HowtoSetUpPhotographyLightingforaHomeStudio

ByAmberRichards

TableOfContents

Introduction

AdvantagesofSettingUpaHomeStudio

TheImportanceofLightingforYourHomeStudio

LookingattheBusinessSide

GettingstartedwithyourHomeStudio

ContinuousLightingorFlashSystems?

YourThreeBasicStudioLightingChoices

CoolLights

HotLights

Flash

StudioLighting

MainPower/SelfContained

MainPoweredSeparates

BatteryPoweredPack&Head

LookingatPackagesforBeginners

UnderstandingHardLightandSoftLight

ManipulatingLight

UsingOffCameraFlash

ControllingLight

BackgroundandBackdrops

PuttingitTogether-SettingyourLights/Flash

TheRembrandt

Clamshellsetup

TheClamshell(2lights/strobe)

RimLighting

ParamountorButterflyLighting

LoopLighting

TakingCareofYourEquipment

ThingstoRemember

Copyright©AmberRichards2013AllRightsReserved.

Introduction

Thisbook is intended for thebeginnerorhobbyistphotographer,wanting to learnmore

aboutlighting,toincludeperhapssettingupasmallhomestudio.WhenIwasjuststarting

out and a total newbie to photography, at times I found the learning curve quite

frustrating.Althoughtherearemanyexcellentresourcesoutthere,Ifoundpersonallyat

theverbeginnerlevels,thatmanyofthebooks,resourcesandtutorials,weresimplyover

myhead.OnceIgotmorebasicknowledgeundermybelt,Icouldthenunderstandwhat

theywerecommunicating. Theauthors seemed toassume Iknewmore than Idid,and

keybuildingblocksweremissed.

You’llfindearlyoninthisbookthattherewillbeimagesoflightingcomponentsaswell

aswhateachpieceofequipment iscalled,withashortdescriptionofwhat it is. Ifyou

alreadyknowthis,youmaywant toskip thatportion. WhenIstartedout, itwouldbe

beenveryhelpful forme to see these inorder tovisualizewhat technology specifically

wasbeingreferredto,somyhopeisthatitwillprovidevaluetosomereaders.

In the past few years or so, there have been many people who have gotten into

photographyasahobby. One reason for this is theDSLRor theDigitalSLRcameras,

whichareeasilyavailable,affordableandtakegreatqualitypictures.Theshutterbugcan

bequitecontagiousasonebeginstomasternewtechniques.Itisalsoachallenginghobby

aswellsincethereisalwaysmoretolearn.

Social media venues such as Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, and Tumblr, have made it

simplerthanevertoshareyourphotoswithothers.

Taking beautiful photos, (some of which may even be considered professional) has

become easier than ever, many photography enthusiasts are considering taking their

passion to thenext levelby turning it into abusiness.Nowadaysmany simplebirthday

partieshaveaphotographercoveringtheevent.GonearethedayswhereyourUnclewith

the cheap film camera is the official photographer. Today, semi-professional and even

professionalphotographersarebeinghiredtocoverfamilyevents.

Afewyearsago,noonehadeverheardofanengagementphotoshoot,orapostnupshoot,

a debut shoot, a baby bump shoot, and a new born shoot, toy photography, product

photography,etc.Butnowalltheseshoots(andsomanymore)arepartofeverydaylife;

this goes to show that the demand and need for the services of photographers has

graduallyincreasedthesepastyears.

Youmightalreadybeconsideringbringingyourpassionforphotographytothenextlevel,

whetheryouwillbepursuingitprofessionallyorasaseriousenthusiast,youmaywantto

considersettingupyourownhomestudio.

Ifyou’vegottentothepointinyourhobbyorsmallbusinessthatyouwanttosetupyour

ownphotographystudioinyourhome,youmightbeaskingyourselfhowyoushouldgo

aboutit.

Youmight possessmost of your equipment, except for the lighting. This can be tricky

because it all depends on the room size, the natural and artificial lighting already

available,nottomentionthecolorofthewalls,carpetand/orflooring.Sofirstthingsfirst,

let’sgooversomebasics.

AdvantagesofSettingUpaHomeStudio

There are definitely many advantages in setting up your own home studio, the main

benefitbeing thatyoucan savea lotofmoney,becauseyouhaveyourveryownhome

studio. There aremany commercial studios thatwill allow you to rent their studio and

equipmentforacertainamountofmoney,butifyouhaveyourownhomestudiothenyou

nolongerhavetospendextratorentastudioandtherequiredlightingequipment.

If you don’t have your own studio, aside from having to pay to rent for the use of a

commercial studio, you would also need to schedule your photo sessions around their

schedule.When you have your own studio you don’t have towork on someone else’s

schedule.Youneverknowwheninspirationwillstrikeandhavingahomestudioreadyfor

youtouseatanytime,willdefinitelybebeneficialtoyourgrowthasaphotographer.

One of the benefits of studio photography is that you are in absolute control of all the

elements within that space, and this is because you control all lighting aspects in that

environment. People often have this idea that working in a home studio, or other

photography studio means being in a controlled and formal environment. That is not

alwaysthecasesincethereisstillalotofroomforcreativesituationsthatyoucantryout

in your home studio. You may in fact, discover some very dramatic effects that are

stunninginyourstudiowork.

When setting up your own home photography studio, youmight want to consider that

somephotographystudioshaveglassareasorwindows,thatallownaturallighttospillin.

Otherstudiosknownas‘blackoutstudios’donothaveanynaturallightcominginsidethe

roomand they relysolelyon the lightingequipmentbeingused in thestudio. Whether

youwouldchooseoneovertheother,woulddependonhowyouwouldwanttoworkwith

lights,naturalorartificial.

TheImportanceofLightingforYourHomeStudio

Any budding photographer knows the importance of lighting when it comes to taking

photos;it isbasicallywhywecancaptureimagesonfilmorinadigitalsensor.Lightis

ourmeans of communicating and translatingwhatwe see from our view finder to our

imagesorphotos.Itdirectlyaffectsthesubjectandtheimage.Withoutit,you’llhaveto

raiseyourISOto1600,3200,oreven12800,useatripod,slowdowntheshutterspeed,

andopenyourapertureallthewaytoadecentexposure.

