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Wed Mar 02, 2016 11:01 pm

Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 10:54 am
Posts: 4

IF anyone on here does rodeos what is the minimum number of light you use to cover the arena. For example the arena would have events coming from both ends. Also any suggestions for light placement would be helpful.




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Mon Apr 04, 2016 8:50 am

Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:41 am
Posts: 25

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/04/on ... l.html?m=1

You're in a much larger space. But the concept is the same. Replace the shoe mount strobes with B1600s WL16/3200s or Einstein's with long throw reflectors and you're off to the races.

I'm recommending higher power strobes because you're going to get better recycle times. You could do it with speediltes/b400s but in saving cash you're buying frustration.

I'm assuming you have a relationship with a venue that would let you set up a test on an off night?




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Tue Aug 02, 2016 11:00 pm

Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:58 pm
Posts: 6

Hey Redeohammer did you get a response or try this out? I'm curious to what it took to light the arena.




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Wed Aug 03, 2016 9:11 am

Joined: Mon May 18, 2015 9:42 am
Posts: 47

I would also ad, would study where the most probable areas are the bull goes. Would also think may want the shot out of the gate, so would have a strobe pointing in that direction. Would also ad, I worked with a wedding photographer and he used on camera flash as well as a flash mounted in the back of the room to provide fill (during entrance of couple to reception). Know strobes are manual, would work to get the best setting with the distance needed to get the light right.




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Wed Aug 03, 2016 9:46 pm

Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:58 pm
Posts: 6

How many Einsteins would be needed to light the arena evenly?

If each Einstein was turned down -0.5F(452.5 WS - Action mode Flash duration around 1/1250) how many would it take to light a coliseum style arena evenly?


With Options to hang lights from the catwalk or from just about the arena in the media sections around the arena.


- What reflectors would be best from the two different options?

This is the Venue:
Image




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Thu Aug 04, 2016 9:36 am

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Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:43 am
Posts: 5266

Part of the answer is going to depend on what aperture and ISO you are comfortable with. The wider and higher you can go, the wider the reflector can be, the fewer the lights you will need, and vice versa.

Also, recycle time needs to be considered. one light at full power recycles in just under 2 sec. Two lights at half power is the same amount of light, but half the recycle time (and faster flash duration). If you want to hammer away at 10fps, then you will need more lights.

If the light was mounted 30 feet up (or away, in any direction), then you would have a full power output of f/8 ISO100 with a 24' coverage if you used a 8.5" reflector. If the light is higher/further, then the coverage will be larger, but the metered amount of light will be lower. This can be compensated for by using one of our 11 inch reflectors., which will throw a narrower high intensity beam.

So, to start to get a reasonable guesstimate (from me, others may have firsthand practical experience), you will need to know the distances your lights will be mounted, and the size of the arena, and your max aperture and ISO.




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Thu Aug 04, 2016 9:57 am

Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:58 pm
Posts: 6

Thanks alot for your help on this!

- The Arena Size is 120 feet wide by 270 feet long and the catwalk is 65 feet above the arena.

- I's rather not shoot wide open at 2.8 but would be comfortable shooting at F4 and above. ISO = The lower the better, However I am not afraid of ISO. It is not uncommon for us to shoot at 8-10K when we do not light an arena.




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Thu Aug 04, 2016 2:53 pm

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Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:43 am
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Ok, so 7" reflectors at 65 feet is about f/2 with 100' circles of light. Spread 6 of them evenly across the arena, and you have about 200' by 300' of light (there is going to be enough fall off and overlap the area between circles should not be noticeable).

ISO400 will give you f/4

ISO3200 will give you 1/8 power, which can recycle for 5fps.

This is ballpark stuff, based on hypotheticals and math. Of course, the more lights you have, the better.

If these are mounted to the catwalks, they will have the same quality of light as the lights that are there as far as direction, shadows, etc. Move them to the sides, and you get less "straight down" shadows, but run into cross shadows and such.


One last thing, even if you are OK shooting at f/4 at ISO 3200 or 6400, these settings still need to kill the ambient. If the image at these settings does not come out black, then your ambient can cause color casts as well as ghosting around the flash frozen areas.




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Thu Aug 04, 2016 4:52 pm

Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:58 pm
Posts: 6

Thanks for the breakdown.
Quote:
Ok, so 7" reflectors at 65 feet is about f/2 with 100' circles of light. Spread 6 of them evenly across the arena, and you have about 200' by 300' of light (there is going to be enough fall off and overlap the area between circles should not be noticeable).

Is this at full power? Is the F2 at 100 ISO?

Do you think the 7 inch reflectors would be best for the best light spread? Not the 11" long throw?

Technical Support wrote:
One last thing, even if you are OK shooting at f/4 at ISO 3200 or 6400, these settings still need to kill the ambient. If the image at these settings does not come out black, then your ambient can cause color casts as well as ghosting around the flash frozen areas.



Correct about the Ambient. I know I will not be close to 3-4 stops below ambient at 1/250 F4 3200. What would it look like to be shooting at 5.6-7.1 and a higher ISO?

Is there a simple way to figure this out or not so much?

Thanks again for all of your help!




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Fri Aug 05, 2016 10:39 am

Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:58 pm
Posts: 6

So going to the venue today I was able to determine that the ambient on those photos was I could kill the 90% of the ambient at 1/250 6.3 200.




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