missing something, but I don't see any artificial lights on in this image. Gotta be all artificial lighting.

[noah]

I looks to me like all of the light is coming from the windows. Look inside of the light

fixtures...there is no light actually coming from them.

[geert_de_keyser1]

i was talking about the lightfixtures lining the walls below the tvscreens, or are these also small windows? the light fixtures on the ceiling are not on

[joe_harrigan]

Its probably just a simple time exposure, nothing more.

[robert x]

Geert - it's hard to tell from the picture size you posted, but the "lights" under the TV screens

do look very much like they could be windows.

[pico_digoliardi]

Nothing magic there - the photographer chose to expose properly for a high-key effect.

[pierre_frach]

If I have to do that, i will put some plastic filters outside the windows to shut down the K� of the fluo tubes and then shoot all the scene with a appropriate film, time for fluo tubes. Look the tv screen, they look so blue, so cold....

PF

[geert_de_keyser1]

let's assume that those fluo tubes are not windows, i've seen her do it in a number of occasions where she had her lightfixtures emanating a pure white light in a room that was lit by large windows or cupola's

 

joe, what do you mean by "simple time exposure"?

pico, what does a high key effect have to do with mixing color temperatures in one space or am i missing something?

pierre, would you actually cover all the thirtysomething windows with filters to balance the outside light with the fluo tubes?

[helenbach]

I'd sleeve the tubes to match daylight as best as I could. That's not difficult.

 

Best,

Helen

[joe_harrigan]

I mean there is probably nothing done to the lights they're not even on. The space is totally lit by natural light as far as I can tell its just a basic exposure. It looks like a standard commercial architecture shot to me.

[helenbach]

Joe,

 

If you look at the light sources just below the video screens they appear to show the characteristic light distribution of a fluorescent tube, and the source appears to be proud of the wall, not in the wall as with the windows above. They are in the right place for illuminating the bench top.

 

Best, Helen

[ethan_melad]

looks to me like reflection coming from the windows rather than an artificial source...

[ethan_melad]

on second thought, maybe not..

[darcy_cote]

Just to rephrase my initial posting....

 

"Gotta be all artificial lighting."

 

should be

 

"Gotta be all natural lighting" and the "lights" below the tv screens appear to be reflections to

me. It appears she also used a soft focus filter.

[helenbach]

"...the "lights" below the tv screens appear to be reflections to me..."

 

Reflections of what?

[helenbach]

I looked through the books I have with her pictures in, and I can see that there are colour differences from different light sources in some of the shots. The lights are often on, though the space is adequately lit by daylight. If it was me taking the picture, and bearing in mind that it is not taken for an interior decorating magazine, I'd be inclined to leave the character of the lights as they are. Maybe in this case the fluorescent tubes were already close to daylight. I guess that the Swiss might want to do that in an anatomy lab.

 

However, your question seems to be about how it would be done if the light sources had different characteristics. Sleeving the tubes would be the easiest way, because it isn't a difficult or a long job. You can never get it perfect, but you can get it very close.

 

Why not ask Candida Hofer?

 

Best, Helen

[geert_de_keyser1]

Helen, I like you, girl!

[joe_harrigan]

If this was on my shoot I'de use 160pros and not filter a thing. The film will take care of everything even if there were flourescents in there. Frankly I'de turn on the ceiling fixtures as well, at least for part of the exposure so they look alive.