Studio Lighting

Featured Article: Studio Lighting on Location

Without light, photography isn't possible. With light, many qualities of photography exist. Quality of light truly dictates the emotion in a photograph. Subjects that are outside in the middle of the day with the sun beaming down on them tend to have harsh shadows whereas subjects in the studio with a relatively large light source close by tend to have a diffused look. Wouldn't it be nice to have studio quality photographs taken outside with natural elements in the photograph? Here's a few tips of how to achieve just that...

The most important thing to have is a light meter. This tool is indispensable because it allows you to measure the intensity of various light sources within a scene and expose your photograph accurately. Sekonic makes great light meters that are extremely durable and provide accurate results each and every time. And of course to obtain studio-like light quality outdoors you will need to have a Portable Lighting kit with diffusers.

Profoto's AcuteB 600R portable pack with an Acute 2 D4 Flash Head is a relatively expensive kit to own, but the quality and consistency of the Light Output is well worth the cost. Various diffusers can be attached to the Acute 2 D4 flash head - softboxes, beauty dishes and umbrellas are the most common items used with professional strobes. A 3x4' softbox is ideal for individual portraits, ranging from a head shot to full body. If you're photographing a small group you may need to use a bigger softbox or have a kit with two lights, or a way to bounce some light onto the subjects.

An important factor in obtaining soft light is proximity of the light source to your subject. The bigger the light source, and the closer you are to your subject, the softer the light will be. Generally, the smaller the light source and the further away your subject is from the light source, the harsher the light will become. This is not always true. Take the sun for example, on a sunny day the shadows on one's face is harsh. On a cloudy day the shadows on one's face is soft. The sun is the same distance away, but clouds act as a huge light diffuser, spreading the intensity of the sun's light across a larger area.

Once you've mastered the light meter and learned your equipment, you will be well on your way to creating awesome environmental portraits on location, day or night, rain or shine.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Allred