Lamp selection

[Jkaen]

Finally borrowed a decent camera off a friend so I can put stuff up and I still cant seem to get good photos, the problem I suspect is with my bulbs, when looking through the viewfinder i get flickering like the frequency of the light is too slow? is this something that is common and fixed in photoshop (currently chance if i get dark or light pics) or are my bulbs wrong (have 3 lamps each with \"long thin\" type bulbs whatever they are called

Thanks

 

[Warpcreature]

I experienced this too but it has no effect on the final image as far as I know.

Here a picture I made for a friend which was shot under the circumstances you described:

Painted by Claes Horsmann

Didn\'t have time to white balance yet.

Silvio

 

[Ritual]

I don\'t think the flickering has that much effect on the photos. I\'ve experienced that as well, and still got fairly decent photos. Perhaps if you explained in what way your photos look bad, maybe I, or someone else, can give you some advice.

-Anders

 

[Modderrhu]

I expect that you \'long thin\' bulbs are flourescent tubes? If so, then the problem is most likely due to strobing. The lamps flicker 50 or 60 times a second, depending on where you are in the world, and this frequency might closely match the scanning frequency of your digital camera. If so, then there is no solution other than to use an electronic ballast for the lamps, to increase the frequency, or to use lamps that do not flicker.

I had similar trouble when using metal halide lamps, except due to their intensity, the strobing was very evident as alternate dark and light areas across the pic. I\'m still learning though...

Edit: 50 times a second, since you\'re in England.

 

[Shawn R. L.]

Try \'color corrected\' flourescent tubes. A good art or graphic supplier might be able to direct you. Here in the states there is a light called the Ott light that is supposedly a true color light. I have used halogen and the orange is less than regular old bulbs. I have found the simplest way is to wait for fair weather and shoot outside. I did it today and didn\'t have to use photoshop at all....cheers.