Flood light help

[widowsbluff]

This is my first year with floodlights and I am so far pleased with the addition. Except, the floodlights are so obvious. The are low to the ground and enclosed in covers so if you are behind the light it is okay, but if you are in front of the light it is overly bright. Is there any way to soften or diffuse the frontal effect?

[Zombie-F]

I would think not. Anything you do to reduce the light out of the front would also reduce the effectivity of the light.

[airscapes]

I use dimmers on all my lights. Keep it dark!..

[Beepem]

well id get the portable fixtures from biglots, and put it in a tree.... then its less blinding...and less noticable,like this: http://www.unpleasantstreet.com/images/photos/2004/2004-15.jpg

thats from zombies site of course.

[gypsichic]

yeah but what if you wanna use your tree as part of the effect?

[ghostie]

And what wattage do most of you use? I have the opposite problem, not enough light to see my stuff. I think mine are 100's...?

[edwood saucer]

I'm curious also - I bought 100w's this weekend and lit them in the basement and go "eh".

Do folks use really strong lights or are we okay with 100's?

[airscapes]

Took some photos last night.. I like my grave yard dark. Some of the photos are flash with time exposure and some are just time exposure. I could have used another second or 2 of time exposure to get a truer piture. I have NO spotlights or flood lights that are NOT on a dimmer.
Note if you use a single dimmer on multiple lights it is best that all bulbs are of the same wattage or you will have some brighter than others.
Dimmers can be added to and extention cord with a handy box and cover. Total cost of a dimmer cord is about $8 on top of the price of the cord.
http://65.78.32.190:666/halloween06/index.html

[gypsichic]

Halloween 2005 pictures by gypsichic - Photobucket

http://hauntspace.com/profile.php?id=238



here's a few from last year

i'm gonna try blue instead of green this year for the graveyard

and yes i use 100w floods - 2 florescent blacklights (4 footers i think) on the porch, and last year i used an amber string on the dead tree prop by the witches

keep in mind - i used the flash on some of the pictures

[Beepem]

for my yard i have 2 amber, 2 blue both 100s, from the thesting ive done im afraid itll be too much light. amber lights are practically regular lights so theyre very bright where as blue ones are only for close range imho.

[gypsichic]

i studied skullandbone's tutorial and according to him he used different wattages if i'm not mistaken

we are gonna try the dimmer this year as well

[edwood saucer]

Thanks guys - that helps know knowing I don't have to chase down new lights.

Gyps - your yard rocks, what a lot of fun. Let me ask - does your witch move? (stir the cauldron?)? It looks great!

[gypsichic]

why thank ya.............and yessssssss indeedy...........she stirs her bubbling brew complete w/fog that boils over the edges

in a couple of the pix i took her red eyes were smeared or had a red line due to her movement.......looked kinda neat ...........lol

[edwood saucer]

darn (but good for you) - you think a static witch would be boring?

I have one motor and am trying to decide between a FCG and a stirring witch this year.

[Fright Zone]

I also found out that screwing a double metal floodlight fixture on a piece of 2x4 makes it easy to move the flood lights around AND you can tilt them down so the light strafes the ground yet still lights up props AND creates long creepy shadows. Its a creepier look but darker so photographing T-o-T costumes is not as bright, but I plan to point floods at the porch or walkway so I can snap photos and videos of costumed T-o-T's and still keep the props creepy with the other floods pointed down. The PVC props will have their own plastic green Xmas flood light stakes housing a single flood pointed up since that's always a creepy look. If I wanted to scare kids I'd point a flood right in their face from the front of the house and have myself or a PVC prop backlit in shadow & fog but I think that's a bit much for a small 18 ft x 20 ft yard haunt. You can also put a cut peice of wood that has a random pattern much like leaves (oh what's the photographic term I can't remember) in front of the lights to cast an organic-looking shadow.

[gypsichic]

darn (but good for you) - you think a static witch would be boring?

I have one motor and am trying to decide between a FCG and a stirring witch this year.

i'd do the fcg i think............that tends to get more ooooo's and ahhhhh's from what i've heard on the boards

rodney hooked up a dimmer to one of our flood lights last night - its fantabulous!!!

[Great White]

Took some photos last night.. I like my grave yard dark. Some of the photos are flash with time exposure and some are just time exposure. I could have used another second or 2 of time exposure to get a truer piture. I have NO spotlights or flood lights that are NOT on a dimmer.
Note if you use a single dimmer on multiple lights it is best that all bulbs are of the same wattage or you will have some brighter than others.
Dimmers can be added to and extention cord with a handy box and cover. Total cost of a dimmer cord is about $8 on top of the price of the cord.
http://65.78.32.190:666/halloween06/index.html

Looks cool. I like it.

[kevin242]

I like to use several different light sources, blue, yellow and red spots are great for large ares but are very bright and should be kept out of peoples' eyes as much as possible. I like to spray flat black on the chromed portion and fixture of the spots and use "blinds" like dead annuals to hide the fixtures (be sure to keep dead vegetation a safe distance from the spots, they get hot).
I use 3 blue spots and about 2 doz Malibu lights in my cemetary, as well as a 2 yellow lamp posts on a dimmer. I tape the connections and bury the wires about 2-3" under the turf. This setup works very well for my size cemetary (90'x30'). We also use blacklights and a few par cans/gels for some of the specialty scenes. Remember: It's not Halloween until someone trips a breaker!

[slimy]

Kevin, you made my night. I have been working on lights tonite and the breaker comment hit a little close to home.


It MUST be halloween around here. Hee hee hee.