Last Updated on January 13, 2019
In order to produce a masterpiece in a studio, you will need quality studio lighting equipment. Once you have the tools, all that’s left would be a bit of practice to become a ‘boss’ in terms of lighting skills. Some of the lighting systems available to you include, but are not limited to: strobe photography lighting set, soft box lighting system, halogen focus lighting kit, and the video lighting and umbrella photography kit.
But if you’re a beginner in studio photography, you should start with simpler or more basic lighting equipment. In this case, you should set out with a continuous lighting system because it’s simpler to understand, easier to handle, and less expensive than flash types of lighting systems.
Flash lighting, on the other hand, utilizes equipment that gives off brief, intense flashes of light in order to illuminate the subject. There are two types of flashes: a) those that fit into cameras; and b) those specifically designed for studio lighting. Selecting the latter can be a bit confusing, what with the sheer number of flash products available out there.
Common Issues in Studio Photography and How You Can Remedy Them
If you are an aspiring studio photographer, you have to know about some of the common errors in using strobe lighting fixtures. After all, poor lighting techniques can drastically affect the quality of the images you capture. Of course, you can only avoid such errors if you understand them completely, so we’ll examine each of them in close detail so that you don’t miss out on the best shots.
Perhaps the most typical errors in strobe usage are the red-eye effect as well as undesirable background shadows. The occurrence of both problems is common when you use single strobes mounted on cameras. Now there are three simple ways you can steer clear of shadows.
- Bounce the flash around. You can do this by reflecting the light off walls, umbrellas, or ceilings. The premise here is to spread the light to result in softer shadows.
- If at all possible, the strobe should not be mounted on the camera. It should also be moved to one side. This way, the shadow will be outside the boundaries of the final picture.
- The subject should be moved away from walls. The distance should be about 6-8 feet.
Meanwhile, the rеd-еуе effect is caused by the strobe light reflecting off blood vessels lining the back of the subject’s eyeballs. This effect is captured when the strobe is mounted in too near a proximity to the lens. This issue may be avoided if the light is far away enough, and such distance can be achieved by the usage of a moderately sized studio strobe
Now a cause for greater concern would be if the strobe is built in the camera. Although many new camera models have features like pre-flash light that constrict the iris to prevent the flash from reflecting into the lens, the results aren’t always perfect despite being fairly effective.
Another issue that occurs in studio photography is deep eye shadows. However, this can be the side effect of bouncing the flash (which is what you use to avoid shadows un the first place). Specifically, this issue happens when you let the light bounce at angles that are directly above the head of the subject. A simple solution would be to move the lighting a bit further from the subject, such that diffuse light manages to reach your subject more. Or you can lower the light, use umbrellas situated behind you, or bounce the light off the wall.
Another unwanted effect would be the “scary lighting”. For this one, it’s as if the subject had a flashlight aimed at his or her face from beneath the chin, resulting in a ‘scary’ look that’s similar to the one where you tell spooky stories around campfires or in dark rooms. This can occur if you took shots of your subject at lowered angles. One of the simplest remedies to this dilemma is the removal of the strobe and repositioning it in such a manner that the subject would look more flattering
Another problem that some photographers encounter is when there are reflective surfaces that give off unpleasant glares. Such surfaces can be anything from window panes to mirrors. But perhaps the most common cause of this issue is when a subject wears glasses during the shoot. After all, firing a strobe at the glasses, especially if the focus is direct, will cause reflections to bounce into lenses.
While the simplest way to resolve this is to remove the glasses, some professionals have found ways to avoid this. What they do is adjust the angle or position of the glasses by raising the subject’s ear loops. By doing the tilting, the photographer steers clear from the glare since the strobe is directed slightly downward from the camera. Alternatively, the strobe can be moved such that the reflection falls outside the lens and thus, outside image.
Of course, it would also greatly help if you used top-notch equipment whenever possible. Besides, you can always acquire superb strobe products for studios so long as you know where to search for them. Just make sure you do your research beforehand, lest you risk buying a product that you may not be totally satisfied with. You can avoid regrettable acquisitions and make well-informed purchasing decisions by reading reviews and seeking expert advice from an experienced studio photographers.
All about Studio Photography –
Studio photography is a tricky craft. Unlike having a digicam at hand and just pointing and clicking at any time you like, capturing images in a studio requires finesse. This is because the photographer has to make sure that the subject’s image is captured at the best possible angle so that the subject would be at his or her most flattering look once the picture is out.