Lightingwillgiveyouflexibilityandcontrolinwhicheverareaofstudiophotographyyou

wouldliketoexplore.Unlikenaturallight,whichvariesdependingonthetimeofdayor

weather, itchanges,evenduringthesameshoot,forcingthephotographertocontinually

adapt to the shifts in light. Studio lightingwill allowyou toplace the lightwhereyou

wantit,whereyouwantthelighttofall,andhowmuchlightyouwant.Thatiswhywhen

youaresettingupyourveryownhomestudioyouhavetomakeimportantdecisionswhen

it comes to lighting, so that it is done correctly. It also allows for a greater degreeof

creativelightinginmanysituations.

Whenyouhavetherightlightingequipmentyouwillbeabletotryandexperimentona

lotofdifferentphotographictechniquesandexperiments.Thisisespeciallygoodforthe

creativephotographerthatgetsboredeasily;thepossibilitiesareendless!

Investingingettingphotographyequipmentandwhattodoifyouareonabudget

Thechoiceofwhatequipmenttostartbuyingforyourhomephotographystudiowillbe

likemappingoutyour journeybeforeyou take the trip. Before layingout thepath,we

havetofindoutwhatweneed,totravelinordertogetfrompointAtopointB.

Afewthingsthatwillcrossyourmindwillbewhetheritwouldbeadvisabletosplurgeor

be thriftywithyour investment for lightingequipment foryourstudio. It’sallgoing to

dependon thebudget thatyouareworkingwith,what typeofphotographyyouplan to

shoot,andwhatyourfutureplanwiththeequipmentis.

If you look around the internet, you might read a lot suggesting investing more on

expensiveequipment.Thismaysetyoubackandhaveyouthinkingtwiceaboutsettingup

your own photography studio at home.But youmust consider in the long runwhether

you’dbebenefitingfromthebetterperformingequipment. Sometimesthesaying,“you

getwhatyoupayfor”isverytrueinphotographylightingequipment.

It may be wise and advisable to invest in more expensive lighting and photography

equipmentifyoucan,butitisnotnecessarilyrequired.Nowifyoudon’thavethebudget

at themoment, topurchaseexpensive lightingequipment,youshouldnot losehopeand

giveuponsettingupyourownhomephotographystudio.Itisstillpossibletohaveyour

ownstudio,evenwhileworkingonatightbudget.Youcanpurchaselessexpensivestarter

equipmenttobeginwithandupgradeassoonasyoucan.Sometimesyoucanalsofind

goodqualitylightingthatisused,fromaphotographerwhoisupgradingtheirequipment.

You have to remember that whether you will be purchasing expensive equipment or

lookingatcheapermodels, it is important thatyoudothenecessaryresearchinorder to

ensure thatyoubuyequipment that is stableenough,andmadeofgoodquality tomeet

yourbasicphotographicneeds.Ifitdoesn’t,nopriceisagoodone,anditwillhurtyour

work.Ifclientsaren’thappywiththework,yourstudiowon’tgrow.

Nowgoingbacktoworkingonabudgetforyourhomephotographystudio,youcanstart

withaonelightsetupatfirst.Thereisnoneedtogocrazyandbuyawholephotography

store if you are working on a tight budget. Even if you are purchasing photography

lightingequipmentonepieceatatime,youcanstillgetthemostoutofitbymasteringall

possiblephotography&lightingtechniques,exploringthepossibilities,andstudyingthe

limitationswithyouronelightsetup.

Afteryouhavemasteredyouronelightsetupyoucanthenmoveontopurchasingyour

next piece of photography and lighting equipment, whichmight be a two light set up.

Fromthere,acquirethesamemasterybeforemovingontoyournextlightingpurchase.

LookingattheBusinessSide

Whetheryouarelookingatusingyourhomephotographystudioasaplacetopracticeand

perfectyourcraftinstudiophotography,orareconsideringusingyourstudioinyourown

business,youhavetoberealisticandlookintothebusinesssideofhavingyourownhome

photographystudio.

In the long run, you would definitely want to start earning with the photos that you

producefromyourhomestudio,butwhileyouarestilllearningtheropesoflightingand

studiophotographyyoucanactuallystartearning incomefromyourstudiobyrenting it

out tootherbuddingphotographers.Keep inmindhowever, that rentingoutyourhome

photographystudiotootherphotographersalsomeansrentingoutyourstudioequipment.

Thatiswhyitisimportanttomakesurethatyouinvestinstudioequipmentthatwillalso

begoodenoughforotherphotographerstouse.Thisisanotherreasonwhyitisidealthat

youinvestinequipmentthatwouldbeenticingforotherphotographersaswell.

Byrentingoutyourhomephotographystudiotootherphotographersyoucanstartgetting

areturnoninvestmentwiththelightingandphotographyequipmentyouhavepurchased

immediately.Justmakesuretohaveproceduresandpoliciesinplacetoensurethatyour

equipmentishandledwithcare.

GettingStartedwithyourHomeStudio

Beforeyougetstartedinbuildingyourhomestudio,youhavetofirstidentifytheroomin

yourhouse that youwill beusing foryour studio. Ideally choose a roomwhich is not

being used.Make sure that the room is big enough to accommodate photography and

lighting equipment. Think of it as an office where you can work and focus on your

photography.Itwouldbeidealifyoucanhavethecomputerthatyouuseforstoringyour

photoson,aswellaspostprocessingsetupinthatroom.Itwouldbemoreconvenientto

beabletoimmediatelytransferfilestoyourcomputerfromyourcameraaftereachphoto

shoot, instead of having to run back to your bedroom from your home studio just to

transfer andwork on your photos.Youwill definitely be able to save yourself a lot of

runningbackandforthwhenyouhaveyourcomputersetupinyourhomestudio.

