Amateur Photographer – 13 July 2019

subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 13 July 2019 45

Soft boxes and umbrellas
One of the biggest benefi ts of
using studio lighting is the wide
array of modifi ers you can attach
to the lights. Each will alter the
spread and the quality of the
light. Two of the more common
modifi ers are softboxes and
umbrellas. An umbrella will diffuse,
bounce and spread the light
over a large area, so it’s great for
creating a wide spill of light. A
softbox produces a similarly soft
quality of light, but the spread is
more narrow and therefore more
controllable. Other common
modifi ers include barn doors,
beauty dishes and snoots.
Different lighting brands have their
own methods of connection (like
the Elinchrom S-mount) so your
chosen modifi ers need to be
compatible with the lights you use.

Size and distance
With any light source, be it a
softbox, umbrella, LED panel or
window, the larger the light source,
the softer the light. Keep in mind
too that you can change the size
of the light source in relation to
the subject simply by moving it
closer or further away. A softbox
that is positioned 10m from the
subject will produce harder, more
contrasty light than one that is
placed 2m away. Often studio
photographers will bring their
softboxes in very close to the

subject – just out-of-frame – for

soft light that wraps around the

subject and gently transitions into

shadows. However, it’s worth

noting that the light falls off more

steeply when it’s in close, so

there’s more chance of uneven

lighting between the part of the

subject closest to the light and

the part furthest away.

Setting up a home studio

A home studio starter kit (such

as the Elinchrom D-Lite range)

usually includes a couple of studio

fl ash heads, plus stands and

softboxes or umbrellas, and a

wireless trigger. These kinds

of heads are sometimes called

monoblocks, as they are

standalone units requiring mains

power for each light. Each head

will have simple power controls,

plus a modelling light. For a basic

studio portrait set-up, place your

subject in front of a plain wall then

fi t umbrellas or softboxes to the

lights. Set up one light to the side

of the camera as a ‘key’ light, then

adjust the power and work out

an exposure for it (a good starting

point is manual mode, 1/200sec

at f/8, ISO 100). Once you’ve

done this, set up the second light

to act as a ‘fi ll’ by fi ring it at a lower

power (ideally around 2 stops

lower) than the fi rst light so that it

fi lls in the shadows. This is a classic

key-and-fi ll set-up.

them with the ambient light in the
scene, necessitating the use of
coloured gels in front of the bulb.
By contrast, more advanced LED
units will offer bi-colour control, so
you can warm or cool the colour
temperature to match the ambient
light. Whether you want to shoot
in tungsten-lit interiors or under
a cool cloudy sky, you can easily
tweak your lighting to work in
harmony with the surroundings.
LED lighting can be a wonderful
addition to portraits on location,
but they’re also very useful for
product shots and still life. With
this kind of photography, correct
positioning of the lights is vital.
Being able to see the way the light
works across the subject, where
the highlights hit and how two or
more lights work in combination
can give you a crucial advantage.

The output issue
The drawback of continuous
lighting is the output. Even the
strongest LED can’t compare to a

basic speedlight in terms of max

output. Factor in modifi ers, and

the output drops considerably

more. For some photographers

this renders them useless, but

there are lots of scenarios where

the benefi ts of LED lighting

outweigh the need for high output.

And with today’s imaging sensors

performing ever better in low light

at higher sensitivities, a high max

output isn’t the dealbreaker it used

to be. Some brands have come

up with innovative solutions to the

output issue. The Rotolight range

of LEDs includes an HSS fl ash

mode which produces a burst of

light more than double that of the

max continuous output.

Innovative LEDs

Certain LEDs are innovative in

other ways too. Lume Cubes are

a popular portable option. These

hardy little LED boxes are very

bright, waterproof and practically

bombproof. The shape of the LED

housing is a major consideration

as it plays its part in the quality of

light. For instance, the Westcott

Ice Light 2 creates a lovely thin,

narrow beam of light, whereas

Rotolight LEDs have a

characteristic circular shape, which

results in lovely round catchlights

when shooting portraits.

Elinchrom’s D-Lite

One RX heads are an

excellent entry-level

option for home-

studio use

A single studio

flash fitted with a

softbox produces

wonderful diffuse

illumination

Product shots and

still-life photos are

often easier to perfect

when you can judge the

continuous light by eye