Understanding Watts

Why understand Watts? Well, because.

The sun is somewhere around, in wattage, one trillion squared squared SMW (Super Mega Watts). I'm not a scientist, so I don't know the exact number, but in you average household, a medium screw based tungsten filament globe is 60 watts.

The amount of light that you use will be a direct result of you final edit.

Another reason to know your wattage is to also know how much can be used in the average household. Since not all photographers have a kick ass studio, and shoot out of the garage at their house, the average house has a 200 amp breaker box, with 20 amp breakers. This gives the house 10 breakers to use up to a 2 kw lamp per outlet.

How did I figure this out?

1000 watts of light = 8.3 amps

Taking the 8.3 and rounding up to 10, I now have 1.7 amps of insurance so I don't overamp. Also, it makes things easy to do the math.

Some older houses have 100 amp service, with 15 amp breakers. You have to know what you have as far as size of breakers, and outlets so that you don't keep busting a break.

The pix above represent pro quality lighting from some of the jobs I have been on.

(more later)

Lighting 101

This blog is for those serious photographers that want to share their experiences, techniques, and stories while I rant and rave about basic lighting crap.

For those that own a camera, or work a twelve hour day behind one, you know that lighting is most essential to a good picture.

If we devide light into two catagories we can see a differance in qualities.

The divisions of light are natural, and artificial.

Natural light is easy. Its that great big candle in the sky. The sun.
Natural light is the best overall light that can be used.

When one photon of light leaves the surface of the sun, it takes that photon eight (8) minutes to reach Earth. During that time, that photon is the most perfect particle of light that can be found. In the vacume of space, that piece of light is hurled at tremendouse speed and when it reachs Earths atmosphere, all hell brakes out.

When the Earth is introduced to light, gravity first takes a jab at the photon. Next, the elements. Wind, earth, water and fire create their out comes of light. An out come is differant than a version. The out come of light is what happens when an element is introduced. A version of light is fire, lava, reflection, refraction, filtered, controled, explosion or artificial lighting.