Oncethingsgetgoingwithyourhomestudioyoucanalsostartdecorating,perhapsgeta

couch and a coffee table, so that you can also entertain guests and clients. To add a

personal touch, you can also decorate your home studio with your past works and

photographs.Make sure to choose the best and have them framed, these will be great

conversationpiecesandwillalsoagoodopportunityforyoutoshowyourtalenttoguests

andclients.

Afterchoosingyour roomand thinkingabout someof the interiordesignelements,you

needtoconsiderhowtheroomwillfunctionasaphotographystudio.Youcandothatby

blacking out any light coming from the outside (if you decide on having a blacked out

studio).Youcanuseblackgarbagebagstocoverthewindows,noneedtospendmoney

on anything expensive, as long as it gets the job done and covers the light from the

windows,thenyouaregoodtogo.

Getawhitebackdrop(fabricorpaper)andplaceitatthebackoftheroom,makesurethat

itrunsfromtheceilingtothefloorandtrytogetawhitebackdropthatdoesnothaveany

creasesinit.Youcanthenplaceyourlightingequipmentinfrontofyourwhitebackdrop

andyoucanstartexperimentingwitheffects,andstartshooting! Ifyouare financially

able, there are backdrop standswith either paper or fabric that can be ordered at fairly

reasonablepricesonline.

ContinuousLightingorFlashSystems?

Oneofthedecisionsyouhavetomakewhilesettingupyourhomephotographystudiois

whetheryouwouldwanttoworkwithcontinuouslighting,orflashheads.Likeeverything

else,thereisalwaysanadvantageanddisadvantagetoboth;itreallyboilsdowntohow

youwillmakethemostofit.

Continuouslightingcostsrelativelylessthanflashheadsandalsooffersagoodoptionfor

abudget,ifyouneedtoworkwithone.Becausethelightisalwayson,youcaneasily

assessandexamineascenetoseewheretheshadowsareandwhatthelightsaredoingin

relationtoyoursubject.Fromthereyouwillbeabletoworkonmanipulatingthelightin

yourstudio.

Nowthebiggestdisadvantagewhenusingcontinuouslightingisthatitactuallyemanates

andproducesalotofheatcomparedtoflashsystems,andthiscanactuallyheatupyour

studioandthemodelsorsubjectsyouareworkingwith.Sometimesitcangethotand

uncomfortableundertheselightingcircumstances.

Ifyouwillconsideroropttouseaflashsysteminstead,youwillgettoworkwithgreater

powerandhavemorecontrolofyourlightingsettingsinyourstudio.Flashsystemswill

alsohavemoreconsistency.Ifyouarejuststartingsettingupyourstudioandpurchasing

equipmentitisactuallyidealtostartwithalightingkitwhichwillbediscussedthroughout

theebook.

YourThreeBasicStudioLightingChoices

Nowthatyouhavealreadychosenaroomtobeyourhomestudioandarestartingto

researchthefirstfewitemsofphotographylightingequipmenttopurchase,youmight

wanttoconsiderthethreebasicstudiolightingchoices.Becausetherearesomanyout

therewewillbediscussingwhatyoushouldconsiderinvestingin.

Whenitcomestoyourphotographylighting,youwillhavethreebasicchoices.Thesewill

bethehotlights,coollights,andofcourse,theflashorstrobes.Everyoneofthesehas

theirowncharacteristics,sobeforeyoufigurealightingsourceasbeinggoodnomatter

what;youneedtokeepsomeimportantpointsinmindlikecontrol,poweroutput,andarea

ofcoverage,aswellasqualityoflight.Allofthesewillbediscussedfurtheron.

CoolLights

Coollights,arenotnecessarily“cool”butitreferstothetemperatureemittedfromthe

light,whichisalmostnonecomparedtohotlights,whichwarmupwithinminutesofuse.

Coollightsusefluorescentlight,whichiswhythelightdoesn’theatup.Whilebeingthe

lessversatileofthechoices,theytendtobeasafechoice.Theselightsarefluorescentand

havesomeadjustabilitybyturningoffandonthebulbsasyouneedthem;howeverthey

cannotbeadjustedlikehotlights.Beingaboutthesamecolorasdaylight,theycanbe

usedeasilyifnaturaldaylightispresent.

Usingthisformoflightinginconjunctionwithbrightnaturaldaylightcreatesan

intensifiedeffect,creatingbeautifulphotographswithnaturaltonesandcolorsnicely

accented.Unfortunately,theproblemwiththisformoflightingisthelackofpowerit

offers.Ifyouaretakingafullroomshot,youmayneedtohaveseveraloftheselightsin

place,andthiscangetincrediblycrowdedveryquickly.Thiswillhelpwithcamerasthat

havehighISOsettingsandaslowshutterspeed.Ifyoufindthatthecameracontinuesto

struggle,youcanalwaysusetheflashincombinationwiththisformoflighting.

HotLights

Youwillsometimesseetheselistedastungstenlights.Theirnicknameofhotlightscomes

fromthefactthattheyburnextremelyhot.Theseareusually500&800wattquartz

Halogenbulbsthatwilldeliverasolid,continuouslightsource.Thisisthereasonthatthis

lightingsourceissoverypopularamongphotographers.Itgenerallyrequiresfarlessto

achieveaverypolishedlook,providingthatyouareworkingwithscenesthatrequirea

consistentlightsource,likestilllifeandvideo.Shouldyoudesiretobesuccessfulwith

thisformoflighting,youneedtohaveaveryhighISOandthenhaveyourshutterata

veryslowsetting,hencetherestrictionsonsubjecttype.

Anotheradvantageofthecontinuouslightisthatyoucanmeteritasis,andyoucanuse

yourcameratometertogetthecorrectexposure.

*Note:Bothcoolandhotlightshaveanoddcolorthatyouhavetoconsidersinceit

directlyaffectsyouroutputandthecolorofyourexposurewillbetooblue,tooorangeor

yellow.Ensurethatyousetyourwhitebalancetothecorrectsetting,orplantoadjustthat

duringthepostproductionofyourworkflowofyourimages.

