What kind of lighting do I want?
In studio photography, the three most common types of light are strobe (flash), continuous (LED or tungsten), and natural (windowlight). Studio 701 offers all three, and each has pros and cons. Here’s a basic explanation of why you would or would not want to consider each.
Amaya at the studio, using strobe lighting.
Strobe: you get full control over how the light falls on your subject. Even at the lowest power, it’s easy for the flash to overpower the ambient light indoors, and those other lights will not bother your photos. The light and shadow that appears is what you put there. However, the drawback to such a powerful light is that you will be shooting at smaller apertures, and miss out on a lot of the subject separation from foreground and background that you might get from a larger aperture. This isn’t always a bad thing though, with the normal f-stop settings used in a studio even a cheap starter lens will be reasonably sharp. Another thing is that you can’t see how the lighting will fall until you make the photo and then review it. Experience will help you to preconceive the look, and a light meter can verify that your exposures will be in range, but you’re still shooting blind without some aid. But once you get the hang of it you’ll appreciate the level of control you get. Studio strobes are designed to attach “modifiers” such as softboxes that help to soften the light and help achieve smooth shadows. Strobe isn’t the most popular lighting method for professional studio use for nothing!
Sarah, at the studio with continuous lighting
Continuous: you get limited control over how the light falls on your subject, and you get to see it with your eyes. LEDs are now the most common lighting method for those on a budget or those who need specific effects. RGB LEDs (color changing) offer selectable colors, and white LEDs offer more power. These LEDs are available in inexpensive tiny cubes, large panels with barn doors, tubes that can appear in the scene as rods of light, and even in the same style of body as the strobes, using the same modifiers. The downside is that they are rarely more powerful than ambient lights in a room, and nearly useless in sunlight. But they offer a lot of creative options for use at night.
Sam, at another location using window light
Natural: almost no control over how the light falls on your subject, and you have to rely on the weather and rotation of the earth to get the good light, but window light has the potential to be much better for striking portraits than either other option. With this option in a studio, you’re limited to the space near the windows, and you may not have a lot of room to work. The light is constantly moving, and clouds may get in the way and change exposure without you even noticing. You’ll need to turn off the lights indoors to make the most of the window. But being indoors helps make the light coming through be more directional and apply those soft shadows and strong contrast. It’s a good idea to study your intended location on an earlier day at around the same time, so that you can preview what the light could be like. But any time you plan to use natural light indoors, it’s a good idea to make an alternate plan in case the sky doesn’t cooperate.
