Can you explain what "flagging" lights is, in terms of lighting for stuido photography, and how to do it?
I am working on a photography project in which I have shot Fujia Provia 400 color transparency film (slide film), which will then be projected with a traditional slide projector onto a white seamless background in a studio. I am going to pose a model in front of the seamless so that the projection falls onto her, then shoot the whole image on 35mm, 800 Kodak Portra color negative film. While discussing this in my photography class, my professor expressed concern that there wouldn’t be enough light for a short enough exposure, even though I will be setting up with a tripod and the highest speed film I could get (apparently no one makes 1600 or 3200 anymore, or the photo stores in NYC don’t carry them).
Anyway, I had said I didn’t want to use external lights (if I did, I would only be able to use hot lights; no strobe allowed), because I didn’t want extra lights to wash out the color or strength of the projection, either on the model’s skin (who will be posed far back enough that she will be touching the seamless), or the image on the background. Her solution was “flagging” the lights, a term I’ve never heard, even having worked in a photography studio, and she couldn’t manage to explain what it is, much less how to go about doing it. Do you have any idea of what kind of lighting this is, or how I could set it up using just a small hot light kit? She asked me to google it, and I tried with no success (I searched “flagging lights,” “flagged lighting,” “photography flagging,” “flagging hot lights,” etc., etc. Does this sound familiar to you at all?
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I googled for you, dear wife.
I found this! And this!
I shall not hold this against you. It took me a few tries. :D
Hope that helps, I’m noobsauce at photography.
For reference I think the search that got me there was ‘flagged lights photography’.
@wifey: Your googling is far superior to mine, haha. I really did try!
:)
I still lurve you.
Here and here are some images using flagged lights, or so they say. Just so you can have a looksie.
I was going to say “bounce cards”
I dont know. Could she have meant setting up blocks in front of the light source, like a bounce? (making this up) but what about setting up a flag shaped piece of white foam core on a light stand, a few inches in front of light to directly block the light but bounce it so that there is still a strong enough light source for the projection?
Also what about the metal thingys that are put around a strobe to alter light direction, you know “barn doors” or something, maybe she meant those. Or maybe she had no idea what she was talking about? Good luck. PS I am suprised that B&H does not have high speed film, you could inquire about special order.
@bigbanana: B&H is a lot farther than Adorama for me (I live in NYC, so paying for shipping would be ludicrous), and the highest speed they carry (of color film) is 800 ISO. Looking at their website, it appears that B&H carries 1600 speed, but I’ve already purchased the 800, so if my test roll looks alright, I’ll probably stick with it. 18th st vs 34th street is a pretty big difference. Adorama is 2 blocks from my school, so yeah… I also don’t like Fuji’s color negative film as much as Kodak’s, so I’d prefer to shoot Kodak.
Funny I remember when BH was on 17th street and it was about 10 Hasidic men that ran it, then they blew it up into that mega store> I never felt the same about them after that. Good luck with your project, by the way what school are you in for photo?
@bigbanana: I’m at Parsons School of Design, and yeah, now B&H is on 34th st and run by about 100 Hasidic men. I don’t mind it when I’m going for a huge, huge purchase, but film and paper is so much easier just to get closer.
@TitsMcGhee Awesome. I went to NYU for my BFA in photography, although thats not what I do now, I miss the days of film experiments and paper runs. Enjoy it while you;re there. (not to sound tooo condescending….;)
@bigbanana: Admittedly, I turned NYU photo down for Parsons (mostly because New School has a 5-year, dual degree program where I get a BA and a BFA, and two is good, so yeah…) And oh my yes, the hours upon hours spent in the darkroom (and the dollars upon dollars spent, tears tears and sighs).
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