Flash

This can be a photographer’s best friend or constant nemesis depending on how you

choosetoutilizeit.Likeanyotherpieceofequipmentyouchoosetouse,itisatooland

nothing more. This can be a decent choice because they are easier to use, can allow

picturestobesetupfasterandremoveallthelimitationsonemayencounterwithhotor

coldlightsenablingyoutotakethesortsofphotosyouwouldprefer,ratherthanbeingtied

downtoonestyle.

The first type of flash that you should look at is the hotshoe, sometimes called a

speedlight. This is the piece that attaches to the flashguns on the top of your camera.

While thiscan takeaquick,easypicture,youwill find that90%of the time, the image

isn’tgoingtobewhatyouarelookingfor;it’sjustnotmeanttoworklikethat.

HotshoeFlash(orSpeedlight)MountedonCamera

Infact,thebestwaytousethehotshoeflashistoremoveitfromthecameraentirelyand

set themupasyouneed toon fittedstands.Thiswillgiveyou farmoreportabilityand

manymore options. Then you can add umbrella stands in order to createmore diffuse

effects.Formany,thismakesagoodchoicesincetheyareinexpensive,portable,andcan

beoperatedonbatterieswhenyouareonthego. Makethebatterypowergofurtherby

addingrechargeablebatteriesandachargerthatyoucantakewithyouonlocation.

Some studio photographers find that they have nothing but problems with the hotshoe

flash.Forexample,youhavealimitedrangeofpower;itwillonlydeliveramaximumof

60Joules.Atthesametime,youcan’tlimittheamountofflashpower(higherqualityhot

shoeflashescanbeadjusted)andsince theflashneeds tobe individually triggered,you

mightnotgetquitethepictureyouarelookingfor.Inaddition,someuseaproductcalled

a slave flash,whichwhensetup toother flashunits, triggersa signalwhichcauses the

otherflashunitstofire.Therecanbequitealotofsuccesswiththistypeofsystem,butit

doesrequireaveryprecisesetup.

Becauseofhowproblematic theycanbe,manyprofessionalswilluse thisformofflash

forjournalismphotographsonthego,asit’sthebestpossibleuseforthiscommonlighting

option.

StudioLighting

Mostnewphotographersoftenwonderifallstudiolightingwillworkfortheminthesame

way.Theeasiestresponseisyes,eachpieceofequipmentwilldowhatitwasdesignedto

dowiththeadjustmentsthatarenaturaltoitsfunction.However,thedifferenttypeshave

differentwaystheyaregoingtobeused.Thisincludesthefollowinglightingtypes:

MainPowerSelfContained

MainPowerSeparates

BatteryPowered

MonoLight

The cheapest is the monolights or main powered separates. Sometimes called Pack &

Headlights,thisisabattery-poweredsolutionthatwillhaveapackthatrestsonthefloor.

From it,youcanput asmany flashheads into thedeviceasneeded todeliver the right

imagequalityforyourproject.

Let’sgooverwhat these termsmean,both typescanbesearched forat amazon.comor

othersuppliersaswell:

MainPower/SelfContained

Main poweredmonolights are themost popularwith people just starting out, probably

becausethey’remuchlessexpensivethantheotherchoices.Thesewillcontainallofthe

“works” within the flash head itself. Just plug it in, and off you go! The new

photographercoulddo farworse than toget severalof thesewhen theyare startingout

sincetheyaresoversatile.

MainPoweredSeparates

Main powered separates also called Pack & Head lights have several advantages over

monolights,nottheleastofthesebeingthattheyarefarmorepowerful,howeverarealso

moreexpensive.Allofthecontrolsaresetonthepackitself,whichisalwaysmucheasier

andmoreconvenientthanwhentheyareonthehead,andwilloffermorechoicesforset

up.

BatteryPoweredPack&Head

Battery powered pack & head lights are useful because they can be used for location

shootswhere there isnopoweravailable, includingoutdoorusewherehighpower (not

availablefromhotshoeflashes)isneededtooverwhelmthedaylightandcreatedifferent

effects. Ifcoupledwithrechargeablebatteries, then theybecomeawonderful“Packand

go”solution.

LookingatPackagesforBeginners

Youmightberelievedtofindoutthattherearepackagesonthemarketwhichareidealfor

beginningphotographers.Youwouldjustneedtodoyourresearchsothatyoucanfinda

package ideal for beginning photographers setting up a studio. Some of my favorite

suppliersareamazon.com,http://www.bhphotovideo.com/andhttp://www.adorama.com/

althoughtherearemanyexcellentsuppliersoutthere.Ilistthethreeheresimplybecause

Ihavepersonallypurchasedfromthemwithgoodresults.

Youdon’thavetogetdiscouragedwhenyouseetheexpensivelightingpackagesouton

themarket,fortherearesomereallygreatonesavailableforreasonableprices.

UnderstandingHardLightandSoftLight

When you are looking into setting up your photography studio in your home, it is

important tounderstand theconceptof lighting,andwith thatcomesknowledgeofhard

lightandsoftlight,andthedifferencebetweenthetwo.

Hardlightcreatesshadowsandtransitionsfromlighttodarkandisverystark.Basically,

itislightinitstruestformwithoutanyformofdiffusion.Hardlightisidealfortextures

sinceitcastshardshadowsandhighcontrast.Hardlightwouldusuallycomefromasmall

source if youwill be comparing it to the subject. Bright, mid-day sunlight typically

createshardlight,theshadowsbeingverystronglydefinedwithhardlines.

On the other hand, soft light comes from a larger source than the subject and ismore

complimentarytopeople.Theeffectofsoftlightisachievedbecausesoftlightwrapslight

aroundthesubjectwhichfillsshadowsandlowerscontrast.Innaturaldaylight,acloudy

daycastssoftshadows(ifatall)withsoft,blurredlinesifshadowsarethere.

