Every photographer needs some photography lighting equipment to improve the result of the photo. Lighting is the most important component of photography where it can give some ambiance, more lights in the darkroom, etc. You can’t just depend on editing tools to make your photo look better because trust us, photography lighting is way better and makes your photo look natural. You can use the photo editing tool for some minor editing.
Through this article, we prepare a list of photography lighting equipment you can use. All of this lighting equipment is fundamental and you may already know some of it.
What Types of Lighting Should I Know?
To be able to choose the right photographic lighting tool, you must first understand the types of lighting that are commonly used in the world of photography. Here are some types of lighting that you should understand.
1. Strobes
Strobe, or commonly called monobloc or monolight is a lighting tool that you will often find in the world of photography.
This tool usually has a cable as to get its power supply. However, with the development of technology, you can also find strobes that use batteries as a power source.
The intensity of the light will of course largely depend on the quality, and in many cases, the price of the strobe you choose; A cheap strobe will certainly produce light that looks cheap, more or less like a flashlight, and a top quality strobe is one of the best lighting tools in the business.
Therefore, a strobe is one type of studio lighting that professional photographers often use.
2. Continuous Lighting
Continuous light has more or less the same role as a strobe. The difference is, this lighting tool does not give a flash; This one tool provides continuous lighting.
Although commonly associated with shooting video, continuous light still has a role to play in photography.
Continuous lighting products are still being flooded with LED lights and some of them are still perfect for shooting stills.
Continuous lighting products are also often referred to as hotlights. This is because this one tool tends to be hot during use. Ensure the safety of equipment around this one, especially the bulb, as the heat from this studio lighting device can cause a fire.
Also Read: 7 Perfect Product Photography Lighting Setups
3. Flashgun
This one tool may look very different from other studio lights. The size is not too big and this light source is placed on top of your camera.
Although its size makes this tool quite flexible, this is also a drawback. The light that can be produced will be very limited in size and power output.
However, a flashgun will still be very helpful for photographers who need a reliable light source at a cost that is relatively much cheaper than other types.
Read also: Tips for Product Photography Lighting
What are the functions of light in photography?
Now that you understand some of the common types of lighting used in photography, it’s time to understand the role each type of light can play.
Understanding these light functions can help you determine how many lighting kits you need and where you should place the light sources.
Here are some functions of light in photography that you should know.
1. Key Light
As the name implies, this one lighting function is the ‘key’ of your light composition. The light you use as the key light will determine the overall glow effect. Generally, the light that is used as the key light will have the highest level of brightness.
2. Fill Light
Fill light is a light source that serves to reduce the shadow effect produced by the key light which leads to a reduction in contrast in your light composition.
3. Rim Light/Backlight
As the name implies, this one lighting function is to illuminate the subject of the photo from behind. The goal is to separate the subject from the background. To achieve this, rim light is generally used to minimize light appearing from the sides of the subject of the photo.
4. Background Lights
This lighting function is more or less similar to a rim light. However, not all studio lighting uses it. However, if you want to better separate the subject of the photo from the background, then you can take advantage of this lighting function.
5. Hair Light
The function of this light is to highlight the hair of your subject. This function will certainly be very useful for fashion photography or as a modeling lights.
You can also use this light if you feel that the head of your subject seems to blend with the background.
Also Read: Change Hair Color in Picture
6. Ambient Light
Ambient light is light that does not come from the lighting kit you are using. This light comes from lamps in the room, which are not related to lighting equipment, sunlight entering from windows, or light entering from small holes in walls or doors.
What Lighting Modifiers Do I Need?
A modifier is a photography lighting kit that sits between the light source and the subject of the photo. Its function is to modify or change the intensity and quality of the light emitted by photography lighting equipment.
Here are some commonly used modifiers.
1. Umbrellas
Umbrellas are probably one of the studio equipment that people often encounter. As the name suggests, this lighting kit is shaped like an umbrella.
This one tool generally has a white or silver color with a black outside to muffle light from the outside.
To use it, you simply shoot a light at the inside of the umbrella to reflect the light. After that, you’ll have a bigger, softer light source.
2. Softboxes
Softboxes are lighting tools that you will often encounter in a studio environment. This one tool has many variations of shape and size.
This one tool has more or less the same role as an umbrella. The difference is, softboxes are known to be easier to navigate and can also be combined with other tools, such as grids.
This flexible nature makes softboxes a favorite modifier for many photographers.
3. Portable Reflectors
This one tool has multifunctional properties; You can use it in a studio environment as well as an outdoor environment.
Using a reflector is one of the most common ways to have a fill light without an additional light source.
Portable reflectors also come in many variants in terms of shapes and sizes.
Read also: 6 Photographic Reflectors Tips
What Kind of Studio Accessories Do I Need?
Apart from lighting equipment, you will also need other studio equipment that can help your work better.
Here are some studio tools that can help with your work.
1. Light Stand
The light holder serves to hold the light source of your choice. When choosing a light stand, make sure that the stand of your choice can withstand a heavy load.
This is very important if you want to use a strobe. Strobes that require a lot of energy are generally large and very heavy.
2. Dolly
Dolly is similar to a light stand. The difference is, the dolly has wheels that will make it easier for you to adjust the lighting in the studio.
3. Boom Arm
The boom arm is a light mount that has unlimited angles; You can place it horizontally or vertically.
This equipment allow you to place studio lighting sources in hard-to-reach places.
4. Backdrop
A backdrop can be used if you want to focus on your object or subject with a blank background. For example, if you want to take someone’s portrait for their visa, you can use this backdrop. Or else, if you want to add another background with an editing tool, you can use a green backdrop that is usually used by streamers.
Read also: 7 DIY Photo Backdrops Ideas
That’s the explanation of the photography lighting equipment that you need. Lighting is a vital part of photography. Therefore, lighting tools are vital tools in doing photography. You have to understand the functions and types of existing photography lighting equipment to be able to produce images in the studio properly.
If you need help with editing or retouching your photo, Dropicts can help with anything you need. We can provide you with professional photo editing services that can satisfy all your photo editing needs. Find us and tell us what you need!
