need advice on studio scale project

talon · Post by **talon** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:14 pm

To start off, I'm a photo major at a university. I am planning a large studio scale project of a futuristic city. The project is going to be approx. 36-42" tall by 24-30" in diameter, with levels that reduce in diameter as it rises. Windows will be carefully drilled with a tiny drill bit, to give some scale and there wont be a need to use clear plastic to fill it in, think fiber optic size pinholes. Some parts will be clear acrylic that is masked over and painted with the masked area allowing larger ammounts of light to come out. So how should I go about lighting this? I've never worked with lighting and electronics. I dont need any crazy strobe or circuits. Would it be better to use LEDs, or CCFLs, parallel circuits or in-line circuits? The most complicated part is one particular set of buildings which I want a slowly changing RGB LED that has a slow transition from color to color.

Tony Agustin · Post by **Tony Agustin** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:10 pm

You could try using those small undercounter AC fluorescent light bars that plug into each other. I don't know a thing about electronics either but you could find those small lighting kits at your local home store.

jwrjr · Post by **jwrjr** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:28 pm

If you want to go with Cold Cathode FLuorescent (CCFL), there are two sources for 'kits'. Car parts stores and shops that carry lighting kits for computer cases are sources for kits containing the CCFL tubes and 12 volt power supplies. The tubes are good for lighting many windows at once. But they generate a little heat. Provide ventilation if possible.

en'til Zog · Post by **en'til Zog** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 3:20 am

You might grab a few strings of WHITE LED Christmas lights and stick 'em through holes in white cardboard set back from the 'window' surfaces. And, of course, if you use Phillips LED lights you can pop in a few carefully selected LEDs from a multi-color string if you need to. Using LEDs will keep down the heat.

I have seen color change lamps that fit into standard 110 VAC lighting sockets, but will have to try and remember where.

Sparky · Post by **Sparky** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 7:37 am

At $49 bucks for 4 light sticks these are expensive, I got mine on sale:
http://www.kc6sye.com/images/images_04_ ... ndoors.jpg

The power supply is ultra light and no noise. Its a switching power supply, so it s more engergy effiecient (produces less waste heat).