Anyone used a Lastolite Hilite?

Raindancer · #1 (**permalink**) 10-11-2007, 01:45 PM

Greetings all

I was wondering if anyone here has used one of the above? I've seen some good reviews in magazines and the like and am considering getting one.

I love portrait photography but have struggled with my lighting of white backgrounds. I either get too much or end up with grey.

Thanks

Rog

james · #2 (**permalink**) 10-11-2007, 02:41 PM

I rog
I have used a hilite somebody brought it along to a model shoot.
While it gives you a nice highkey background . i found where the train attaches to the floor a pain you can see the join.
It was excellent on 3/4 poses , you still need to do a little editing in Photoshop on a full length pose as you can see the join from white BG to the train near the feet of the subject.
On lying down poses and children it can be a real pain as you can see the join on either side of the subject.
I still ended using a bg light to light the bottom section to overcome this problem.

Raindancer · #3 (**permalink**) 10-11-2007, 03:37 PM

Thanks James, that's the one thing that everyone seems to say.

When you lit the floor what were your light settings in general?

Rog

james · #4 (**permalink**) 10-11-2007, 04:26 PM

I just balanced the the flash output to light the floor where the join for the train was to match the output of the hilite.

The hilite was reading f11 so i matched the bg light to f11
then i set my main and fill lights as standard.

Raindancer · #5 (**permalink**) 11-11-2007, 10:26 AM

Thanks James

Rog