Workinginyourownhomestudiowouldmeanthatyoushouldunderstandhowhardlight

andsoftlightworks.Nowwhetherlightthatisfallingonasubjectorobjectthatyouare

photographingishardorsoft,woulddependonthesizeofthelightsourceandofcourse

your subject. A large source of light will wrap light around a small subject filling the

shadowsandloweringthecontrastwhileasmallsourceoflightwilldirectlightonalarge

subject(orobject)andcreatehardshadowsandhighcontrast.Byunderstandinghowsoft

and hard light work, you should be able to manipulate your light source in order to

complimentyoursubjectandgetthedesiredeffectyouareaimingfor.

Nowtherearetwowaystosoftenlightindoors.Thefirstismovingthelightsourcecloser

toyoursubject(rememberthefirstrulehowever, this lightneedstobebiggerthanyour

subject), and the second is using reflectors and diffusers. These are other photography

lightingequipmentyoumightwanttoconsiderpurchasingorinvestingin.Whenshooting

subjects,asofterlightgivesthemamorecomplimentaryandnaturalglow,andthiscanbe

achievedthroughlightmodifiers.

Hereisanexampleofonetypeoflightdiffuser/reflectorpanel,buttherearemanytypes

available,someofwhicharetobesetonyourspeedlightflashunits.

Inordertogetaharderlight,youwouldthenhavetomovethesourceoflightfartherfrom

thesubject,andinsteadofusingreflectorsanddiffusers,youwouldneedtouseabare

bulborabarebulbflash.Tounderstandthisbetter,pictureabulbthatismountedina

reflector.Itisactuallythelargerreflectorthatbecomesthelightsource.Thishappens

becauseabarebulbactuallyhasnoreflector,sothelightisthenmuchsmaller.Becauseit

ismoreofapointsourceitthencastsaharderlightonthesubject.Itlacksareflectorto

focuslightsincetherangeisshorterthanotherkindsoflight.

ManipulatingLight

Lightcomingfromyourequipmentmayseemhardorfallinplaceswhereyoudon’twant

it.Luckyforus,wehavewaystocontrollightormakeitworkthewaywewantitto.

Thisabilityalsoallowsaphotographertoplaywithdifferentsettingsandeffectsformore

creativeshots.

Light Modifiers - Nifty tools to use with light, they are often attached to lighting

equipmentorona lightstand tomake the lightmanageable. Theycanbepurchased in

your local photography store. Each of the light modifiers are used for a purpose but

mainly these are used for supporting your lighting equipment and complimenting your

photography.Thisisalsowhereitcangetreallyfun.I’llshowimagesinthissectionas

well,togiveanexamplewhattheselightmodifierslooklike,althoughtheremaybeother

versionsoutthereaswell.

1.Softbox-Ideallightmodifierthatsoftenslight,givingyoursubjectasmoothandeven

look. Oftenusedwhenshootingportraits. Thesoftboxhas2diffusers, insideandout.

Thesetwolayersnotonlysoftenthelight,buttheyalsogiveoutaniceevenwrapoflight

towardsthesubject.Itismadeofplastic,whichmakesitlightandeasytobringanywhere

(ifyouhaveelectricityavailable).Itisalsocollapsible,whichmakesiteasytobringalong

forlocationshoots.Notrecommendedifshootinginwindyconditions.Ifyoursoftbox

isalargeone,itmaybemoredifficulttotransportthanthesmallerones.

Thissoftboxisaverypopularchoiceforusingcontinuouslightinginastudiosetup.

2.Umbrella/Brolly-Itmaylooklikethesamethingthatweusetoprotectourselvesfrom

rain,butthesearemainlyusedtosoftenthelight.Theexpanseoffabricdisperseslight,

therebysofteningitseffect.Thereare2typesofumbrellas:

a.Shoot-thruumbrella-lightpassesthroughtheumbrella.

b.Reflectiveumbrella-lightbouncesoffoftheumbrella,thesemightbewhite,

gold or silver. Sometimes black is used as well to strategically block light in

certainareas.

Umbrellascastanicesoftlight;however,lightoftenfallsthroughorleaksintounwanted

areas. The best way to work around light falling into unwanted places is to fold the

umbrella to limit the light going through or bouncing off it.Alternatively, you can add

boards, or black fabric draped to block the light from going to unwanted places.

Umbrellas are a common lightmodifier because they are easy to navigate and to shoot

with.

3.Snoot - another attachable equipmentwhere it limits your light to cast a spot light.

Oftenusedforbackgroundlight,orcreativelyinportraiture.Sometimesitispointedata

person’shairtolightitupandmakeitshine.

4.Beautydish-ItactuallylookslikeaUFObutitisalsoalightmodifierwhereinitacts

like a softbox, butwith the dish there is one layer to bounce the light from the source

towards thedish. It is alsoheavier compared to a softboxor anumbrella, and is often

used for fashion photography. Beauty dishes are also known for the dramatic round

catchlightsinthesubject’seyesthattheyproduce.Thebeautydishisamodifierthatdoes

notreflectlightbutratherdirectsandthusgivesthemoredramaticeffectitisknownfor.

Abeautydishisofcourseshapedlikeadishandthelightcomesfromthebottomcenterof

the dish.When the light is on the dish, it funnels it directly on the subject with little

diffusionandahighfalloffrate,thismaycreatealightthatisdifficulttomasterbutonce

youmasterit,itisdefinitelyworthitsinceyouwillhavegreatphotos.

Inordertocontroltheharshnessofthelightfromthebeautydishyoucanaddmodifiers

ontopofthebeautydish.Mostbeautydishescomewithacoverforthetubesoyoucan

useittoimprovethelightfalloff,andisoftenfittedwithagridinordertoprovideadded

lightdiffusion.

5.Ringflash–Aringflashisanotherlightmodifierthatdirectlyattachestoaflashmount

on thecamera(around the lens)orcanbeattached toahotshoe. Itactsasa flash.Ring

flashwas originally used formacro photography, but it is used in fashion and portrait

photographyasitgivesaflatteringsoftlightandahighfashionlook.

