Ever since tiny LED lights gained enough power and reliability to be used in commercial settings, they have been an option for not just video work, but also stills photography. Constant illumination may seem reserved for video work, but more and more photographers are using constant LED lighting as more predictable light-shaping solutions. This is
Flash speedlites used to feel like quite the expensive proposition, but with the proliferation of cheap, third-party versions, the variety and range has become ever more accessible. If the latest top-end speedlites still feel very costly, then older models such as the Canon Speedlite 580EX II still have plenty of capabilities. The 580EX II has
Lighting is to a photographer what a pen is to an author or a brush to a painter. It opens you up to multiple creative possibilities as you play with everything from shadow effects to glowing patterns. Your success here is determined by the kind of lighting you use, such as continuous lighting, on-camera flashes,
There comes a time in every photographer’s lighting journey when they need to progress from regular flashguns/Speedlights to a monolight. The issues with a flashgun may be about needing more light output or features, which a monolight can provide in droves. Monolights can then be used both in the studio and on-location work, fulfilling all
If you’ve never come across the term lighting gels before, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s some sort of coagulated substance smeared onto a flash in some way. Instead, lighting gels are translucent, colored sheets of material that change the characteristics of a light source. These can be applied to a light source for many
If there is one area of photography that we need to master above others, it’s the lighting. The intricacies of lighting setups and how we control light for a certain scene is out of the scope of this article, but it’s enough to say that without any form of light, we would have completely blacked
If you have ever ventured into the world of product photography, then you are most probably already familiar with the usefulness of using a lightbox. For the uninitiated, a lightbox provides even and soft lighting when photographing a product. This even lighting is usually achieved by light sources being positioned at either the sides or
It’s the usual way of things that once you venture into the world of artificial lighting, you’ll soon need a variety of ways to modify the illumination coming from your average flashgun or strobe. These can range from light diffusers which are huge units for the studio or small solutions that fit onto a hot
Light modifiers or in this case, speedlight softboxes, are camera accessories that can easily polarize photographers. Not so much in their application or uses, but rather some buy only what they need, while others acquire them like an obsessive collector. Both avenues of thinking are valid, but why use a speedlight softbox in the first
Light tents, which are also known as light or bright boxes, can be a very useful solution to provide soft and even lighting. Most commonly light tents are used in product photography where consistent lighting is needed. This is why many people who sell products online use a light tent which can be easily set
Once you’ve started down the path of artificial lighting, you’ll soon realize there is a veritable bottomless pit of accessories available. The usual steps are to purchase a Speedlight or two, then to use simple flash diffusers. If you want to dive further into light modifiers, then the world is your oyster with umbrellas, softboxes,
Once you dive into the world of macro photography, it soon becomes apparent that quality lighting is needed. If you already own a bunch of flashes and light modifiers, unfortunately, these won’t cover the bases of adequately lighting the smallest of critters. Very small, concentrated areas of light are needed in this realm, which means
Every good photographer knows that light is the most important element of photography. Learning how to use light – to direct and control it – is key to getting incredible, impactful shots. There are different ways in which lighting can be adjusted using light modifiers to produce better photos. While the lights themselves play a
Every serious photographer knows that light is one of the most critical components of a shot. The available lighting determines your ISO settings, shutter speed, and aperture. When shooting in automatic mode, it’s less crucial for you to pay attention to the lighting as your camera does it for you. When transitioning to manual mode,
When you have been shooting for some time, using a gray card becomes a necessity rather than an option. This is especially true when shooting under artificial light, but the first question is why use gray cards in the first place? Our own eyes are very good at adapting to different lighting conditions and we
If you have been using speedlites in your camera lighting setup for some time, there will come a point where you utter the Captain Kirk-like statement, ‘we need more power!’ Speedlites, or flashguns, are a great solution for most shooting scenarios, but they only have a relatively limited amount of wattage compared to studio lighting.
When it comes to photography, lighting is crucial for good photos. Without proper lighting, we can’t accentuate the subject in the image due to a lack of clarity and sharpness. When you are controlling the light yourself, you have the chance to bring your creativity to the forefront and create whatever photographic mood your heart
Creating your own lighting during shoots and not relying on natural lighting or your camera flash allows you to take full control of the mood in your photos. Good lighting is crucial for creating the perfect ambiance. There are plenty of ways to do this, be it the strategic angling of a lighting umbrella or
Paul C. Buff Inc., a manufacturer of professional lighting products, has launched the LINK 800WS flash. It is a new portable plug-and-play LED flash unit that currently stands as the company’s most powerful and versatile lighting product ever. Paul C. Buff (PCB) designed the LINK 800WS flash to “link” its past products with the current
Have you ever swooned over how perfect your favorite makeup artists look in their tutorials? Or have you been in awe of how amazing the lighting is in the selfies your celebrities upload? Ring lights are affordable lighting tools that help you take great selfies and videography for social media, YouTube, TikTok, and more. This
While indoor photography comes with the advantage of giving you the ability to control lighting in your photos, failure to equip your studio with the right light modifiers can lead to a lighting disaster. Softbox lighting kits soften the light from camera photography to reduce shadow, spread light in a shoot evenly, and minimize the
An affordable lighting kit is an essential accessory for photographers who frequently shoot indoors. While nature controls the major lighting outdoors, once you step foot inside a building, there is limited natural light the sun can provide. Videographers also depend upon lighting kits for their videos when they can’t depend on natural lighting. Due to
There’s a reason why certain products become extremely popular or almost the standard when it comes to photography gear. One such example is the Profoto B1 portable studio monolight. It’s not the newest model on the market, but since its release in 2013, the B1 has been a consistent performer in both the studio and
Colored gel kits are an invaluable gift to photographers. Not only can a colored gel add a more defined mood and atmosphere to a plain and dull scene, but it can also give a photographer more opportunity to experiment with their creativity in shooting distinctive colored shots. These are the two types of colored gels
Profoto is well respected for its professional range of studio lights and the Profoto D2 is no exception. The Profoto B1 is a well-known unit which brought TTL, hi-power output, and High-Speed Sync as a battery-powered monolight which works great in any studio. Now the Profoto D2 is aimed at being the fastest monolight around
The Gary Fong Lightsphere is a compact, light modifier designed to drop on top of your flash unit. The idea is that it will give you a more even spread of light than bare flash. The most common version of this type of light modifier is the Sto-Fen, which looks like a block of white
Any professional photographer knows that light is one of the most crucial factors when it comes to taking a good photo. Without light pointing at the subjects in the photograph at the right angles, the photo may well end up a failure. This is where a camera flash comes in handy too, but with so
Recognizing good light is one of the foundation skills for any photographer. Setting up ideal lighting situations in the studio is one thing, but being able to capture quality, natural light for portraits brings its own set of skills. Carrying over lighting setups in the studio is going to help a lot with translating things
Studio strobes from the Paul C. Buff, Inc. of Nashville Tennessee have been popular among professional and other serious photographers mainly due to one reason – they are good! Besides being great studio strobes, they are also very reasonably priced. The AlienBees model lineup is pretty much the cornerstone of the great reputation and popularity
You may have top-notch lenses and camera bodies, but you still need quality lighting when you’re shooting video. Even if you have ideal lighting outside, you still need accessories to make sure your subjects are lit correctly, just like with stills where a little fill flash can always separate your subject. The problem is that