Imaging Working Group

Hello, 
My very first post. I am the Conservation photographer for the Cleveland Museum of Art. I would like to know what you are using to shoot raking light for items such as asian hanging scrolls. What types of lights are you using? We have a ceiling mounted 4x4 truck LED light bar that isn't very good. It't dimmable but all the LEDs have lens. The outer LEDs spread the light out to the side and the center LEDs focus to a center point, not straight ahead. When photographing raking from the bottom, I use a Broncolor head and small rectangular soft box without diffusion but this is too tall and I have to raise the hanging scrolls as high as I can.
Has anyone used LED light panels that are elongated to look like a typical 48" fluorescent tube fixture? Similar to the link. These would be wonderful just resting on the ground and save about 18" of height. 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1447145-REG/genaray_ssl_50_50_soft_strip.html
Thanks,
David Brichford

Hi David,

In Paintings Conservation at The Met, we are using Westcott Flex Cine Bi-Color Mats (1x2 foot). We have a pair of them mounted on a rolling stand, so this amounts to a 12 inch wide by 48 inch high array. They are dimmable and color temperature adjustable. We have been using them for more than six years and they have served us very well for raking light and all our tethered photography.

Best,

Evan Read

Manager of Technical Documentation

Paintings Conservation

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

New York, NY

Hello, 
My very first post. I am the Conservation photographer for the Cleveland Museum of Art. I would like to know what you are using to shoot raking light for items such as asian hanging scrolls. What types of lights are you using? We have a ceiling mounted 4x4 truck LED light bar that isn't very good. It't dimmable but all the LEDs have lens. The outer LEDs spread the light out to the side and the center LEDs focus to a center point, not straight ahead. When photographing raking from the bottom, I use a Broncolor head and small rectangular soft box without diffusion but this is too tall and I have to raise the hanging scrolls as high as I can.
Has anyone used LED light panels that are elongated to look like a typical 48" fluorescent tube fixture? Similar to the link. These would be wonderful just resting on the ground and save about 18" of height. 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1447145-REG/genaray_ssl_50_50_soft_strip.html
Thanks,
David Brichford