Studio Lighting Tips

Ok, so I have had a studio in my house for some time now and have done lots of research on lighting.  Although most of my research has been limited to books I have found over the years that there is a lot of very useful information available on the web.  For this posting I am going to limit myself to sharing useful videos that I have discovered on YouTube.  Future postings will be focused on several goods books that I have discovered.


Warning - Most of the videos listed below are produced by the same person and although the tips are great he sometimes (always) ends the video with a corny saying....I let you discover what that might be.  Enjoy :-)

1. Studio lighting for white backgrounds
2. Light Tec - Understanding Light Modifiers part 1
3. Light Tec - Understanding Light Modifiers part 2
4. Light Tec - Strip Lighting
5. Light Tec - High Key Photo Lighting
6. Light Tec - Shooting with a Ring Flash
7. John Ricard - Lighting technique with artistic curves
8. Beautiful Photo Studio Portraits w/ One Light

I recently used the tip on using Strip Lighting to generate the following images.

Setup for both of the shots was as follows:

• 9" x 36" Strip box mounted on 400W AlienBee strobe, set at 45 degrees in front of model
• Hair light positioned above and behind subject, set at 45 degrees to model
Ok, so I have had a studio in my house for some time now and have done lots of research on lighting.  Although most of my research has been limited to books I have found over the years that there is a lot of very useful information available on the web.  For this posting I am going to limit myself to sharing useful videos that I have discovered on YouTube.  Future postings will be focused on several goods books that I have discovered.

Warning - Most of the videos listed below are produced by the same person and although the tips are great he sometimes (always) ends the video with a corny saying....I let you discover what that might be.  Enjoy :-)


1. Studio lighting for white backgrounds
2. Light Tec - Understanding Light Modifiers part 1
3. Light Tec - Understanding Light Modifiers part 2
4. Light Tec - Strip Lighting
5. Light Tec - High Key Photo Lighting
6. Light Tec - Shooting with a Ring Flash
7. John Ricard - Lighting technique with artistic curves
8. Beautiful Photo Studio Portraits w/ One Light

I recently used the tip on using Strip Lighting to generate the following images.



Setup for both of the shots was as follows:
• 9" x 36" Strip box mounted on 400W AlienBee strobe, set at 45 degrees in front of model
• Hair light positioned above and behind subject, set at 45 degrees to model
• Gold reflector to bounce light back onto side of subjects face furthest from the light
• Black background
• Gold reflector to bounce light back onto side of subjects face furthest from the light
• Black background























Overall, both photos turned out very nicely.  The strip box makes a great addition to your studio and will prove useful in creating exciting photos.

Photography Equipment - Purchasing Options

Although I try to make sure to support local business whenever I purchase new equipment the savings that can be realized by purchasing equipment online is sometimes to much to ignore.  However, before I provide details on my favourite places to purchase things online I feel it necessary to highlight the local shops where I look first.  So, in no particular order, here are the camera stores that I frequently visit in the Vancouver lower mainland:

1. Kerrisdale Cameras - Coquitlam Centre Mall location.  Great staff with lots of photography experience.  Ask for Doug if you want to be entertained :-)
2. Leo's Camera - Probably has the best selection, but also tends to be more expensive. 
3. Photo Expert - Pretty good selection and always willing to negotiate on price.  Be sure to ask for Dave.

Ok, now for the few online photography sites that I have had great experience with in the past.  Again, in no particular order:

1. Adorama - Incredible selection, prices are reasonable and normally ships pretty quickly
2. BH Photo - Very comparable to Adorama.
3. Amvona - Really only an inexpensive option for purchasing lighting equipment, and a good place to go if you really have a tight budget.  Otherwise, stick with Adorama or BH Photo and purchase slightly higher end gear.

I should note that I have had a lot of luck getting great gear at reasonable prices from the local shops, and make it a point to purchase from the local shops whenever I have concerns with getting warranty work done.

Hope this info is useful.  Happy shopping.

  

Photography Basics

So you purchased an SLR camera and are afraid to take it off program mode.  Not to worry, there are only a few simple things to learn to take full advantage of your new SLR and to start creating some interesting photographs.  This post will share some tips on using depth of field and shutter speed settings on your camera.

1. Camera Dial - Author is using a Canon camera
2. Shutter Speed  - Author is using a Canon camera
3. Aperture - Author is using a Canon camera
4. Depth of Field - Author is using a Canon camera
5. ISO Basics - Author is using a Canon camera
6. Photography Tutorial 1 (Fundamentals) - Explains all the above in one video
7. Photography Tutorial 2 ( Insider Advice)