Relationship between Diffusion, Softening and Distance

I came across this interesting article by Ed Moore and Stephen Murphy, where they tested a lot of different lighting diffusion materials. I recommend checking it out: Here is the stills version and the video version.

Some selects from that post:

Half soft frost diffusion

Half soft frost, one of my favorite diffusions because it's most efficient, getting you the most softening for the least loss of output available. Not surprisingly,  that's what I use as the front face in Airbox Inflatable Softboxes.

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Images of people lit by LED panels with Airbox Inflatable Softboxes on them

Lit only by LED panels wearing Airbox Inflatable Softboxes

People ask me, so why an  Airbox? What's it do?  This post is long overdue, some work samples of shooting I've done using just LED panels and Airboxes. It is notable that much of the time I light with my panels and Airboxes, I do use an extra layer of diffusion in the front pocket when I don't need all the output and I do want it a bit softer. Good thing precut gel + diffusion kits are available to fit our softboxes then!

Lighting used: 2 1x1 Litepanels with Airbox Model 1x1 Softboxes with extra sheet of diffusion in front sleeve and eggcrates), Switronix TorchLED with Airbox Macro, Dracast 160 with Airbox Macro kit with eggcrate

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Litepanels Astra review

Litepanels Astra Review

 4.5/5 stars

If you're into lighting with LED panels at all, you must have heard about the Litepanels Astra that came out last year. Litepanels were the first in the field of LED panel lighting for video, and after being thoroughly and extensively copied over the years, they've now released a spiffed-up design of their original product. They were also kind enough to lend me one, and here are my impressions after playing with it around the house and using it on several shoots.

•Output

What I noticed first is how bright it was. 
  

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More lighting and camera gear 2014: FS7, Sourcemaker blanket, Twintube Dolly, Gruvgear Muver

New lighting and camera equipment from 2014 that bears mention:

Sony's Fs7 has been one of the most ballyhooed releases this year. I recently got the chance to do some testing Adam Wilt and Art Adams. Adam Wilt wrote some thorough articles about it which are worth reading. I'm looking forward to reading Arts writeup when its done, but here's my really quick .02 - like the smarty handgrip. All those controls you can operate without taking your eye of the eyepiece! I was also very impressed with the dynamic range. S-log 3, we were actually short of hard pressed to create an indoor situation that exceeded what camera could still resolve. Granted,  our biggest light was an 800 joker, but it was still impressive that the camera could still see detail on the t/45 white curtains where the beam of light was hitting them as well as in the unlit T/1 patch of dark wood in the foreground, about eleven stops apart.  We'll wait and see the actual test results though once Art has done the edit.

Sony FS7, test shoot w/Art Adams and Airbox Lights

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Custom Catch Lights or Eye Lights

Lighting Exercise: Custom Catchlights

I've always had this thing for unusual catch lights in people eyes, something other than the usual rectangle or dot.  Catchlights, also referred to as eyelights, are generally understood by photographers and videographers to be important; people's eyes seem a little dead when there's no light reflected in them. Not coincidentally, the times there's no light reflected in someone eyes is usually when there isn't any light source in front of them, so they're usually a bit backlit or sidelit anyway, which might lead people to feel that the person looks a little gloomy. 


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Off-topic, mostly nothing to do with video lighting or gear or LED panels or LED softboxes

This isn't about my usual topics, like cool video lighting gear or LED softboxes.

What's the right thing to do, when you're loading up your car with equipment for the day's shoot on a dark rainy morning, when all of a sudden you find someone pointing a gun at your chest? It's a funny feeling, surreal as much as anything else.  Like it doesn't make sense. Just finishing loading all the Jokers and Kinos and LED panels and and stands and everything else, and then you see someone walk up your driveway. You wonder who this stranger is, what they want, whether they need help with something, and then you see the silver shiny barrel of a handgun pointed at you. You might shout, you might run, you might freak out. You would certainly be late for work. You might shout once, but find that it sort of strangles in your throat, because you're not sure what this stranger is like,  this stranger with the bandanna over their face up to their eyes and the wool cap pulled down low over their forehead, the stranger with black-gloved hands aiming a gun at you, might get upset about you raising a hue and cry and shoot you down outside your daughter's bedroom window. It's an awkward thing, having a gun on you at 6:42 AM in the rain.

You might just hand over your wallet; what's worth getting shot for?  But how do you know what state the person is in, whether they're really in the mood to kill someone, or whether there are even bullets in the gun.

You might be pretty grateful that they just took your wallet and the 4$ that were inside, and didn't tell you to open up the vehicle and take something very expensive. OR even your phone, which would cost you a bunch to replace but he could only get a few bucks for an iphone 4s with a cracked screen.

So what do you do?  You hand it over, even though you're thinking what a pain it will be to cancel all the cards and get a new ID. Do you buy a gun?  Mace? Taser? Keep a baseball bat in your car? What good would that do, really? When there's someone on your, threatening you, are you going to have the presence of mind or the cojones to pull out a bat and attack them?   Install a bunch of outdoor lighting perhaps. Security cameras?  If you're not safe at home, then where?

The stranger was very professional, very fast, in and out.  He came in very fast, everything about him was covered up, no way for me to identify him. Other than that he was black, adult, maybe in his 30s, 5'10", 180-200 lbs.  If you can be this good a robber, why not do something useful?

The good news is that I got an email that the first batch of Airbox 1x1 Inflatable softboxes for LED panels are in the air on the way here. And I got another email that B&H is interested in selling them. And I wasn't hurt, nor did anything bad happen to my family, in bed just a few feet away from where this guy threatened me.

I think he was mad that there was only 4$ in my wallet. But once his back turned on me, I split.  I didn't stick around to find out how he felt about his take.

I love Oakland, but that sucks.  In my own driveway in my own house. What are you gonna do.  Get over it and move on. And install some motion-sensor lights and things like that. Very soon. Not a nice feeling to not feel safe at home.

And: this is a pretty cool video, an ad for a really good kind of rum. http://youtu.be/8Vv_M2jBDf4
They don't pay me, I just like their rum. And I saw this video. And it's pretty neat.

Holy Crap! Here come the 1x1 Airboxlights.com Inflatable Softboxes!!

The factory inflates them all before they ship.  That's quite a pile of awesome Airboxlights.com inflatable LED softboxes!

 

We shot a commercial for Airboxlights.com Inflatable Softboxes this past weekend also, it's going to be wicked funny.

Not to give it away, but here are two stills:

We're going to be selling the new units, the Model 126 for (6"x12"/6"x13") 500 LED panels and the Model 1x1 (for 1x1 LED panels, obv) directly now on Amazon. Store should be ready for business in a couple of days! Link forthcoming.  You can also email us to order.
yours
Tom Guiney