Canon® EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital Field Guide

Chapter 7. Lighting Decisions

In This Chapter

• Planning a lighting setup

• Available light

• Strobe systems

• Fluorescent and HMI systems

• Tungsten lights

• Portable power

Many books have been written about lighting. This chapter's aim is to give just a glimpse of various lighting techniques that work well with the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III. This chapter is targeted at two groups of photographers. One group consists of those who might have a great deal of camera experience but less lighting experience. The second group is those photographers who are coming from earlier generations of cameras — where low ISO was a must — to this current generation where excellent results can be achieved at lower light levels, opening up all sorts of lighting possibilities.

Planning a Lighting Setup

No matter what the assignment, there is always a range of details to consider when planning a lighting setup. These considerations break down into two areas: first, the capabilities and limitations of the location, talent, schedule, and equipment; and second, the look you're going for — meaning the energy, feel, and emotion of the light. Here's some of what I think about when scouting locations and planning a lighting setup:

• Contrast Range. What is the exposure contrast range of the location, and how does that compare to the contrast range the camera can capture? Reining in exposure is an early part of the plan to achieve a successful image. The EOS-1Ds Mark III has almost nine stops of contrast range. Particularly with Highlight ...