Timothy Greenfield Sanders Lighting

[thomasyun]

I saw a HBO documentary with Timothy Greenfield Sanders "Thinking XXX" I liked the simplicity of this

guy's lighting. ".....It?s my usual lighting?no backlight, just a single giant Elinchrom softbox with two

heads powered with two Profoto 2,400-watt-second packs. Normally we shoot at f/32, but depending on

the bellows factor we might open it up a stop." I called Elinchrom and they said they don't make any

softbox which will take 2 strobe heads. Anyone know how he's doing that and what the advantage is in

having 2 heads? I would suspect there would be more of a hot spot in the center doing it this way.

Also, anyone know what the "bellows factor" is. I think it's when you're for example shooting f16 and you

bring your bellows out 160mm then you need no compensation but if you bring your bellows out to

240mm then you have to overexpose 1stop. Does anyone know for sure? Thanks.

[ellis_vener_photography]

heis probably using an Elinchrom Octa bank with a bi tube profoto head. Each flashtube is connected to its own 2400 watt-second Pro 7 pack.

 

Bellows Factor refers toa vusing a view camera t close range; the lens is extended for close up photography and at these clsoe r than normal camera to subject distances for a given aperture more light needs to come in. So yes you have it right.

[brucecahn]

I find TGS's lighting in that piece pretty boring. But some Deardorff huh? To get the bellows factor : factor equals bellows extension squared divided by focal length squared. In practice it is easy to do once you get used to it.

[garry edwards]

Are you sure he was using 2 heads? Not 1 head fitted with 2 flashtubes, each run from a separate pack?

 

Shooting at f/32 would require large format, or at least large size medium format - with 35mm the lens will be diffraction limited at around f/16, with smaller film/sensor diffraction limitation becomes an issue at larger apertures.

 

Bellows factor is simply the need to increase the exposure when focussing at short distances, because the lens is further from the film. E.g., at 1:1 the lens is moved to twice the distance from the film plane as at infinity, and requires 2 extra stops of exposure.

[john_murphy1]

The way this is usually done is to clip the two flashheads onto the ribs of the softbox.

[ellis_vener_photography]

"The way this is usually done is to clip the two flashheads onto the ribs of the softbox." N oway to do that with the Elinchrom softbox. With standard softboxes on the very rare occassion when I have needed two heads in there and don't have a bi-tube head, I just stick it through the rear opening of the Chimera or Plume Wafer softboxes

 

Moderators note: The following post and answer has been copied over from another thread. Please don't start new threads on the same subject.

 

One more question regarding Timothy Greenfield Sanders

 

Tom Y, May 24, 2007; 07:20 p.m.

 

Thanks Regarding the Elinchrom Octa Bank he uses. Is it a direct light box or indirect?

Answers

 

Ellis Venerphoto.net hero, May 24, 2007; 10:08 p.m.

 

http://www.elinchrom.com/

 

products > indirect softlites

[john_murphy1]

Ellis<br/>

Why couldn't you do it with the Elinchrom Octa Bank? I've never tried it on mine, but it certainly seems plausible.<br/>

I heard that this is the way it is done from one of my patients who has worked as an assistant to photographers in NYC. I assume he would know, since it was his job to do the setting up of the lights.