One of the desires that almost all photographers who begin to take their first steps in this art have is to set up their own photographic studio. Having ample space for art to flow sounds almost idyllic, doesn’t it? This wonderful dream can be much closer to reality than you imagine. Have you heard about the Strobist philosophy? Did you know that the material to light your own studio is much more accessible than you imagine?
You don’t have to wait until you’re a professional earning thousands of euros to set up your own photo studio, since the material needed to illuminate it is much more accessible than you imagine. As the well-known saying goes: “Don’t leave for tomorrow that photo studio that you can put together today.” And don’t leave until tomorrow to read this mega guide to know all the aspects related to lighting in photography, because what you find in this mega guide will be very useful to master the light in your images.
The Strobist Philosophy
Back in 2006, a photojournalist named David Hobby started, perhaps unwittingly, a revolution in terms of lighting in photography.
From his blog, called Strobist, he began to explain to all the amateur photographers the different lighting techniques with which he managed to make each of his photographs that he later sold to the newspapers, but emphasizing, instead of the equipment, in practical knowledge. Thus, with just a few flashes and diffusers, he has managed to bring the amateur photographer closer to professional photography.
Strobist stopped being just a blog to learn how to light, it became almost a whole philosophy.
While the equipment you need to light up your photo studio is important, what matters most is how you use your ingenuity and knowledge to turn the pictures you have in mind into reality. That’s where the Strobist philosophy comes to life.
The fact that the equipment and materials necessary to set up a top-quality photographic studio are very expensive and at the same time huge and heavy, does not mean that you cannot achieve enviable quality using equipment with somewhat more modest features. That is what I am going to show you today.
Light sources to illuminate your photo studio
Next, I have prepared a brief list of the different light sources that you can use and the various photographic accessories that will help you mold it to your liking.
continuous light
Continuous light is any source of light that “shines at all times.” This type of equipment, such as a fluorescent lamp, a tungsten lamp, an LED reflector, a Lume Cube or a halogen spotlight, etc. It will allow your subject to be constantly illuminated regardless of whether you fire your camera or not (unlike the flash that activates when you fire it). This is its main advantage, since, being its continuous light, it allows you to observe in detail how the light falls on your model, the shadows that are formed, etc. In any case, they are large, heavy equipment that generates a lot of heat, and therefore, a lot of energy consumption. Except the Lume Cube 😉
Contrary to what it may seem to you, getting a pair of continuous light bulbs is not expensive at all, at least when you take your first steps. Do a search on Amazon.es and you will find offers like this: Complete studio lighting kit for less than 200 Euros.
external flash
It is the most powerful, compact and versatile light source, since due to its size, it is easy to move and you can shoot it directly on your subjects or bounce it or blur it as you see fit. You can also work with a set of them since, by placing them around the scene and shooting them remotely, you will be able to illuminate it without cables or connection to the electrical network, as with continuous light, although its light may not be as powerful as the latter. .
You do not need to get the most expensive flash of the same brand as the manufacturer of your camera, nor does it have to be new, nor does it have to be the latest model on the market. There are many alternatives, from the “big brands” as well as from other manufacturers with which you can obtain excellent results, although they may not maintain the same functionalities. The YONGNUO YN-560 IV Speedlite Flashis one of those alternatives that are as accessible as they are reliable.
Once you get the hang of it, here’s a guide to external flash and here’s our recommendations for buying a flash.
studio flashes
These are more powerful than external flashes and just as big, heavy and unportable as spotlights and can be with or without a built-in generator depending on the size of the studio. However, their power and versatility make them ideal for light shaping in the studio. All you have to do is place one of the many available accessories in front of it (diffusers, honeycombs, jellies, etc.) so that you can easily achieve the effects you are looking for. They are reliable, durable and very robust lights, so investing in them will not be a bad idea.