Itmayseemliketheflashcamefromthecameraflash,butitgoesbeyondtheboundsofa

typicalflash,sinceitcoversbelowortheundersideofthecamera.Someringflashesneed

thecameraflash,andsomearemadewiththeirownflashunitsandcanworkwithother

strobesorflashunits.

OtherModifiers:

Grid - this equipment can be attached to softboxes and beauty dishes only, it

limits/restricts thelightpassingthruit, toprevent lightfallinginunwantedplacesinthe

frameofthephoto.

Barndoors-areoftenattachedtohot lights,verymuchlikethegridbut ithas4doors

whereinitpreventsthelightfromfallingintounwantedplacesandoffersagooddealof

creativitytoitsuse.

Board reflectors – are common types of light modifiers. They are a flat surface

constructedtoreflectorlightthephotographer’ssubject.Simpletouse,theyoffergreat

effectswhenusedinsideoroutsideofthestudio.

Theycomeindifferentshapes,sizes,andcolorsandofcourseeachtypeofboardreflector

willhaveadifferenteffectonyourimage.Thereareboard

reflectorsthatcomeinsilver,goldandwhite.Whenyouarechoosingwhattypeofboard

reflector touse (orpurchase),youneed to remember thatawarm toned reflector (gold)

will give your photo awarmer effect, a silver reflectorwill bounce cool light on your

subject.Thewhiteonestypicallysoftenandfilterlightcomingthroughtothesubject,for

instance,inbrightsunlight,orifanareaofastudiolightistoobright.Conversely, there

arealsoblackonesthatcanbeusedtoblocklightfromcertainareasofthesubject.

Other factorsyouneed toconsiderwhenshopping forboard reflectorswouldbe if it is

double sided (if both sides of the reflector are made of the same material) and

collapsibility(howeasyitistofoldandputawaytostore).

Boardreflectorsareusedtobouncelightfromthemainsourcetothesubjectinyour

photographyinspecificareas.Itisalsousedtoreflectlighttoanotherpartofthesubject

togetfilllightingontotheotherside,thisisespeciallyimportantifonesideofthesubject

istoodark,andifyouwanttolightuptheeyearea,orunderthechinwheresometimes

shadowsgettoodark.

Sometimestheyareheldbyalightingstand,orsometimesanassistantwillholdthemin

thepositionthephotographerwants.

UsingOffCameraFlash

Mostpeoplewhoworkinaphotostudioandusestrobeorflashastheirlightingsource,

typicallydonotusethecamera’sflash,duetoitsharshandunflatteringeffect.Incamera

flashhasitslimitsofhowmuchcontrolthephotographerhasthroughflashexposure

compensation,and(moreoftenthannot)cannottriggerotherflash/strobeunits.

Sohowdoesaphotographersignaltheflashtofirewhenclickingtheshutterbuttononthe

camera?Answer:Wirelesstrigger.

Anelectronicdevicethatcanbeattachedtothecamera’shotshoe,signalstheradio

receivertofireflashunitsattachedtothem,allowingthephotographerfreedomtomove

aroundandtheflashunitsaswell(ifdesired).

Wirelesstriggerscomesindifferentshapes,sizes,andcosts.Youcanfindthematyour

preferredphotographyequipmentsupplier.

Theonlydownsidetowirelesstriggersisthattheyarepronetointerference,sincethey

utilizeradiosignals.Youmayhavetotoggleyourtriggertogetthebestchannelwithout

anyinterferenceduringimportantshoots.

ControllingLight

Nowthatwehavediscussedlightmodifiersabove,it’stimetodiscusshowtocontrolthe

lights. Lightmodifiersare toolsofcontrolling light,whereyoucangetsofter flattering

light,oryoucandirect the light to fallon tospecifiedplaceson thesubjectornear the

subject,dependingontheeffectyouaregoingafter.

Shutter speed, aperture and ASA/ISO; each setting affects the exposure of the film or

sensor. Shutter speed dictates the duration of the film or sensor’s exposure to light.

Apertureistheopeningofthelensthatallowshowmuchlightcomesin.ISOorASAis

thesensitivityofthefilmorthedigitalsensortothelight.

Nowwe’llbeaddingafewmorevariablesintotheexposuretriangle. Poweroutputfor

flash/light.Eachtypeoflightingequipmentthatwehaveelaboratedhere,hasaswitchor

togglethatallowsyoutoincreaseordecreasethepoweroutputfromyoursteadylightor

strobe. This iswhere studying themanual of eachpiece of equipmentwill come in to

play,inordertomaximizefullcontrolofyourlightingequipment.

Ifyouhavealimitedwayofcontrollingyourlightingequipment,anotherwaytointensify

or weaken the light on your subject is distance. Moving your light or strobe closer

increasesthelightonyoursubject,movingitfurtherawayfromyoursubjectwilldecrease

thelightfallingonyoursubject.

BackgroundandBackdrops

We should also look into using background and backdrops. Aside from just getting

backgrounds you should also consider a support system on how to support or hold up

thosebackdrops.

Aside from using paper as material for your backdrops you can consider using vinyl

backgrounds that canbe cleanedup after a shoot.Some shoots canget reallydirty and

messy,thushavingtheoptiontobeabletowipeitcleancanbeabigadvantageforyouin

thelongrun.

Youmightalsowanttoconsiderlookingintohookstohangyourbackdropstothewallof

yourhomestudio.

Aside from paper and vinyl you can also consider fabric backgrounds, muslin being a

popularchoice.Therearemanycreativeandbeautifuloptionsoutthere.Whenchoosing

however,keepinmindyoursubject,youdon’twantabackdropthatwillbesobusythatis

distractsfromyoursubject.

PuttingitTogether-SettingyourLights/Flash

Now that all hasbeen said anddone, it’s time to start settingupyour lights and taking

photos!Youmay be overwhelmedwith how to get your photography lights set up, but

therearesomesurprisinglyeasytechniquestotryoutbeforeexperimentingonyourown,

whichwe’llcovershortly.

