How to light up huge, dark spaces like theaters, caves, or tunnels the right way??

[waxycap]

So I don't have the money to purchase equipment that illuminates gigantic spaces (like a pitch-black theater, cave, or tunnel, for example),
BUT I am hoping to gather advice from veterans on what a noob should do, considering that renting equipment for a day or two for such purposes MIGHT (affordably) be an option.

Obviously, I have no clue what the hell I am talking about.

Big venues reqire BIG lighting rigs.. right???

Just in case I find some sort of location is worth shooting in the context of ZERO LIGHT, well, at least I'll learn something about lighting equipment by renting it, i.e., and I'll know that someday I might rather rather purchase. ok, bye.


My very rough draft questions are:

1) What type of light am I supposed to use for the best brightness (flood is important), but especially best CRI/ color accuracy? Halogen?
2) What would be the most efficient plan for a power source? What if circumstances dictate I can only use DC (battery powered) light? And what AC options are considerable?
3) What articles are out there for noobs like me... Can you can link me to them on this subject? I don't even know how to research this!

 

[Norm]

Moved from Questions/Problems/Suggestions This forum is for general forum issues only. - Norm

 

[waxycap]

Moved from Questions/Problems/Suggestions This forum is for general forum issues only. - Norm

Thanks Norm, can you tell me where you moved it to? I tried a search and I can't seem to find it anywhere.. deleted by accident, perhaps?

 

[waxycap]

ahhh, nevermind. i don't think the question will ever get seen here, but whatever.

 

[Forager]

If you want battery powered then go LED. There are LEDs with >90CRI.
Cheapest power source is lead acid, like car batteries.
Although I'm more into DIY myself, First thought of an existing product is the Pelican 9470 Remote Area Lighting System. Not sure if these have the CRI though.

 

[jamesmtl514]

I think the trouble lays in the question.
Here's one for you...what do you want to light up such a large area for, how bright, for how long?

 

[mmakay]

If you need lots of light at high CRI, you want plasma! Check out Luxim as one example.

 

[waxycap]

. (can't delete)

 

[waxycap]

I think the trouble lays in the question.
Here's one for you...what do you want to light up such a large area for, how bright, for how long?

Large spaces like large theaters, tunnels, and other interiors with absolutely no interior lighting.

 

[waxycap]

If you need lots of light at high CRI, you want plasma! Check out Luxim as one example.

thanks!
I just began comparing high CRI leds and HIDs, but I will look at plasma, I guess (sounds expensive)
I could use a reference to the color rendering capabilities of HID... but realistically, I am not looking for anything that you must plug in.

It has to be battery powered

 

[jamesmtl514]

Large spaces like large theaters, tunnels, and other interiors with absolutely no interior lighting.

That didn't answer my question...

 

[mcnair55]

A decent cordless builders lamp will do what you want,you can angle them and lock to any direction,will recharge off mains and via 12v socket in a vehicle.

 

[waxycap]

That didn't answer my question...

I meant to say "for photography". sorry about that.

 

[waxycap]

A decent cordless builders lamp will do what you want,you can angle them and lock to any direction,will recharge off mains and via 12v socket in a vehicle.

This advice will definitely bring me somewhere. In fact, I believe that recharging off of a car battery is probably the only way to go.
The problem is that I am ignorant. Are you referring to HID? Is there such thing as rechargeable HID? Which is the best?
Which HIDs have the best flood and high CRI index? (good color accuracy, like you would see in sunlight)

 

[idleprocess]

So I don't have the money to purchase equipment that illuminates gigantic spaces (like a pitch-black theater, cave, or tunnel, for example)
[...]
Big venues reqire BIG lighting rigs.. right???

Large spaces like large theaters, tunnels, and other interiors with absolutely no interior lighting.

It has to be battery powered

I meant to say "for photography". sorry about that.

I'm going to take a shot in the dark and assume you're doing this for Urbex purposes, in which case mass and volume are likely to be at a premium. While I've only read about the exploits of others in this area, I gather that long-exposure multi-flash photographs work fairly well so long as the camera is on a tripod and one is deliberate in the staging of the shot. Some flavor of light-painting the scene might also work, although I have no idea what that would do should one not illuminate areas relatively evenly.

 

[Frank W]

Photography? Stills? Non-moving objects? Well, in keeping with the time-honoured KISS principle, why don't just use a FLASH?
Lot of light in small 4AA package You can just do a Bulb exposure with multiple pops at full power (or preferably a multi-exposure synched to the flash so you don't pick up the ambient light). You can reposition even a single flash multiple times, use filters, diffusers, whatever.

Colour accuracy? Perfect 5500K sunlight...

