Diffuser material...photographic query?

[woodbloke]

I want to get hold of a quantity (say off a roll) of heat proof diffuser material to go in front of (but not really close) my halogen lamps that I use for lighting shots in the 'shop. The trouble is, such a product doesn't seem to exist . Anyone know if such a thing can be purchased anywhere and if not, what could be used as an alternative? - Rob

 

[Harbo]

Not direct heat proof, but good quality tracing paper held in a frame with an air gap from the light should work?

Rod

 

[xy mosian]

Hi woodbloke, I occasionally worked as an assistant to a photographer when I was much fitter and the memory seems to bring up the following methods.
Tracing paper - it needn't be close to the heat.
Bounce the light from a white board - white emulsion on the 'wrong' side of hardboard
Tight stainless mesh, this will cut the light output down as well so may give other problems (Two pieces of mesh can do a great job of cutting light out)
Misted piece of glass - spray mount adhesive does well if I remember correctly

The favourite was bounced light, ceiling often used but watch out for the shadow of the chandelier
HTH xy

 

[AndyT]

Ground glass might be an easy option - just go over a piece of glass with a coarse sharpening stone or a bit of abrasive round a block of wood. Use plenty of water and put down newspaper first. (Or just buy ground glass!)

 

[dickm]

Woven glass mat?

 

[petermillard]

The generic term is 'scrim' or 'spun' diffuser. Lots of different types - Rosco do a plastic one called Soft Frost or Lee Filters range of Diffusion Filters are good places to start. Lee filters have a very comprehensive range and are widely used in photographic, film and TV lighting; I'd suggest going for a half-density spun or frost, depending on whether the items you're photographing are very shiny or not - the texture of the spun polypropylene can be visible in highly reflective surfaces.

HTH Pete (ex-photographer, btw)

 

[Paul Chapman]

If you want to diffuse the light, Rob, I'd go for bouncing it off a white surface as xy has suggested. Often, photographers will use a purpose made umbrella and bounce a flash off that. It would be fairly simple to construct something similar - two pieces of hardboard in an L shape on a stand, and point your lights at that. Should be possible to make something that could easily be dismantled and stored when you've finished.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Soft boxes with even a stand with light head are not that expensive on the bay. Its the professional option so to speak.

 

[woodbloke]

If you want to diffuse the light, Rob, I'd go for bouncing it off a white surface as xy has suggested. Often, photographers will use a purpose made umbrella and bounce a flash off that. It would be fairly simple to construct something similar - two pieces of hardboard in an L shape on a stand, and point your lights at that. Should be possible to make something that could easily be dismantled and stored when you've finished.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Thanks chaps for all the suggestions...the tracing paper idea seems a good one. However, I've got a load of new gear in the 'shop and there simply isn't room to have stands with reflectors to bounce the light....and then find somewhere to store them. On the suggestion of Anthony Baily, whose the boss fotographizer at F&C, I've removed the lights from the stands and have mounted them on the 'shop ceiling. At the moment I've got four over the bench and I intend shortly to get hold of another four to mount in the centre of the 'shop over the tablesaur take-off table.

The excellent news is that another Forum member, Alan Holtam is sending me a some 'scrim' (as he has some that's surplus) so that I can make up some frames (little job for the Domino? :-" ) to site about 150mm in front of each light.

Many thanks Alan, much appreciated - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

At the moment I've got four over the bench and I intend shortly to get hold of another four to mount in the centre of the 'shop

Should keep you warm in the winter..... :lol:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodbloke]

At the moment I've got four over the bench and I intend shortly to get hold of another four to mount in the centre of the 'shop

Should keep you warm in the winter..... :lol:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

In actual fact Paul, the lamps (very hot though they are) are only on for a fraction of a second to light the shot. I shoot on a long manual exposure with a 10 second count down on the camera, so just before the pic gets taken, the lights go on, the pic gets taken and then the lights get switched off...also leaving them on for any length of time is burning 2Kw of juice! - Rob