Lighting Needs for a Beginning Photographer

Type of Lighting

• The first step to lighting a studio is to decide what type of lights you want to use. The two basic types are strobe and tungsten. Strobes, or cold lights, are detachable flash devices that are available in various sizes. Strobe lights are ideal for eliminating heat in the studio and providing the look of natural day light. Tungsten lights, or hot lights, provide a continuous flood of light. Tungsten lights are ideal for studios that need a great deal of light.

Lighting Accessories

• After deciding what type of light you want to work with, the next step is to choose lighting accessories. Whenever purchasing lights, make sure the brand of light you choose is compatible with many different lighting accessories such as umbrellas or softboxes (used to diffuse strobe lights), snoots (used to focus light, such as illuminating hair) or a flash trigger, which synchronizes the flash with the camera. These accessories are essential because they direct and enhance the studio light.

Lighting Method

• An important part of correctly lighting a studio is learning the two basic methods of lighting, which are direct light and diffused light. Direct light is illumination that is placed directly on the subject. It is ideal for photographing landscapes because it casts a warm glow and creates beautiful colors. Diffused lighting is non-directional illumination that reduces harshness, softens textures, creates reflection and captures details.

Tips

• Beginner photographers should learn the basics of photography lighting before moving on to using complex lighting sources and methods. When possible, practice with these basic lighting techniques by taking photos of your friends and family until you are confident with your photos and your photographing abilities. Experiment with angles, compositions and lighting positions to learn what works best with your style of photography.