Lighting Aids – Your Creative Lighting Companions

When you begin to learn more about controlling light, you start wondering about how much time light needs to reach your subject, and the quantity of light you need to fill in certain dark areas.

Lighting modifiers are essential in successful portraiture, and knowing how to work with it is even more important. Using a Speedlight is not enough sometimes, therefore, it is essential to focus on other aids as well. Let’s take a look at what else is available.

Using a Softbox – Basically, a softbox is a box that contains some sort of translucent material to diffuse light. This particular type of light is used to soften certain features and blemishes. In order to control light in a softbox you have to understand that the farther the light source from the diffusion surface, the softer the light will be. Different manufacturers provide different types of softboxes depending your needs. A large one is usually intended for studio use, and you might want to use two or more in tandem.

Using Snoots – Snoots have been used for a long while now with the flash head. This means that you can take them with you on the go, and create interesting lighting effects while shooting on location. The narrow light passes through the tube and it becomes restricted. This means that your light will be pointed to a specific area, and that can be cause for concern if you do not want to create burned areas. Remember – too much light can become a problem at one point, and controlling you flash gun based on desired results is important for great results.

Using Reflectors – Reflectors can be used in a number of situations, and they act as artificial bouncing for your lighting system. The good news is that you can carry them around, and have them on location. The bad news is that you might need an assistant to help you with the positioning. A reflector basically takes the light that comes out of your Speedlight and orient it towards the subject. The purpose of using reflectors is to redirect some of the wasted light towards the subject while covering more of the significant area. Depending on the color of the reflector, different lighting effects can be obtained.

Using Gels – Light modifiers are fun in general – they can alter the color emitted by your flashgun and can simulate all sorts of lighting. If you want to create a dramatic effect, all you have to do is pick a certain gel and have your way with it