Photos and lights, the kit to start

Photos and lights, the kit to start

Photos and lights, the kit to start. It is my second post related to the subject of lighting in photography and I have decided to dedicate it to the description of a basic lighting kit that every photographer who wants to be, or aspire to be, of a medium-high level should have if.

Speedlight

If I should find you choosing, perhaps for budget reasons, between speedlight flashes and studio lights, my advice is certainly to go on the former. For at least two reasons: the first is the learning curve which becomes more manageable if you choose to start with the speedlight instead of the studio lights. Secondly for the economic aspect: the speedlights in fact at the same price are portable lights. You will not save money when you buy them but you can take advantage of them much more, perhaps during your outdoor shootings (which then represent, especially at the beginning, 95% of cases).
Which solution to buy? If you have no particular preferences, Nikon’s SB-700 may be the choice for you.

Strobe or continuous light

So, let’s continue. Here too, as in the previous point, the learning curve plays an important role in my suggestion and consequently in your choice. If in fact it is true the strobe manages, especially in some cases, to create more realistic photos (for example that it avoids the dilated pupil effect), it is also true that the continuous emission light is easier to use and, as for the speedlight , has more possibilities of use. In practice it will be a cost that you will amortize soon, and as you do it you will acquire even the minimum technique to switch to the strobe.
With which models? Suggested the Impact, Lowel or Ikan Led panels solutions.

Modifiers and diffusers.

Finally. We conclude this post on photos and lights, the kit to start talking about modifiers and diffusers. What are? As the name suggests, these are advanced tools that you will need, in a second phase, or when they become masters with respect to the basic use of speedlight and continuos lights, to improve the beams and cones of light to obtain a personalized photographic shot to the maximum. .
These are tools not to be missed too much to consider. For example, you can buy the MagMod kit to modify the speedlight or the Elinchrom or Wescott speakers. With less tight budgets you can also push yourself towards more “challenging” solutions for the diffusion of light such as those provided by Neweer. Cost above average but with surprising performance.