How to Shoot With Constant Lighting

Position one light on the left side of the subject you are photographing and turn the light on. Constant lighting systems will get hot the longer they stay turned on. When positioning the lights, even when they are cool, be sure to use the brackets or handles on the lights to move them.

Turn your camera on and use the spot meter feature on your camera to measure the light that is illuminating your subject. This light is your main light. Set your camera to match the exposure reading you took with the spot meter.

Position a second light on the opposite side of your subject from the main light. Turn this light on and increase the distance between the subject and the light to lessen the intensity of light. In most cases, constant lighting does not have a power control, so the only way to reduce the light's power is to move the light farther away. Use the spot meter to take a reading that the second light is generating. When you determine the distance at which the second light is generating half the power compared to the main light, the light is at the correct distance. This light is referred to as a "fill light" and is used to add a small amount of light to the shadows created by the main light.

Attach "barn doors" to the lights to control the direction of the light. Barn doors are four movable shutters that connect to the front of the light and can be adjusted at the photographer's discretion.

Each time you change your model's or subject's position, adjust your light to retain the same ratio of main and fill light intensity. For added effect, you can use diffusers, or colored gels, in front of the lights to change the way the light looks and illuminates your subject.