Keepinmindthatthisprocessisabitoftrialanderror.You’llneedtoexperimentwith

boththedistanceyoursubjectisfromthebackground,aswellasthedistanceofthelights

toyoursubject.Movingeitherthesubject,orthelightscloserorfurtherapartwillchange

thelightingeffects.Anotherfactorthatcanbetested,iswhenusingflashlightingtotry

differentpowersettings(suchas25,50,75or100%power)toseehowthateffectsyour

results.

You’llalsowanttogainexperiencewithyourcameraandthesettingsaswell,aswhatyou

choosewillimpactyourimages.Aroughstartingpointtotryisonmanualmode,setting

theISOto100,theshutterspeedto1/125thofasecond,andapertureatF11.

You’llwant to set up your backdrop, orwhatever you choose to use as a background.

Placeyoursubjectabout3feetinfrontofyourbackground.Afteryou’vetakenasample

or two pictures, if you find you are getting unwanted shadows of the subject on the

background, trymovingyour subject even furtheraway from thebackground,until that

shadowdisappears.

TheRembrandt

Whatyouwillneed:

OneFlashHead/continuouslight

OneReflector

TwoLightStands

RembrandtLighting

TheRembrandt isexcellent forartsyshotswithdepth, it tends tohaveamoredramatic

effect.Thefamousartistusedthistypeoflightingformanyofhispaintings.Themain

characteristicofthislightingsetupisaninverted,smalltriangleoflightontheperson’s

cheek that is on the opposite side of the light source. This triangular shadow created

shouldnotbewiderthantheeye,norlongerthanthenose.

Trytoget‘catchlights’(thatisareflectioninyoursubject’seyesofthelightsource),so

the eyes look alive. This lighting is flattering for peoplewith round faces because its

slimmingandaddsdimension.Atthesametime,it’snotagoodchoiceforsomeonewith

anarrow,angularfaceshape.

ThebasicsetupforRembrandtlightingistoplaceyourmainlightsource45degreesfrom

thesubjectandslightlyhigher thaneye level. Youwant tobe lighting thesideofyour

subject’s face that is furthest away from the camera. Place a reflector (sometimes a

smallerfilllightisusedinstead,at50%powerofthemainlight),45degreesfromtheside

ofthefacethatisinshadow.Thislightsareasofhardlightforasoftereffect.

HereisaportraitdoneofRembrandtlighting.

Clamshellsetup(onelight)

Whatyouwillneed:

Oneflashhead/continuouslight

Onereflector

Onesoftbox

Onelightstand

OneLightClamshellSetUp

SimilarwiththeRembrandtsetup,butthistimeyourkeylightwillbeplacedinfrontand

aboveyoursubject.Tiltthesoftboxtofaceyoursubjectandpositionitabout4-6feetfrom

yoursubject.Thiswillbe lightingupyour subject from the topofhisheadandwillbe

casting strong shadows under the nose, lips, and chin. Tominimize the hard shadow,

placethereflectorbelowtheface.

Clamshell1Portrait

TheClamshell(2lights/strobe)

Fromaonelightsetup,wewillnowmoveontoatwolightsetup.

Whatyouwillneed:

Twosoftboxes&stands(onelargerthantheother)

Clamshell2LightSetUp

TheClamshelllightingtechniqueisusedtocaptureeverydetailinyoursubjectusingeven

light.

TheClamshell lighting technique is sometimesused forglamour imagesdue to flatand

evenlightingitprovides.

Placealargesoftboxlighttothefrontofyoursubjectandsomewhathigherinheight.The

secondsoftboxlightshouldbesmallerandplacedunderneaththefirstsoftbox.Consider

thisoneyourfilllightanditshouldbetiltedslightlyupwards.Thegoalistolightupthe

shadowsthetoplightwillproduce,inordertogiveveryevenlighting.

Thetrickypartofthissetupisgettingyourlightsinproperproportiontoeachother.The

smaller fill light should be on at considerably less power output than the main light.

Experimentstartingatabout1/4thelightpowerasthelargesoftbox,thenadjustingfrom

there until you get the effect you are looking for. You will also need to try different

optionsconcerninghowclosethelightsaretoyoursubject.

Clamshell2Portrait

RimLighting

TheRimLightingtechnique(sometimesalsocalledProfilelighting,Backlighting,Edge,

orclassic3pointlighting)isusedtocreateanexcitingstylewithgooddefinitionofthe

sidesofyoursubject.Thislightingtechniqueseparatesyoursubjectfromthe

backgroundwhilegivingthesilhouetteagleaminglight.

Whatyouwillneed:

2Flashheadsorcontinuouslights

1Backgroundlight

1Reflector

1HairlightorSnoot

RimLighting

You’ll first want to set up your back light. It shines behind your subject toward the

camera. Mostoften there’sa90degreerangewhere this lightcanbeset,dependingon

where in thesilhouetteyouwant the lightededge toappear. You’llmost likelyneed to

adjust this, until youget it right for the effect you are going for. Keep inmindheight

whensettingthislight,manytimesthislightshouldbesetslightlyhigherthantherest.

Lensflarecouldbeanissuewiththismethod,sousingalenshoodorashieldisaneasy

fix.Yoursubjectshouldblockthislightwiththeirbody.

Nextyouwillsetupyourkeylight.Essentially,thisisyourmainlightandshouldhave

themostintenselightofallofthem.Itissetupusuallytotherightofthecameraata45

degreeangle.

Whenthemainkeylighthasbeensetup,thenaddasmallerfilllightontheoppositeside

of thesubject. Thepurposeof this light is toslightlyaddsoft light to thedeepshadow

areas.

Optionalifneeded,isareflectorbehindthesubjectacrossfromthemainkeylightifthat

areaneedsabitofaboost.

Ifyouwanttouseaseparatehairlight,orsnoot;nowisthetimetosetitupbehindyour

subjecttolighttheirhair.Playwiththeheightonthis.

Acoupleofthingstokeepinmind,ifyoursubjectisbald,youwillwantthebacklightto

be lower inheight. Watchtoseehowmuchedgelightingyouaregetting,whether it is

justasidegleam,orafullblownbodyhalo.Adjustthebacklightineitherintensity(ifit

isadjustable),ordistanceinrelationtoyoursubjecttogetthedesiredlook.

