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Studio Lighting Equipment Tips - What You Need To Know

Discussing the wide variety of lights and the infinite number of setup combinations in a photography studio could be the subject of a book. In fact, there are several books dedicated to just that. However, if you want to invest in studio lighting equipment, there are a few important things that every photographer should know. With a good set of basic lighting tools, you should be able to shoot in most types of situations and subjects. Here's a breakdown on the most common types of studio lighting:

Continuous Lighting
These are the sorts of lights you may associate with movie production. Continuous light simply refers to light that is always present in the studio (as opposed to a flash which is there and gone). Though this method can generate quite a bit of heat and definitely uses more power, it is a great way to work subtle lighting situations. Since you will be able to see your lights interacting before you shoot, youll have a much better idea of what the photograph is going to look like.

You can pick up a simple kit for continuous lighting online for a pretty reasonable price.Many photo stores have a section dedicated to studio lighting equipment, so it is really up to you on how much you want to spend. Look for a flash kit that has light stands, light fixtures, bulbs and a reflective umbrella. Continuous light can be provided by halogen, fluorescent and tungsten light bulbs. There is no one "better" bulb as your taste and tone will dictate your choice.

Studio Flash
As you may have guessed, this type of studio lighting equipment is dedicated to setups that utilize a flash like those used in fashion shoots. Flash setups are low on power consumption and even lower in terms of heat generation, and are usually the best option when shooting human subjects for extended periods of time. Flashes are available in either moonlights or flash systems moonlights require only syncing to the camera while power-pack based flash systems will have a central power point to which all the flash heads connect.

Similar to continuous lighting, there are plenty of ready-made flash kits available for the choosing. Make sure they have umbrellas, lighting stands, modeling lamps (let you preview your lighting) and the needed sync cords to ensure your flashes fire at the exact same time. The easiest flash to use are flashes with sensors as they fire with your camera but they are more expensive.

It's worth noting that combining these two studio lighting methods is one of your strongest options in getting good quality light. This will allow you infinite flexibility in your shooting process and ensure that no matter what subject or style is required, youll be up to the task. With basic kits starting as low as $50, you should be able to get some pretty decent studio lighting equipment setup with a low initial investment.  And once you get your studio lighting set, then you can try using different types of lenses in the studio like learning how to use a zoom lens or even using a macro lens to get all different kinds of results.

ePhoto 2 Umbrella off Camera Flash lighting Kit Photography Studio off camera Lighting Kit Location

540W Studio Kit for Professional & Home Studio Photography! Includes: Softbox, Barndoor, Trigger, Bag, 3x 180w Strobe Lights, 3x Light Stands (75 max height), 1x 70 x 50cm Softbox, 1x 60 x 60 cm Softbox, 2x Black/Silver Umbrellas, 1x 16 Channel Wireless Trigger (transmitter + receiver), 1x Barn Door with Honeycomb + 4 Color Gel Set, 1x Carrying bag. Product Description Barn Door High quality barn door with honeycomb 4 Color Gels (Translucent, blue, red, yellow) This 4 leaf barndoor set is specifically designed for use on the reflector. Barndoors is essential accessories for any lighting system. These devices alter the shape, intensity, or color of the light output from your flash heads. Use of a barndoor set will result in a shaft of l...

Studiohut 800W Continuous Photography & Video Lighting Kit with soft white umbrellas, light stands & carry bag £89.98 This is a great economical lighting kit which provides can provide continuous lighting for professional portrait or still life set-ups in a home studio setting. Because of its versatility, the kit can be used as main light, a fill light, a hair light, or as the backlight for portraits.Kit Includes:2 105W Fluorescent Bulbs (each equivalent to 400W incandescent) at 5000K color temperature2 33" Soft ...

Ex-Pro Continuous Dual [2 units] Lighting kit including 85w (Low voltage Cool running 6400K equivalent to 500w), stands, brackets & Umbrella 33 (84cm) Professional Photographic Light Studio Diffuser / Reflector - White Soft light Diffuser £99.97 Ex-Pro kit includes 2 x Photographic light stands (Min Height 0.5m / 50cm) (Max Height 1.86m / 186cm), brackets and umbrella's. 85w Continuous daylight lighting bulbs set UK standard (Low voltage Cool running 6400K equivalent to 500w). Ex-Pro Umbrella 33" (84cm) Professional Studio Diffuser - White Soft light Diffuser. White Umbrella specific photographic for Soft light output. Spreads a wide ran...

StudioHut 300W Continuous Photography & Video Lighting Kit with soft white umbrellas & light stands £61.81 This is a great economical lighting kit which provides can provide continuous lighting for professional portrait or still life set-ups in a home studio setting. Because of its versatility, the kit can be used as main light, a fill light, a hair light, or as the backlight for portraits. Kit Includes: 2 40W Fluorescent Bulbs (each equivalent to 150W incandescent) at 5000K color temperature 2 33" Sof...

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