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Studio Photography
Whatever lighting system you get, make sure that it is reasonably popular. Otherwise, you won't be able
to get any accessories to fit. You need to be able to control whether the light is hard or soft. Hard light is
generated by a small and/or far-away light and results in strong shadows. Examples of hard lights are the
sun (not small but quite far away) and bare bulbs. Soft light is generated by a large diffuse light and
results in shadow-free images because there are many paths from the light source to the object.
Examples of soft light are an overcast sky, a north-facing window close to the subject, a bulb reflected
off an umbrella placed close to the subject.
Another dimension to control is diffuse/specular. A diffuse source contains light on many different
angles whereas specular light is organized in parallel rays. Specular light doesn't bounce around the
studio filling in shadows and lowering contrast, spilling onto the background, etc.
Old-time photographers relied on silver umbrellas to get a somewhat softer light source. With white
translucent umbrellas, you can use them like a silver umbrella and bounce off them (losing about 1/2 the
light, which will go through and away from your subject) or shoot through them, which results in
slightly harder light with the same 1-stop loss. However you use an umbrella, you'll generally get a
diffuse light source.
The modern religion is the softbox, a reflector-lined cavity covered with a white diffusion fabric. The
best of these, e.g., the PhotoFlex MultiDome, allow you to remove the front fabric to get a "sort of hard"
light, to place or remove an interior baffle to get a "slightly less soft" light, and to warm up the color of
the light with a gold reflector. Because softboxes surround the light head, you lose much less light than
you would using white umbrellas. Note: the M&M's image at the top of this page was done with a
softbox.
Some photographers put a big grid over the softbox to create a large specular source. Louvers create the
same effect but only on one axis. An inexpensive honeycomb grid will turn a strobe head into a specular
light source, albeit not a very large one. Photographers who use these tend to use many, "painting a
scene" precisely with pools of light. Strobe head grids are $50-75 each or sold in sets with different light
angles for about $200.
Snoots sit over a light head and turn it into a very small light source. These are usually used for hair
lights. You can stick a small honeycomb grid over the snoot to tighten up the cone of light thrown by the
snoot and also make the light more specular.
Barn Doors are black metal flaps that sit around a strobe head and keep the light from going where you
don't want it to go. This is Hollywood technology from the 1920's. If you really want to control the angle
of the light cone thrown by your head, you should probably get a zoom head or a bunch of grids.
Reflectors are really too general purpose to be called "studio equipment" but they are essential studio
items and, if cleverly used, can eliminate the need for additional strobe heads. A favorite of mine is the
PhotoFlex Litepanel, which is a huge sheet of gold/silver reflector, white diffusion fabric, or black light
http://www.photo.net/studio/primer (6 of 17)7/3/2005 2:18:01 AM