Studio Lighting Gear Essentials
Learning to use studio strobes or any off-camera flash can be an overwhelming job. Understanding what type of gear is required can be just as confusing. If you're new to shooting with off-camera flash, we always recommend keeping things simple. In this article, we cover the essential tools you'll need to get started!
CAMERA AND LENS
We'll start with the bare minimum tools you'll need which are a camera and lens. Without these items, you won't get far on this journey. There are many different brands available, but the most critical feature your camera will need to have is manual mode. This option allows you to manually control the ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed of your camera. Manual mode is typically a standard feature for most DSLR and mirrorless cameras. For the lens, we suggest a standard zoom lens as it provides excellent versatility in the studio. Your lens preference will undoubtedly change as your knowledge grows.
LIGHTING AND MODIFIERS
An off-camera light source such as a studio strobe or speed light is required to learn the technical aspects of studio lighting. A speed light is a portable flash that can be fired on the hot shoe of your camera or wirelessly, with the proper triggers. They tend to be less expensive than studio strobes and more portable. Studio strobes are larger and powered by AC power. They have to be plugged into the wall or a battery pack. They tend to be more powerful than speed lights. We use strobes here at Blok Studio, but either type will be sufficient to learn with. A light modifier isn't required but helps shape the light. If you're unfamiliar with light modifiers, you can read our previous post about it here.
LIGHT STANDS
Light stands are one of the most ignored studio elements, but with the proper stand, you will become more efficient when setting up your off-camera flash. Stand types vary from general purpose to c-stand, boom stand, rolling stand, and the list goes on. C-stands provide great flexibility and last a long time because they're built like a tank but aren't the most portable stands. If you're just starting out and on a budget, then a general purpose light stand will work just as well.
TRIGGERS
Wireless and wired are the two methods to trigger your off-camera flash. A transmitter (connects to camera's hot shoe) and receiver (connects to studio strobe or speed light) are both needed to fire your flash wirelessly so regardless of the brand, be sure you have those. If you're triggering your flash with the wired method, then a sync cable specific to your camera brand is required.
Our lighting 101 class covers this topic more in-depth. If you're interested in learning more go sign up!
Lighting for Large Groups
One of the most common types of images to photograph is the "group photo". Lighting, posing, and communication are all essential skills required to capture a great group image. In this article, we share a few helpful tips.
Lighting
Use large, soft modifiers to evenly light your subjects. The light position should be further away to reduce the severity of falloff and allow it to spread evenly across your subjects.
Posing
If the shot is centered around one or two people, make sure they are the central focal point. For larger, formal group photos place taller individuals centered in the back with shorter people on the edges.
Communication
It's easy to lose control of a group session without effective communication. It's important to keep talking with the group to let them know what you want them to do, motivate them to show emotion and how much time you'll need from them.
Garfield Gain Block Party Recap
If you follow us on Instagram, then you should know about the inaugural Garfield Gain Block Party that went down this past Saturday. The whole event took place right outside our Pierce studio doors, and we had a marvelous time with everyone! The food, games, and entertainment were exceptional. HUGE shout out to The District PHX as well as all the other businesses and volunteers that help put this event together! Words can't describe how grateful we are to be involved in this beautiful community. If you visited our photo booth for a photo, you could find those images here!
blok EDU Launch
Well folks, the moment is here. We've officially launched our education program!
We curated this program with the intent to bring a unique learning experience to the community. Courses will cover a range of genres and topics within the creative realm. Free Photoshop and Lightroom lessons will be offered as well as seminars designed to inspire. As if that isn't enough awesomeness, we have some incredible giveaways from great sponsors. A calendar of these courses will be found here. Sign up for our mailing list or follow us on instagram and facebook to stay updated on new courses as we will be adding them frequently.
Tomorrow we'll be featuring a guest post from one of our instructors, Thomas Ingersoll, that ties into our first class. He will also be leading the monthly Photoshop and Lightroom lessons. Thomas has a deep passion for photography and teaching. He's done some phenomenal work around the state. You can check out his work here.