Flashlight for illuminating Landscape in Night Photography

[Brad P]

I have been getting increasingly into night photography and realize I could make use of a flashlight.   If some of you using a flashlight could comment on your experiences that would be very helpful, including recommendations on specific lights. 

While interested in any experiences people may have, I personally have been focusing mostly on the following:

* I would like to light up both near (foreground) and very distant items (miles), so I believe lumens/throw/reflectors are quite important.

* I am interested in capturing as much realistic color as possible, so a high CRI rating seems quite necessary.  In this regard, although Cree LEDs are most common, the CRI of their best LED looks to be around 80.  So I am leaning toward Nichia 219b or 219c's, both of which have CRI's exceeding 90.  This basically seems to limit me to Eagletac lights among the major brands.   

* I want to limit color cast as much as I can, so an overall neutral color cast seems important.  Given I'll be shooting in moonless and, less importantly moon-filled nights, I imagine I should be looking for a light in the 4000-5000 Kelvin range.  Any thoughts about the right place within that range?

Thanks

[BradSmith]

* I would like to light up both near (foreground) and very distant items (miles).....

How do you plan on lighting objects that are miles away?

[Brad P]

Excellent question since the highest throw ratings I'm seeing is < 1 mile.  I live in a place with extremely low light pollution.  I have one picture particularly in mind I have taken on a moonless night where I'm imagining a powerful enough light combined with a long enough exposure might give me something workable.  But let's say half a mile to avoid the details of that.   

[Brad P]

For straw men flashlights, here are a few I am looking at, all Eagletac and all with the Nichia 219 (b or c) bulbs:  mx30l3-cr, mx30l4c, mx30L3-cr and sx30a4. 

[sierraman]

Look here. 
http://lowlevellighting.org

[Brad P]

GORGEOUS pics and fascinating techniques, Sierraman.   Very well thought out.  Thanks much for the link.  Many things to read and think about here. 

The first whims that come to my mind after browsing it over is maybe what I should be looking at is splitting up what I have been thinking about spending and buying a high CRI light panel and high CRI/throw flashlight that at least have some overlap on color temp.  I'm not sure I want to get into gels at the moment, so I'm thinking that for a starter set and seeing where it goes.  Any thoughts on aiming for that basic setup?

[kers]

Thank you for the link Sierraman.
Interesting and informative.

[thierrylegros396]

I completely ignored the technique.

Thanks Sierraman.

Thierry

[sierraman]

My pleasure. Night photography is a different bird. Technique, patience, and lots of practice will get you to where you want to be. 

[farbschlurf]

Valuable link. Thanks.

[NancyP]

Very interesting, sierraman.

It strikes me that if one already has a radio trigger with a robust range, one could park a flash unit with modifier several hundred yards forward of your position. I am not that informed on high-end flash triggers and flashes, but don't some radio-activated remote flashes have the capacity to have their intensities adjusted from the camera or master flash at the camera position? Place flash. Walk back to camera. Fire off a series of exposures at different flash intensities. Check, go back and move flash to better position, or just retrieve flash if you like shots from its first position?

[Alskoj]

I have been getting increasingly into night photography and realize I could make use of a flashlight.   If some of you using a flashlight could comment on your experiences that would be very helpful, including recommendations on specific lights. 

While interested in any experiences people may have, I personally have been focusing mostly on the following:

* I would like to light up both near (foreground) and very distant items (miles), so I believe lumens/throw/reflectors are quite important.

* I am interested in capturing as much realistic color as possible, so a high CRI rating seems quite necessary.  In this regard, although Cree LEDs are most common, the CRI of their best LED looks to be around 80.  So I am leaning toward Nichia 219b or 219c's, both of which have CRI's exceeding 90.  This basically seems to limit me to Eagletac lights among the major brands.   

* I want to limit color cast as much as I can, so an overall neutral color cast seems important.  Given I'll be shooting in moonless and, less importantly moon-filled nights, I imagine I should be looking for a light in the 4000-5000 Kelvin range.  Any thoughts about the right place within that range?

Thanks

What about shooting the stars at night, then leave the camera set up until morning light arrives, then take another shot of the landscape lit by low morning sunlight, then blend the two photos.  I guess, you could shoot the landscape in the evening also, then the stars after the sun went down.  Am I way off there?  Real estate photographers use a similar method when shooting a room that has bright light coming through a window.