When photographing people I’ve never been 100% comfortable using studio flash units. They are a necessary evil for making portraits when available light isn’t available. An alternative is hot lights, or continuous lighting.
Even though digital capture gives me the instant feedback formerly provided by expensive Polaroid proofs, I prefer continuous light sources, especially for portraits. Instead of the subject being distracted (and blinking) thanks to the repeated pop of electronic flash, continuous light sources let them relax.
Hot Lights
For years, photographers have used photoflood, tungsten, quartz, and all kinds of continuous light sources that fall under the general heading of “hot lights.” These light sources have many advantages over flash: They can be inexpensive; they let you see the light as captured, allowing you to use your camera’s in-camera meter; and they are generally smaller and lighter than electronic flash units.
On the downside, hot-lights photography fixtures often create problems because of their color temperature (See “Color Temperatures?”) and they are in fact hot.
White Balancing Act
For digital photographers, dealing with mismatched color temperatures is a thing of the past. Most digital SLRs include settings for tungsten light and some will even let you dial in a specific color temperature in Kelvin. For the first shot, don’t forget to try the camera’s Auto White Balance (AWB) setting. Many times this setting will produce perfect color the first time without any color temperature gymnastics.
If all else fails, you can use the camera’s built in controls to create a custom white balance for a specific lighting set-up. The key for doing this is having a dependable “white” color source that can be used to calibrate your camera.
What Are the Different Types of Hot Lights?
Hot lights come in several flavors including Photofloods, HMI, and Quartz. Each system has its own unique characteristics as well as pros and cons.
Photoflood Lights
Photofloods are physically a simple combination of a housing, light stand bracket, and reflector. They use incandescent bulbs that are not all that different from the bulbs in your lamps at home, and are almost as inexpensive. As with all bulbs used in hot light systems, they are relatively fragile and should be handled with care. Always have a few back-up bulbs in case one breaks before or during a photo session.
Studio lighting doesn’t get much cheaper than this Smith Victor Adapta-Light that has a 10-inch reflector.
HMI Lights
HMI (Hydrargyrum Medium arc Iodide) lights have several advantages over standard incandescent or quartz lights. When compared to incandescent lights they deliver five times the light output per watt and generate less heat. Unlike quartz the color temperature of HMI lights is the same as sunlight and doesn’t require an on-camera filter or a tungsten color balance setting inside the camera. Originally designed for the film and video industry, HMI is a flicker-free light source that’s also recommended for digital still photographs that require long exposures. The bad news? They’re pricey.
The Arrisun 40/25 2500-4000 Watt HMI PAR Light is a fantastic option for Hollywood-caliber motion picture sets. Capable of providing punch or bounce light with effective beam control, this continuous light source performs a range of functions as needed to elevate the overall look of your footage.
One especially helpful feature that sets this fixture apart is the ability to use either a 2500 or 4000-watt single-ended HMI lamp depending on your current lighting needs. You can also add a 12-inch lens set for optimizing lighting performance. At $7,300 per fixture, this isn’t an inexpensive lighting solution, but its capabilities are hard to beat.
Quartz Lights
In between Photofloods and HMI is the Goldilocks of continuous lighting, the quartz light. It’s available in sizes, shapes, and prices to suit almost everyone’s lighting budget. Quartz lighting fixtures use high-pressure incandescent lamps containing halogen gases whose filaments burn at higher temperatures with higher efficiency, producing more lumens per watt than an incandescent lamp. Quartz does not darken with age but get extremely hot so be careful to avoid burnt fingers and let them cool off before touching one of them.
The Arri Softbank II Tungsten Fresnel and Quartz Lighting Kit is a versatile option with plenty of features that will make your life easier during shoots. The kit includes three 650-watt 22-volt Fresnel lights, and one 1000-watt 220-volt ARRIlite. You’ll have all the fixtures you need to design attractive lighting for several subjects during a scene, interview, or panel.
This kit also comes with barndoors, filter frames, scrims, and a range of other accessories to use with both kinds of included lights for added versatility and functionality — no matter what type of content you’re shooting.
Cold Lights
The only problem with traditional “hot lights” is that they are, well, hot. They’re not all that comfortable to work under for subject and photographer alike. Welcome to a new world of continuous light sources powered by fluorescent bulbs. I know what you’re thinking: Aren’t fluorescent lights those thingies that produce horrible green light when shooting slide film?
