Stuart Richardson
Active member
I have been asked by a friend to photograph an apartment they intend to rent as part of their hotel business. They would like it to look professional (of course) with an emphasis on the design and the furniture, as well as giving it the impression of roominess. I have a good selection of equipment and a good general technical knowledge, but all my lighting experience is related to people, not architecture. I have a Hy6 and 54LV with a 40mm lens. My lighting consists of two 500w/s Hensel monolights and a metz 54mz4. I don't have too many modifiers -- a medium softbox, beauty dish, two umbrellas, some grid spots and a reflector. If the 40mm on the Hy6 is not wide enough, I have a D3 with a 17-35mm zoom.
In any case, are there any general recommendations or tutorials on how to light a room with a basic two light kit? I had considered just blasting the room with the beauty dish, but I am sure that will not get the look I would like. Is it better to use the spot on a key areas and let the rest be filled in by the beauty dish or softbox on a lower setting? I am sure anything depends greatly on the nature of the room as well, but if there are general suggestions I would be interested to hear them. Will stitching give the same impression of expansiveness that you can get with ultra wide angles? I had considered it in case the 40mm is not wide enough.
In any case, are there any general recommendations or tutorials on how to light a room with a basic two light kit? I had considered just blasting the room with the beauty dish, but I am sure that will not get the look I would like. Is it better to use the spot on a key areas and let the rest be filled in by the beauty dish or softbox on a lower setting? I am sure anything depends greatly on the nature of the room as well, but if there are general suggestions I would be interested to hear them. Will stitching give the same impression of expansiveness that you can get with ultra wide angles? I had considered it in case the 40mm is not wide enough.