RimLightingPortrait

ParamountorButterflyLighting

Whatyou’llneed:

Background

Backgroundlight

Keylight

Filllight

Hairlightorsnoot

Reflector

ParamountorButterflyLightingSetUp

Paramount lighting is sometimes also called butterfly, or glamour lighting. It is

considered mostly a feminine lighting pattern. It creates a butterfly type shadow

underneath themodel’snoseandemphasizesgoodskinandhighcheekbones. It should

notbeusedforpeoplewithdeepseteyesasitwillnotbeflatteringinthosecases.

One you have setup your background, you’ll need to shine a light towards the

background. This is placed low. This will help create a separation between the

backgroundandyoursubject.

Seatorallowyoursubjecttostand,atleast3feetawayfromthebackground.Youmay

needtoadjustthisdistancelater.

Thekey light is set upnext. It is placeddirectly in front of your subject’s face and is

placedhighandfairlyclosetothesubject.

Thefilllightisthenputinplace.Itisplaceddirectlyunderthekeylight(atlesspower

output),pointingatthesubject’sface.

Areflectorwillneedtobeusedoppositeoftheselights,andclosetoyoursubject,sothe

bouncedlightcanlightenandfilldeepshadowsthatareproducedontheshadedcheekand

neckareas.

Placethehairlightinanoppositepositionasthekeylight. Itshouldonlylightthehair

andnotspillontoyoursubject’sfacialarea.

Aswithallthesetups,testandre-adjusttogetthelightingjustright.

ParamountLightingPortrait

LoopLighting

Whatyou’llneed:

Backgroundandbackgroundlight

KeyLight

FillLight

HairLight

:

LoopLightingSetUp

Thelightingtechniqueknownaslooplighting,isasmallvariationoftheparamountset

up.Itiswidelyused,duetoitsbeingflatteringforpeoplewithovalshaped,oraverage

faces.

Firstsetupyourbackgroundandpointalighttoyourbackground,setlow.

Yoursubjectshouldbeplacedatleast3feetawayfromyourbackground.Thisdistance

mightneedtobeadjustedlater.

Setyourkey(main)lightslightlylowerandmoretoonesideofyoursubjectthanthatof

theparamount.Theshadowproducedunderthenoselooksmorelikeasmallloopthana

butterfly,ontheshadowsideofthesubject’sface.

Nextplaceyourfill light(lowerpoweroutput),ontheoppositesideof thecamerafrom

thekeylight.Ensurethatthisfilllightisnotcastingitsownshadow,astheoveralleffect

shouldstillhavethecharacteristicsofaone-lightportrait.Theplacetocheckthisisinthe

camera.Thefilllightshouldonlybesofteningandlightingupthedarkestshadowareas.

Placethehairlightintheoppositepositionasthekeylight.Itshouldonlylightthehair

andnotspillontoyoursubject’sfacialarea.

Test, test and re-test. You may need to adjust distance of light to subject, subject to

background,andheightoflighttogetthedesiredeffect.

Alllightingsetupsareacreativeprocess,sodon’tbeafraidtomakeadjustmentsandtry

new things. It all boils down to the visual appearance that is pleasing to you as a

photographer,andthatofthepersonyouarephotographing.

Looplightingportrait

TakingCareofYourEquipment

Anyone setting up their own home photography studio knows the cost investment that

goesintopurchasingallthestudioequipment.Thatiswhyitisimperativetotakeproper

careofthatequipmenttoensurekeepingitinpristineworkingcondition.

Keepinmindthatshootinginthestudiocanmeanworkingforlonghoursandattheend

of theday, youmaybe tempted to just leaveyour photography and lighting equipment

lyingaround.Nomatterhowstrongthetemptationis,makesurethatyoutaketheextra

timetopackupyourphotographyequipmentafterusingit. Ifit isdusty,wipeitdown

beforepackingaway,keepitcleanwithadry,softcloth.

Youneedtomakesuretokeepallofyourequipmentinacleananddryenvironment,as

thishelpsimprovetheconditionandlengthenthelifespanofyourphotographyequipment

youworkedhardtoown.Inthelongrun,youareprotecting,andmakingthemostofthe

investmentthatyoumade.

Ifyouarephotographingchildrenoranimals(oranyone),doeverythingyoucantokeep

themfromtrippingovercordsorknockingequipmentdown.Enlisttheaidofparentsor

otheradultsresponsible,tohelpkeepthingscalm,enforceanorunningruleandanyother

suggestionstokeepboththemandyourequipmentsafe.

ThingstoRemember

Now that you’ve read about how to setup your own photography studio at home, you

mightaswellstartgettingyoursdoneright?Justremembernottogetfrustratedalongthe

way,especiallywhenyouareworkingonafixedbudgetforyourstudio.Thereisavery

reallearningcurvetothisanditdoestakepracticetomaster.

A home photography studio would rely greatly on lights and lighting equipment,

remembertomastereachlightingequipmentbeforegivingupduetolackofexperience.

Keepontryingoutdifferenttechniquestoensurethatyoumakethemostofeachpieceof

lightingequipmentthatyouhave,havefunandexperimentalso,tofindnewandcreative

effects.

Youshouldalsolookintothegrowthanddevelopmentofyourhomestudio;onlythenwill

youbeable togrowasaphotographeraswell.Theworldofphotography is constantly

changingandinordertoremainrelevant,youhavetokeepupwiththechangingtimes.

Settingupyourownhomestudiodoesnothappeninaninstant;workhardandmakesure

thatyoukeepyourpassiontolearnandgrowinyourphotographyskills,andprettysoon

you’llbecreatingbeautifulphotographsinyourveryownstudio!

ByAmberRichards

Ifyouenjoyedthisbookorreceivedvaluefromitinanyway,wouldyoubekindenough

toleaveareviewforthisbookonAmazon?Iwouldbesograteful.Thankyou!