4444 13 July 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
STUDIO lighting can give your
photos a crispness and clarity that
is diffi cult to achieve in any other
way. The quality you can get from
even a basic home studio kit is
immense. As such, this kind
of lighting is ideally suited to
portraiture, still-life photography
and any other subject where
maximum quality is key.Complete control
Studio photographers often talk
about ‘creating’ the shot ratherCONTINUOUS lighting has
become increasingly popular over
the past few years, particularly in
the form of LED units. This kind of
lighting brings a range of benefi ts
over fl ash, especially for the
beginner. First and foremost,
there’s the what-you-see-is-what-
you-get factor. Being able to
eyeball the light source makes
it easier to judge than fl ash, so
there’s no call for test shots or
light meters, and no need to make
Testbench GUIDE TO LIGHTING
The benefi ts
of LEDs
Studio lighting
essentials
than ‘taking’ it. When in the studio,
we have ultimate control over
many of the factors that go into
our fi nal shot. By positioning
the lights, we control where the
highlights and shadows fall. By
using modifi ers, we control the
quality and softness of the light. By
adjusting the output, we control
the depth of fi eld and by altering
the ratios between our lights, we
control the contrast. This might
sound like a lot to take in and learn
but the results can be well worth it.tricky exposure calculations. You
can simply direct the light at the
subject, tweak the power until it
looks right, then start shooting. Of
course, this also makes LEDs very
useful for shooting video.Controlling the colour
Colour temperature control is
another benefi t. Flashes will have a
fi xed colour temperature – usually
around 5600K. This can pose a
problem if you want to balance
Westcott’s Ice Light 2 has a
removable battery that lasts an
hour at full powerIf you want to see how the lights have been positioned, look at the subject’s
eyes. Here it’s clear two softboxes have been placed either side of the camera
On a portrait shoot a Rotolight AEOS LED can provide a subtle lift to the face