Ask David Mullen ANYTHING

[hunterrichards]

I usually just use a compass and look online as to where the sun will be on different days. But a lot of people use the sunPATH software. I haven't been somewhere outdoors where a compass didn't work. And you can always just look up at the sky and guess where the sun will rise and set, or come back and do a time of day study (a photo once and hour).

Sorry not really a question but If you have an iphone you HAVE to get the app called Sun Seeker. It has realtime 3d tracking with the built in GPS- so you click the camera icon and you can literally see where the sun will be at certain times overlaid on a realtime video image. Such a time saver for indoor work and its only $2.99.

[Ryan E. Walters]

Sorry not really a question but If you have an iphone you HAVE to get the app called Sun Seeker. It has realtime 3d tracking with the built in GPS- so you click the camera icon and you can literally see where the sun will be at certain times overlaid on a realtime video image. Such a time saver for indoor work and its only $2.99.

Very cool- great find. The one I have been using for the iPhone has been Helios Sun Position Calculator. But it sounds like this one might be even easier to use.

[Tyler Black]

Thanks David. That's exactly the kind of info I was hoping for.

[Michael Panfeld]

here's a nice blue hour and golden hour calculator

http://www.b-roll.net/goldenhour/generate.php

[Tim Morten]

David -

Can you recommend any good lighting workshops in the LA area? Alternately, can I suggest a "David Mullen Shows the Newbs Who's Their Daddy Day" at Red Studios Hollywood? :)

Thanks,
Tim

[Frank Weeks]

I know this is a bit premature David but I am wondering about your thoughts on the new MX sensor on R1/Epic. I am not likely to be using anything over 1.2 hmi's on the vast majority of my shoots. Do you anticipate the new sensor will change the way you light?

Or more specifically , do you think it will make it easier for smaller kits to cover larger areas. Will it allow for more control of F-stop under low light? In what ways do you think more sensitive sensors (from Red and others) will change the way you work? Any thoughts?

[David Mullen ASC]

I don't think it will change lighting day interiors much where there are advantages to recreating natural light on a large scale so that it stays consistent all day long, and to do that, you need big units to simulate big sources like the sun. In a real day interior, a 1200w outside of a window, even with a spot lens, is not really the same look as the real sun coming through the window. Truth is, even an 18K HMI isn't a perfect match for sunlight, but it is closer than a 1200w.

Sure, in waning daylight, a faster sensor will allow you to work longer in natural light, and in those moments, you'd use small units to augment so as to not overpower the weak natural light.

For night interiors with room lights on, the faster sensor helps of course but it won't fundamentally change the typical lighting one did when using, let's say, 500 ASA film stock. You may use a slightly weaker unit in some cases, that's all, let's say you swap a 1K for a 650w, for example.

For low-light night interiors and exteriors, this is where the faster sensor starts to make a bigger difference, especially lighting night exteriors. But still, if you have to light an entire field in the countryside of a single moonlight effect, you're still going to need a large light on a high platform or crane. You just may be able to get the light a bit further back for more spread.

It will be a bit easier to stop down when you have a focus-pulling challenge.

The thing is that the Genesis and F35 already have a 500 ASA sensor in them and were pretty good for low-light photography work. So if this new MX sensor is basically in the 500 to 800 ASA range as a base, it's not a big change. However, you will get cleaner results once you start going above 800 ASA with the new sensor compared to the F35 sensor. So it's not that you are getting shots that you couldn't get before, it's just that they are less noisy or grainy.

[David Mullen ASC]

David -

Can you recommend any good lighting workshops in the LA area? Alternately, can I suggest a "David Mullen Shows the Newbs Who's Their Daddy Day" at Red Studios Hollywood? :)

Thanks,
Tim

The only ones I recall are the IATSE Local 600 lighting workshops, though I can't remember any recently.

If I have the time, I'd be happy to do a small lighting workshop if someone had a small stage with some lights & power. Nothing fancy though, I'd just teach some basics.

[Ryan E. Walters]

The only ones I recall are the IATSE Local 600 lighting workshops, though I can't remember any recently.

If I have the time, I'd be happy to do a small lighting workshop if someone had a small stage with some lights & power. Nothing fancy though, I'd just teach some basics.

Would you travel if expenses were covered? I'd love to coordinate a little workshop up here in Portland, Oregon. I think I know a studio here in town that might be up for hosting. :)

[David Mullen ASC]

Sure, but are there a dozen people in Portland who'd even attend such a thing?