Yes…but: As it turns out, daylight-balanced fluorescents also happen to be the perfect light source for digital photography. Tungsten lights produce 93 percent heat and only seven percent red light. By comparison, fluorescent light is cooler, brighter, and comes out the winner for color balance.
(Here’s the technical explanation; skip it if you’re not technical: Fluorescent-based lights used for photography are daylight-balanced and their RGB output spikes closely match the receptive RGB spikes of a CCD or CMOS imaging chip. A CCD is least sensitive in its blue channel and tungsten light has the least output in the blue and when combined with infrared output (that’s the heat) it can overcome the chip’s spectral response. Here’s a look at three different kinds of cold “hot” lights.)
Two Cold “Hot” Lights to Consider
Here’s a look at two different kinds of cold “hot” lights.
Tube Fluorescent Light
The Arri Studio Cool 2, 2x Tube Fluorescent Light Unit is designed for still or video image makers. Known as one of the most flexible fluorescent lighting fixtures on the market, the ARRI Studio Cool 2 uses the latest in lamp and reflector technology to adjust output levels and style. Take advantage of a softer look by using the included 120-degree half-peak angle reflector, or go for bolder, harder light with the tight 90-degree half-peak angle reflector.
This fixture’s aluminum housing features a detachable ballast module so you can service it without needing to disassemble key components. This particular model is Analog Phase Dimmable, so you can reduce the power and brightness all the way to 1% without worrying about flickering.
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use, even light source for photography and videography on large sets that use green screen backdrops and other setups, the ARRI Studio Cool 2 is hard to beat. Replacing its fluorescent tubes is easy, as this kit works with any standard 55W tubes.
Tungsten Flood Light
The Smith-Victor Adapta-Light A10UL 250 Watt Tungsten Flood Light is a user-friendly, low-tech, frustration-free alternate light source for photography. With its low price tag, you can outfit an entire studio for a fraction of the cost of other kits.
While many photographers on a budget often rely on the type of flood light or work light you may find in a hardware store, the Smith-Victor Adapta-Light offers the perfect balance of simplicity, reliable performance, and professional results.
The included reflector is made of chemically etched aluminum with a mirrored finish on the interior to maximize bounced-lighting output. The reflector’s exterior has a photographic-black baked-on enamel finish so you don’t have to worry about accidental reflections in your shot.
The reflector includes a punch-out to accommodate an umbrella, and an insulated handle so you can move and adjust your lighting even if it’s hot to the touch.
Portable Studio for eBay shooters
Taking product photographs or video clips of merchandise for commercial clients or online sales sites like eBay can be a pain. Experienced photographers know that the key to success is a consistent lighting and background scheme. Fortunately, portable tabletop studios take the guesswork out of product photography and simplify your shooting workflows.
OrangeMonkie’s Folio3 is a portable tabletop studio that’s a breeze to set up and use. This kit includes a 25-inch portable light box, a triple LED lighting system, dimmable controls, a 360-degree turntable device, white and black backdrops, and all the accessories you need to make fantastic product shots in any environment.
Because the whole studio system easily collapses, you can take it to the client for convenient on-location shoots. The portable light box assembles quickly and securely thanks to magnetic components, and the included Halo Bar lighting accessories are adjustable to best suit your subject and vision.
How to Improve Your Continuous Lighting Sources
Continuous lighting varieties are often easier to learn to use than strobe lights when it comes to photography. But be warned that with continuous lighting, you may need to do some adjustment and modification to achieve the exact photography lighting look you want.
Whether you’re shooting family portraits, real estate interiors, product photography, or video content, a little applied practice and a few key considerations will get you started on the path to beautiful studio lighting.
There are plenty of detailed tutorials to offer more in-depth tips and tricks for continuous lighting. Before you dig into them, here are a few simple ideas you can try to get started with modifiers, LED fixtures, and light blending.
Tip 1: Use Light Softening Modifiers
The very first step to improve the look of continuous lighting is to explore ways to soften the light. Many constant light fixtures for photography are easily adaptable with modifiers like softboxes, umbrellas, beauty dishes, and other types of diffusers.
Using a softening modifier reduces the light’s intensity so shadows are less harsh and the light is more flattering on your subject. Most photography light modifiers attach to your lighting setup with special adapters. Bowen’s mount is the most common type of adapter, but you may come across other varieties as you build your lighting kit.
No matter which softening modifier you choose, practice using it with a variety of subjects to fully understand how it changes the look of your lighting.
