Why use Studio Equipment?
Studio Photography used to be a expensive business. Because of this, this kind of photography was relatively unknown to many photographers.
But now, a professional photo studio is very affordable! Our vast product range can be a bit overwhelming, so we wrote this mini studio guide to cover the basics and to explain some terminology.
Basic Knowledge about Shadows
The length and hardness of a shadow is determined by the power of the light source, the distance to the subject and the type of light: direct or indirect. Compare this to your own shadow: on a sunny day, you have a
long, hard shadow. On a cloudy day, your shadowis hardly visible.
This is because the clouds have the same effect on the sunlight as a diffuser has on a studio flash: it makes the light more even and bounce around the subject.
Example 1 shows the subject directly lighted with one studio flash called the “main light”. It casts a long and sharp shadow.
Example 2 is lighted with a flash, each using a softbox diffuser. Not only is the subject lighted more evenly, it lightens up the shadows more and makes it more soft.
Additional Lighting
Additional lights can be used to light up the background.
Using one ore more additional flashes, you can light it up evenly to eliminate shadows, or create a gradient effect.
For portrait shooting, a third light (“effect light”) is often used as a hair light to create more depth in the portrait, as shown in example 3.
Using Diffusors
Most flash kits come standard with diffusors. The purpose of a diffusor is to evenly spread the light, like clouds do with sunlight on a cloudy day. Another benefit is the reduction of reflections on glass objects and on faces, which for example makes a person look sweaty.
A softbox is the most common solution. It has a reflecting silver layer on the inside, which bundles the light before it is emitted forward through a diffuser. This make the best use of the available light.
The main advantage of an umbrella diffuser is the little time it takes to set it up. This makes it ideal for a portable studio. Compared to a softbox, however, more light is scattered so the lighting efficiency is less optimal. This can be compensated by turning the flash’s power up, or repositioning it closer to the subject.
Full article you can find here at: https://www.falconeyes.eu/introduction-to-studio-photography/
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