22 Better Available Light Digital Photography
The philadelphia story
F.J. Westcott’s all-metal Spiderlite TD5 is designed for still or
video image makers (www.fjwestcott.com). It has a built-in
speed ring for attaching a lightbank and three separate switches
that let the photographer set multiple combinations to vary
output. A handle allows quick and easy rotation of the head. The
head works with either halogen or fl uorescent lamps. Halogen
lamps produce a consistent but hot 3200 K and the fl uorescent
lamps are rated at 5100 K, although that will vary as the lightsThe Westcott Spiderlite has a
built-in speed ring for attaching
a lightbank and three separate
switches that change the amount
of light that is output by varying
the number of active bulbs. A
handle allows quick and easy rota-
tion of the head.
Actress Tia Stoneman has the
classic look and elegance of a young
Katharine Hepburn in 1940’s The
Philadelphia Story. Joe placed a
Westcott Spiderlite TD5 with a
medium (24 × 32 inches) Westcott
Box lightbank to soften the light.
A 32-inch Westcott Sunlight Illu-
minator Refl ector was placed on
camera left to bounce some, but not
too much, light into the shadow side
of Tia’s face. Joe photographed her
in color (he knows that Philadel-
phia Story was shot in glorious
black and white) against one of
Adorama’s custom Bella Drape
muslin backgrounds that has a retro
feel (www.adorama.com). Image
was captured with a Canon EOS-1D
Mark II and EF 70–300 mm IS
zoom lens at an ISO of 640. Expo-
sure was 1/200 at f/5 in Program
mode. © 2004 Joe Farace.