 

[waxycap]

Photography? Stills? Non-moving objects? Well, in keeping with the time-honoured KISS principle, why don't just use a FLASH?
Lot of light in small 4AA package You can just do a Bulb exposure with multiple pops at full power (or preferably a multi-exposure synched to the flash so you don't pick up the ambient light). You can reposition even a single flash multiple times, use filters, diffusers, whatever.

Colour accuracy? Perfect 5500K sunlight...

99% stills, but bulb exposure will create too much noise and post processing work. Additionally, I am trying to learn about, and invest in lighting equipment.

Some situations are "urbex" but many others are not (but also completely dark)
I don't ever use flash because I don't like it.
I would probably be more inclined to use flash if I was a studio portrait photographer, and had all the equipment for it, but I am not a studio photographer and don't have the expensive equipment, either.

I was not smart to exclude the fact that very dark settings will inevitably demand a lot of long exposures at a low ISO (this is obvious)

But, the purpose of my post is opposite of that... In other words, I am not trying to figure out how to take photographs in darkness, I am merely trying to figure out the lighting situation in pitch black spaces. For example, if I am going to spend a few hundred dollars, should I invest in a high CRI led flashlight and try light painting the whole scene fusing several long exposures in post processing? Or should I find some way of floodlighting the whole place by toting in a HID that recharges via a car's battery? I like the idea of HID floodlighting, but know absolutely nothing about it.

 

[waxycap]

I'm going to take a shot in the dark

I see what you did there

 

[idleprocess]

99% stills, but bulb exposure will create too much noise and post processing work. Additionally, I am trying to learn about, and invest in lighting equipment.

Some situations are "urbex" but many others are not (but also completely dark)
I don't ever use flash because I don't like it.
I would probably be more inclined to use flash if I was a studio portrait photographer, and had all the equipment for it, but I am not a studio photographer and don't have the expensive equipment, either.

I was not smart to exclude the fact that very dark settings will inevitably demand a lot of long exposures at a low ISO (this is obvious)

But, the purpose of my post is opposite of that... In other words, I am not trying to figure out how to take photographs in darkness, I am merely trying to figure out the lighting situation in pitch black spaces. For example, if I am going to spend a few hundred dollars, should I invest in a high CRI led flashlight and try light painting the whole scene fusing several long exposures in post processing? Or should I find some way of floodlighting the whole place by toting in a HID that recharges via a car's battery? I like the idea of HID floodlighting, but know absolutely nothing about it.

I mentioned "light painting" because with a stationary subject and a long exposure it has produced some interesting results ala RIT's annual Big Shot, which has the challenge of outdoor subjects. Indoors with near-total darkness and a rock-solid tripod, it seems like you will have far fewer variables - thus a much smaller, less powerful lights source could get a lot done. A HID spotlight or even a more diffuse light such as LED or even incandescent could get the job done with minimal bulk ... and also be useful getting in and out.

If you would rather light the scene all at once for a more traditional short-exposure photograph, then you'll probably need a number of portable lights and some major battery power to run it all. I suspect that battery-powered jobsite lights will be where that's at - expect to pay for these in term of cost for LED and/or bulk for metal-halide; light quality will not be particularly great on these, but they will offer the cheapest lumens per dollar. If you're looking for better light quality, you can investigate some battery-powered stage and video lighting; however these being specialty items will command a price premium and likely require more careful handling.

 

[waxycap]

I mentioned "light painting" because with a stationary subject and a long exposure it has produced some interesting results ala RIT's annual Big Shot, which has the challenge of outdoor subjects. Indoors with near-total darkness and a rock-solid tripod, it seems like you will have far fewer variables - thus a much smaller, less powerful lights source could get a lot done. A HID spotlight or even a more diffuse light such as LED or even incandescent could get the job done with minimal bulk ... and also be useful getting in and out.

If you would rather light the scene all at once for a more traditional short-exposure photograph, then you'll probably need a number of portable lights and some major battery power to run it all. I suspect that battery-powered jobsite lights will be where that's at - expect to pay for these in term of cost for LED and/or bulk for metal-halide; light quality will not be particularly great on these, but they will offer the cheapest lumens per dollar. If you're looking for better light quality, you can investigate some battery-powered stage and video lighting; however these being specialty items will command a price premium and likely require more careful handling.

I dig your input, man... very informative. I am wondering more and more about HID lighting, though... not LED or incan.
Is there even such thing as high-CRI HDI lighting? Or high lumen Incan flood lighting without plugging in to wall outlet (rechargeable)?
I am under the impression that this kind of equipment is "Top of the Line" stuff and therefore only reserved for Hollywood movie sets.