Home Kino
I got inspired at Picture Ray yesterday by the guy who runs the studio. So much so that this morning I took my Home Depot gift card, walked up to 23rd Street, bought two florescent work lights and daylight balanced bulbs, took them home, retrofit them with some sparrow plates I had in my closet and voila, I have two new do-it-yourself Kino lights for under a hundred bucks.
I did some tests with myself as the model this evening and I'm really happy with the results. I'd share them but they're embarrassing.
Make pictures and your own lights.
9 comments:
Hi Clay,
The home depot link didn't work. Can you show us a picture of your rig and how the mount works?
I just finished a home made ring light. I think I made it in for under $12. Here's my best so far.
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=402104666&context=set-72157594555711796&size=o
Paul
paul, i think i fixed the link but i can't be sure. homedepot.com seems to give each link a session id. just search "florescent work light" on their site and you'll be good.
i generally don't show pix of my homemade gear because i want folks to make their own stuff, not copy me. part of the fun of making your own gear is discovering things in the process and making them your own.
i hope that's not coming accross as a dodge. i just prefer to let everyone do their thing. creativity begins with initiative.
for example. i can see you made a ring light different than mine. i have 12 bulbs in mine. you seem to be a 6 man. ;-)
I would love to see results (i understand not showing the setup itself) but I must say, ive never heard of a kino light before...off to google...
Kino lights are more of a video light. still-folks aren't as keen on them because they aren't as bright as strobes. i like 'em becasue i'm totally comfortable shooting at slow shutter speeds and/or wide open.
i'll shoot something tomorrow with the light and share that. i just didn't want to show shots of myself as an example.
it's my new toy, i'm gonna use it as much as i can this week.
cool, I look forward to it. with no real equipment and usually only a north facing window..I have no choice to do the slow shutter speed thing. And with a kit lens, wide open is very loose term :)
that's funny. go make yourself some fake kinos. it's really a lovely light and super versatile. overhead, on the side. put it wherever. it's all about finding what's right for you. securing it without good stands is a trick but i'm sure you can work it out.
worst case, use duct tape.
Hi Clay,
Would 12 lights make my pictures better? Kidding. I don't get very much light out of 6 60 watt bulbs, I couldn't get much DOF even at a high ISO.
Thanks for the link, that works. That might be my next project.
I might disagree and say that seeing your stuff has really helped and inspired my own creativity but I understand the spirit of what you are saying. Your blog and pictures have been really inspiring over the last couple of years. Thanks for that.
But the picture I found of your street studio set up was definitely helpful.
All the best
Paul
paul, i recounted yesterday, it's 10 lights, not 12. 12 would have been better. oh well, next time.
As you may know, Kino Flos have revolutionized the way we make films. But they cost a lot of money, and with good reason. They have bullet-proof, dimmable ballasts, excellent color rendition, reflectors, grids, adjustable barndoors, and are lightweight and easily hangable/positionable. Oh yeah, and the tubes won't shatter.
But many times we have rigged fluorescents from Home Depot as well, when they are affectionately known as 'Depot Flos'!
I think I have the ringlight I made in film school rotting somewhere in the basement...
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