Lighting is one of the most crucial elements in photography and videography, yet it often remains a mystery for beginners. Understanding how to manipulate light can transform your images from ordinary to extraordinary. Whether you’re shooting in a studio or outdoors, mastering the basics of lighting will give you the confidence to experiment and create stunning visuals.
In this blog, we’ll explore essential lighting concepts and gear that every beginner should know. From understanding the difference between ambient and artificial light to setting up a three-point lighting system. We’ll also add in our recommendations of lighting equipment and accessories that can help you achieve professional-quality results.
So, if you’re ready to illuminate your photography journey, let’s dive into the world of lighting and discover how to make your subjects shine!
Key Lighting Concepts for Beginners
When starting to use lighting, some key concepts that are important to know as a beginner are
Ambient Light: This is the natural light already present in a scene, such as sunlight or existing artificial light.
Artificial Light: Any light source that is not natural, like a flash or studio lights.
Key Light: The main light source used to illuminate the subject. It is the most important light in your setup.
Fill Light: A secondary light used to fill in shadows created by the key light, making the lighting more even.
Backlight: Light placed behind the subject to create a silhouette or to separate the subject from the background.
Metering: the process by which your camera measures the light in a scene to determine the optimal exposure settings. Tools like light meters help calculate this for you.
Continuous Lighting: A light source that remains on continuously, as opposed to flashing. This is often used in video work.
Diffused Light: Light that has been softened by passing through a diffuser or bouncing off a surface, reducing harsh shadows.
Color Temperature: The color of the light, measured in Kelvin (K). Different light sources have different color temperatures, affecting the mood and feel of the photo
Essential Lighting Gear for Beginners
Now that we have talked about some of the set ups, let’s talk about some of the gear.
Ring Lights
Ring lights are Ideal for portrait photography, YouTube, and if you have a small portable one it can be great for vlogging like the Godox Ring72 Macro Ring LED Light. A bigger ring light for more professional photography or Youtube videos is the Godox LR150 18″ Bi-Color LED Ring Light.
Flash and Strobe lights
Getting into flash and strobe photography we recommend starting with Speedlights like the TT600. They are versatile, portable, and beginner friendly. A second beginner friendly light is the MS300-v studio strobe. This allows for more power and control in studio set-ups and is easy to learn. If your interested in having a more advanced set up we also have the Godox MS300-V 2 Light Studio Flash Kit.
For the intermediate level, Continuous Lighting: Starting with flash photography and moving into continuous lighting will be a much easier transition. Continuous lighting allows you to always see what the lighting is doing and how it is affecting the subject and scene. A continuous light we recommend is the Godox SL100Bi Bi-Color LED.
For videographers, continuous lighting is typically the only one you work with, except prop lights and creative additions (like color lighting, flashing for dramatic effect). Some continuous lighting products we recommend are LED panels like the the Nanlite Lumipad 25 or the Godox LEDP 260C.
Light Modifiers and Accessories
Moving into the accessories and modifiers that are needed to pair with a good continuous or strobe light:
Softboxes: Softboxes help diffuse bright light while still creating a well-lit and soft glow to your subject. Umbrellas or actual light boxes can both be used to achieve this look. Some softboxes and umbrellas we carry are:
Godox QR-P90T Bowens Mount Quick Release Parabolic Softbox
Godox 16.5″ Beauty Dish – Silver
Godox 51″ (130cm) White Parabolic Umbrella
Godox 41″ (105cm) White Parabolic Umbrella
Reflectors: Reflectors can be used with natural or studio light and are a bit more portable and flexible than regular diffusers. They can be used in addition to lights and softboxes as well to fill in certain spaces that may have an unwanted shadow. Some reflectors we recommend are Godox 7 in 1 32X48″ Reflector and Westcott 50″ 5 in 1 Reflector.
Light Stands and Mounts: Light stands and mounts are a must-have when working with bigger lights and strobes to ensure stability and reliability. This also makes it easier to adjust the lighting in a certain way to best support your vision and lighting of your subject. Depending on your equipment and attchments there are many different stand and mount options, you can view our inventory here! If you need a specific recommendation based on the gear you have or wonder what’s the best set up is for your work feel free to call the store or stop in to have one of our production specialist help you!
Illuminate Your Skills!
It’s important to remember that when it comes to lighting experimentation is key. There are many different ways to use lighting, creatively or to assist your lighting situation. Starting out can be intimidating but the more you practice the more confident and comfortable you’ll get.
If you have questions or are interested in having one of our specialist teach you more about lighting come stop in the store or call to schedule a one on one!
