Ditch the Black

If you are setting up a photographic studio, you camera is your most important piece of equipment.  The best camera will not perform at its best without the proper photography lighting equipment.  Proper lighting makes all the difference in your shots.  There are many ways of lighting a given shot and the proper lighting equipment, used properly, can make the difference between an okay shot and a great shot.

You will need standing lights, studio flash lighting, diffusers, reflectors, soft boxes and gel films to get the most out of your camera.  Standing lights create shadows which can be softened by diffusers or soft boxes.  Studio flash lighting creates very strong contrasts and shadows.  If you don't want these strong contrasts, reflectors can soften the light while giving the impression of multiple light sources.

1. You can control the color of the light with gel films and the direction of the light with reflectors.

Camera lens filters can also affect the way you use light.  The best way to find out which photography lighting equipment you should use to get certain effects is to experiment.  Backgrounds also change the way the light is perceived.  Light backgrounds reflect light and dark backgrounds absorb light highlighting the subject of your shot.  Diffusers or soft boxes cut down on shadows and are especially important when taking portrait since deep shadows are usually not desirable in portrait shots.

Backlighting is another way to add interest to your photographs.  If you use a diffuser as a backdrop, you can place standing lights behind the backdrop for an impression of light coming from behind the subject.  Up lights or down lights can be used to create interesting shadows.  In some cases, the subject itself can be light with a small flash from within, causing it to appear luminescent.

A relatively new area of photography is called light painting.  In this type of photography lighting equipment may include laser lights.  Gel films are used to excellent effect in light painting.  The photos can used very structured light, or abstract light.  The effects created can't be duplicated by photoshop programs.  Film photography is an art form and light is the medium.

Before purchasing your photography lighting equipment, consider the type of photography you would like to do.  Consider the best lighting equipment and studio flash lighting to achieve the effect you are trying to create.  If you already have a studio set up, you may want to add new lighting equipment.  Choose your lighting with care and shop around for the best prices.  Lighting equipment is to the photographer what paints are to the artist.