Comments on: Face Painting… For An Advertising Campaign

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 04 May 2011 04:49:00 +0000

My head is hurting already. It feels like I am back in algebra class again. Your brain power is way past mine. I do know that the power to do a shoot with strobes is very small. If I rent a stage in Hollywood, they will charge 500 dollars day for power to use Hot lights. If I shoot Strobes there is often no charge at all. Sometimes a stage will charge 150 dollars for a day but its not common.

There must be something else going on. My electricity bill for a month at the studio was around 500 dollars but that was for everything. 8 to 10 computers, lights, and shooting constantly.

I never have factored utility cost into the shoot cost because it was not significant. I hope you can work it out. In LA someone from the power company will come out and help you calculate the cost of the things that you are running. They can help you figure out the cost to use the strobes and other electronic equipment.

By: Donnie Bell Design

Donnie Bell Design — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:53:54 +0000

If you got the lights and want to use them, use them. I didn’t see anything wrong with the pic as a result, the only thing that bothered me was the background. I wish it was shot in a real stadium.

By: Jimmy

Jimmy — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:36:46 +0000

@ Har Rai K.

It’s a basic estimation: reducing the number of lights = reducing the power needed?

Again, everyone is entitled to their own opinion!!!

By: Serge

Serge — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:34:02 +0000

To all the people commenting about him using too many lights and not liking his picture. Please post a link to YOUR video where you used less lights and got a better result.
Thank you.

By: Har Rai K.

Har Rai K. — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 20:17:12 +0000

Is it possible to calculate the expected electricity bill from a shoot? Can you multiply the watt-seconds of the lights by the number of lights by the number of shots by the utility cost of power in your area, or something…or is there some easy way to ball-park it?

I was just curious because I ended up with a large electric bill after shooting a single shoot in a new place that I moved into. Since it was a new place, I didn’t have a previous bill to reference and figure out how much was because of the shoot. I tried looking around the internet to find what the typical electrical bill for a photography studio is, but I had trouble finding anything…

If you were hired for this shoot, would you somehow factor in the utility cost lighting it into your price?

By: Jimmy

Jimmy — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:59:15 +0000

I agree with Gregzz, too many lights. I remember a guy from my class at uni who had a mentality of “If I use a really elaborate set-up with loads of lights I am guaranteed great images”

I don’t really like the shot featured in this video, why go to all the trouble of having a painted background which needs to be lit with a bunch of lights then add some clouds and effects in PS. When you could have shot it green screen and added the background and the clouds with effects and also saved on hassle of the set-up and power bill. Also would have taken 30m ins max to cut out and then drop the background of choice in to the final comp.

rant over….. just my opinion :)

By: Gregzz

Gregzz — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:07:37 +0000

too many lights….you can obtain the same picture with 6 strobes, used more cleverly.

it seems the video tells that you “need” more than 15 strobes to make this picture, false! i don’t like the picture too, but it’s always interesting to see how other photographers works :-)

By: martin

martin — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:06:44 +0000

Simply awesome work!
I will have to rent a studio with tens of strobes and a beautiful model.
And just then the real fun begins.

By: Har Rai K.

Har Rai K. — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 03:52:31 +0000

Must be nice to have an unlimited amount of lights at your disposal…

By: Ed Kelly

Ed Kelly — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 03:20:29 +0000

Great work. Beautiful studio. I always loved studio work.