PCPhoto
Trade Tricks: Hot, Cool And ContinuousStudio lighting the easy way |
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Stop wondering. While strobes throw out a short burst of light,
continuous lights provide a constant output that allows you to see
where your light is going. You don’t have to constantly check your
image via LCD screen or computer monitor to make sure the light is
hitting your subject and you can make adjustments before capture. Tungsten. Continuous lights that utilize a tungsten bulb are called hot lights. Emitting a warm color temperature of 3,000 to 3,500 Kelvin, these units are powerful. They also can be very warm, as they tend to generate a lot of heat. If you’re in a small studio, this can become uncomfortable. Nevertheless, they’re perfect for tabletop photography, as the light is shapable and easy to work with. A Cool Alternative. Another solution is a daylight-balanced fluorescent light, like the Lowel Ego light or Samigon FL-360 light kit. These lights have a color temperature of 5,000 to 5,500 Kelvin, much cooler than tungsten. The Lowels are small, compact, free-standing units while the Samigon kit looks more like a traditional studio light, complete with stands and reflectors. With a relatively inexpensive price tag, both lights provide cool, soft illumination for photography without the heat implications of a tungsten source.   |
