Lighting sets the tone and makes or breaks the quality of a photograph. Mastering lighting techniques and gear can lift your photos from flat and dull to dramatic works of art. This guide will break down the lighting equipment, accessories, and techniques professional photographers use to control and shape light for stunning photographic results.
Continuous Lighting Kit
Continuous lights allow you to see precisely how the light falls on your subject before taking the shot. They are necessary for extended shoots and video production, where the subject must be constantly illuminated. Common continuous lighting options include tungsten, LED, or fluorescent bulbs.
Tungsten produces a warm and natural light, but the light itself is scorching. It must be handled carefully. Fluorescent and LED lights are energy-efficient options. You can select HMI and plasma lights to illuminate objects at a distance.
Continuous lighting is like having a bird in hand; you can see exactly what you’re getting before you snap the shot, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg like strobes. Also, it’s a versatile tool for both still photography and video.
Strobe Lighting Kits
Strobe lights provide a quick burst of intense light. Strobe heads contain a flash tube that ignites, emitting an extremely short and bright flash before recycling. As strobe lights only last a fraction of a second, they can freeze motion, unlike continuous lights. Strobes also offer consistent color temperature and brightness as they are not affected by fluctuations in power. They recycle quickly for rapid shoots.
Portable Flash Lighting
Small, dedicated flash units, also called speed lights or hot shoe flashes, mount directly to your camera hot shoe or external light stands for portable lighting capabilities. While less powerful than full studio strobes, modern speed lights provide impressive lighting abilities, especially when used off-camera. Many speed lights allow for TTL exposure control for quick, consistent lighting. Portable flash lighting kits provide excellent lighting capabilities in a highly mobile, easy-to-transport package.
Essential Light Modifiers
Modifiers shape and alter your light source by diffusing, softening, redirecting, or restricting light spread. Positioning modifiers between your light and subject transforms the quality and direction of illumination. Some of the most useful light modifiers are listed below.
Umbrellas
They are inexpensive and basic modifiers for diffusing and softening light. These modifiers are available in shoot-through or reflective varieties.
Softboxes
Softboxes are great for portraits. They come in different shapes, such as rectangles, squares, or octagonals. Narrow rectangular softboxes are called Stripbox, and octagonal softboxes are called Octoboxes. They soften and diffuse light into a flattering source.
Beauty Dishes
They provide a flattering mix of soft yet crisp light. Since these lights illuminate from all angles, it is ideal for beauty and fashion photography.
Reflectors
They are used to bounce and redirect existing light onto the shadow side of a subject. These standard modifiers create a strong, directional light that provides intense illumination.
Snoots
Snoots focus light into a narrow and concentrated beam spot. They help you shine light into a focused area.
Gobos
Gobos are opaque panels that block or mask the light from certain parts of a scene. They are used as a “cutter” to manage the existing light and create dramatic shadows.
Grids
Grids can be attached to modify a softbox or beauty dish to control and limit light spread. They help you control the light quality and coverage while adding contrast to the subject.
Lighting Accessories
Some lighting accessories help you set up and use the lighting equipment effectively. A light stand will help you safely position lights. If you need to move the source constantly, you can invest in a dolly for mobility. Boom arms have adjustable arms to angle lights precisely where required. A heavy-duty C stand is a must-have to position flags or reflectors.
Invest in triggers to sync your camera and lights remotely. Light meters help you gauge sufficient lighting and adjust exposure, flash, or aperture. Color checkers help you get the correct white balance.
Mastering studio lighting elevates you from simply recording images to being able to sculpt light itself as an artistic tool to fulfill your creative vision. It will help you capture mesmerizing shots in any condition. But marketing and monetizing your captured imagery is a different game altogether. As a professional photographer, you will benefit from WaldoPro’s AI-powered platform.
Regardless of the event you cover, the platform allows you to sort through thousands of photos quickly and efficiently. The 1 TB storage means you have plenty of space for photos and videos. The AI built into Waldo will automatically tag these images based on reference photos.
You can share your event photos with those you capture in near real-time. And your photos are protected with Waldo’s FaceBlockerTM technology that prevents screen capture. WaldoPro’s mobile-first approach means reaching your prospective purchasers quickly on their mobile phones with proofs. They will receive a text message with minutes of photos being uploaded and published. No more paper forms or checks, just the power of AI and technology at your fingertips.
The convenience of viewing and purchasing their shots right from the phone increases your sales. You have complete control over your product and pricing. Offer discounts or offers or change the price with just the click of a mouse. Once your customer selects the photos, Waldo’s sends your orders to your preferred lab where they are printed and drop shipped to your customer.
The WaldoPro dashboard provides you with real-time analytics. After each event, you can use the data to view the number of onboards, proof delivered by person, and their order. Refunds and reorders can be managed directly on the platform with a few clicks of the mouse. If you’re looking to extend your sales window, WaldoPros’s MarketMax remarketing tool allows you to send texts and emails to non-buyers weeks and months after the event with a link back to their proofs. You can quickly filter to non-purchasers with matches and send them reminders or special offers to drive more sales. You can learn more about how WaldoPro’s facial and numbered jersey recognition, combined with its mobile-first approach to the consumer experience is changing the game for volume photographers.