Tip 2: Make LED Light Fixtures More Flattering
LED lights are a great choice for creating energy-efficient studio lighting effects. But many photographers believe LED lighting is less flattering than other types of continuous light.
Color temperature is the first detail to consider when it comes to LED lights. LEDs were once known for emitting a cool blue lighting cast that made skin tones look unnatural. Photographers therefore relied on gels to change the color of their LEDs to correct some of that blue cast.
Today, many LED panels are available in bi-color or RGB mixing formats. With these modern LEDs, you’ll have much more control over the look of your lighting.
When shooting with LEDs, make sure you manually adjust the white balance in your camera for consistent and attractive results. Shooting in RAW also provides more control in post processing.
Tip 3: Balance Your Continuous Lighting Kit with the Ambient Light
While we’re on the subject of the color of light and the appropriate white balance, let’s cover multiple light sources — and how to balance them for an overall cohesive lighting look.
When setting up a studio, many photographers prefer to use multiple lights from the exact same manufacturer and model to ensure color consistency throughout the image.
You may be shooting in an environment where you’re using photographic lights as fill, but you also need to include practical lighting sources like ceiling lights, window light, or something else. In that case, you’ll need to balance your lighting sources so they don’t look jarring or strange together.
Before you start shooting, analyze the ambient light sources. Are they warm or cool? Soft or hard edged? Try to mimic the type of lighting created by the ambient sources for a more seamless look.
Tip 4: Make Artificial Lighting Look Like Natural Light
Sometimes photographers use artificial lights to approximate the look of natural light. This effect can be tricky, but you can definitely achieve it with the right accessories.
The most important thing to remember about approximating natural lighting is that the sun is a massive source of light. If you want your studio lights to look similar, then you’ll need a physically large light source that’s relatively close to the subject. You’ll also want to light your subject from a higher angle so the shadows look natural.
To recreate window light, try using a strong diffuser like a softbox, placing it to the side and slightly above your subject. You can even use gobos to represent shapes like dappled tree light or blinds to give the light a more realistic texture.
Tip 5: Consider How Lighting Equipment Affects Video Shooting
Video lighting has its own special considerations. When you’re working with continuous lighting for still photography, it’s easy to choose camera settings like shutter speed and aperture. As long as you have a high enough ISO to capture sufficient light, you can achieve proper exposure with any camera setting you desire.
Constant lighting is a bit trickier when it comes to videography. Different varieties of constant lighting like LED and CFL (compact fluorescent) produce different wavelengths and intensities of light. Lighting sources cycle through the wavelengths, so depending on your camera settings, it may look like the light is flickering in your footage.
Pay attention to how your footage looks as you go. If necessary, adjust your camera’s frame rate or shutter speed to prevent a flickering effect.
Getting Started with Continuous Lighting
If you’re ready to get started with a continuous lighting setup, first consider exactly what you’re most likely to need in your lighting kit. Ask yourself the following questions to help you decide on the perfect equipment:
- What kind of photography do you plan to do most? Portraits, product photography, real estate, or something else?
- Do you need a portable kit for shooting on location or will you keep your lights set up in a dedicated studio?
- Do you want to start with a basic and inexpensive kit or invest in a professional kit that can expand and grow with as you progress?
No matter what you plan on doing with your lights, it’s always a good idea to invest in a few key accessories and replacement parts so you can troubleshoot and make adjustments as needed.
Always stock extra bulbs, extension cords, gaff tape, lighting stands, and some simple lighting modifiers like reflectors.
Who is this Kelvin guy, and what’s his deal with color temperatures?
In the nineteenth century, Lord Kelvin (right) urged the elimination of negative values when measuring temperatures and suggested that an absolute zero temperature should be the basis for the scale. Higher Kelvin color temperatures are at the cool (blue) end of the spectrum. On the lower side, light sources are on the warmer (red) end of the spectrum. During a clear day at noon, the sun measures 5500 degrees Kelvin (Kelvin is often shortened to “K”). On an overcast day, the temperature rises to 6700 degrees Kelvin, while you’ll experience 9000 degrees Kelvin in open shade on a clear day. Traditional hot lights have a temperature about 3200 degrees Kelvin while household light bulbs usually measure about 2600 degrees.
Joe Farace is the author of a new book called “Getting Started in Digital Imaging” published by Focal Press (ISBN 024080838X.) It’s available in all the best bookstores as well as Amazon.com.