These flashes, compared to the previous ones, are somewhat more expensive and you can find them from 200 euros and up to several thousand. In any case, if you search a bit you will find very accessible options. If not look at these: 2 flashes of Neewer 600W for less than 400 euros. Not bad to start with!
modeling light
The flashes have a disadvantage: it will be very difficult for you to judge the final aspect that a photograph will have, when you illuminate it with a flash since it will not illuminate the scene until it is fired. That is why many studio flash heads come with lamps that emit continuous light with the same light effect as that emitted by the flash. In this way, you can work the scene even if the flashes have not fired yet.
In any case, this light is not as powerful or has exactly the same properties as the flash of a flash, but it will be really useful when working in the studio and save hundreds of lost photos.
So far you have seen some of the main ways you can illuminate your photo studio. But this is not all, since not only the generation of light is important, but also its manipulation.
Accessories to light up your photo studio
If you are looking for photographic accessories, of whatever kind, this is the guide you need. Here we are going to focus on very useful accessories when it comes to lighting your first photo studio:
Reflective screens or reflectors
These screens are widely used when modeling light as they will allow you to reflect, intensify or reduce it. Depending on the material with which its surface is made, the light will be reflected in one way or another: it will change its color, its direction, its intensity, etc. There are several types: white to scatter the light, gold to achieve a warmer light, silver for a cooler light, black to absorb it.
They are really cheap: a 5-in-1 set on Amazon can cost you around 15 euros. Here you have one Andoer brand for about 15 euros. You can even make them yourself. How? With this tutorial in which we tell you how to make your own reflectors step by step.
light windows
Ideal for product photography, light windows or “softbox” are an accessory that allow you to soften the light of the flash or light source you are using. By placing it in front of these, they make the light that passes through it more diffuse and natural. You can also direct the light since, having only one translucent side, the light is concentrated there. Depending on the material with which they are made, their size and the distance at which they are placed from the subject, the light will be more or less natural, that is, more or less diffuse.
To achieve natural results working in a studio, a light window will be essential. But do not worry that they are not expensive at all: you can get yours with a few euros. If not look at this light window: Neewer.
umbrellas
Umbrellas or “umbrellas” allow you to bounce the light from your flash onto them so that the “spot of light” is much wider. In this way, the light will reach your subject in a much softer and more natural way. Depending on how close or far you place the flash from the umbrella, the hardness or softness of the light will vary, so it is important that you not only have an umbrella, but also a bracket that allows you to alter that distance.
Like the reflective screens, you will find them in various colors: white, silver, gold or translucent. The white and translucent ones allow to achieve softer lights, while the silver or gold ones concentrate it.
Again, getting one of these will not be expensive at all: you can find a kit of two umbrellas for less than 40 euros on Amazon.
Photometer
The photometer is nothing more than an exposure meter like the one your camera has to measure the light of a scene, but handheld. You will be able to measure the light that falls on a subject or the light that said subject reflects towards the camera with one of these spectacular devices in order to carry out a correct measurement and exposure of all your photographs in the studio.
The exposure meter built into the camera is not always capable of correctly calculating (in fact, it rarely does) the values of “the amount of light” to take a shot, either due to its own shortcomings or, for example, due to working with many flashes, so having a handheld photometer is very useful.
Although they are somewhat more expensive, it will not be impossible for you to get yours. you can find a Sekonic L-308X Flashmate offer for just over 200 euros.
flash spokes
Radios are nothing more than a remote trigger, but instead of being for your camera, they are for triggering a flash. They are placed on the hot shoe of the camera and allow you to shoot one or more flashes in a controlled way, being able to vary their position as you wish. They are very useful for working with flashes in the studio since not all of these have the option of synchronizing them by photo cell and even so, they do not always work as well as they should with said system and also to be able to direct and model the light in all directions. without the limitation of being on your camera.
Yongnuo RF-603 N II N3 Flash Radios They are reliable and very cheap: approximately 40 euros.
diffusers
The diffusers are, they are accessories that you can use to make the hard light of a flash or a spotlight softer or more punctual. There is a wide variety of diffusers on the market that you can use to shape the light of your flash as you please, since each one of them will allow you to achieve a different effect.
For example, on Amazon you can get a complete set of 6 pieces of these Walimex brand diffusers for less than 30 euros. There is nothing…