Thursday, February 16, 2017

Photographer's Homemade Lighting Kit

Anyone familiar with photography knows that lighting can make or break a good photograph. Light can create mood, emphasize focal points and highlight your own personal signatures in every photograph you take. But, if you are on a budget, you want to know the best ways to achieve professional quality photographs without spending like a professional and breaking your wallet. The answer is really simple: The only lighting kit you need is knowledge of how to make use of natural sources of light.

Indoor Portraits

    For indoor photos, position objects in front of a window that has non-direct sunlight coming in; this diffused light creates a softer, dreamy look in your photos and eliminates unwanted shadows produced by direct sunlight. Positioning objects sideways in front of the light source also gives the photograph an extra dimension that is typically lost with direct light. For portraits, positioning your subject farther from the window allows the light to disperse evenly across your subject's features and eliminates unwanted shadows and dark spots from the subject's face in the photograph.

Candlelight Photography

    If a romantic shadowy look is what you prefer, try using candlelight. Candles provide the same soft lighting you can get with the window, but the hues are typically warmer and the shadows may be just your style. You can control the shadowy effect by changing the position of your candles. Candles positioned close together or on one side of the subject create harsher shadows and a side-lighting impact, while candles spread evenly around the subject allow for more even lighting throughout the photo. Remember that more candles mean more flexibility with your lighting choices. To supplement candles, you can also use white objects (walls, table cloths, curtains) to reflect candle light and give the allusion of more lighting.

Landscape Photography

    For landscape shots, take advantage of natural lighting during the two best times in the day: dusk and dawn. Shooting just before and after sunrise or sunset will capture warm light and natural shadows perfectly. Cloudy days also allow you to capture all the beauty and color of being outdoors without the harsh flattening effect of the sun. The overcast softens your light source and creates the same effect as the window with all the background scenery of the outdoors. So learn to love those dreary days--or at least the excellent lighting they provide.


Anyone familiar with photography knows that lighting can make or break a good photograph. Light can create mood, emphasize focal points and highlight your own personal signatures in every photograph you take. But, if you are on a budget, you want to know the best ways to achieve professional quality photographs without spending like a professional and breaking your wallet. The answer is really simple: The only lighting kit you need is knowledge of how to make use of natural sources of light.

Indoor Portraits

    For indoor photos, position objects in front of a window that has non-direct sunlight coming in; this diffused light creates a softer, dreamy look in your photos and eliminates unwanted shadows produced by direct sunlight. Positioning objects sideways in front of the light source also gives the photograph an extra dimension that is typically lost with direct light. For portraits, positioning your subject farther from the window allows the light to disperse evenly across your subject's features and eliminates unwanted shadows and dark spots from the subject's face in the photograph.

Candlelight Photography

    If a romantic shadowy look is what you prefer, try using candlelight. Candles provide the same soft lighting you can get with the window, but the hues are typically warmer and the shadows may be just your style. You can control the shadowy effect by changing the position of your candles. Candles positioned close together or on one side of the subject create harsher shadows and a side-lighting impact, while candles spread evenly around the subject allow for more even lighting throughout the photo. Remember that more candles mean more flexibility with your lighting choices. To supplement candles, you can also use white objects (walls, table cloths, curtains) to reflect candle light and give the allusion of more lighting.

Landscape Photography

    For landscape shots, take advantage of natural lighting during the two best times in the day: dusk and dawn.

    Enhance your photography skill,The Top Secret Photography Techniques

    . Shooting just before and after sunrise or sunset will capture warm light and natural shadows perfectly. Cloudy days also allow you to capture all the beauty and color of being outdoors without the harsh flattening effect of the sun. The overcast softens your light source and creates the same effect as the window with all the background scenery of the outdoors. So learn to love those dreary days--or at least the excellent lighting they provide.



  • Homemade Backdrops for Portrait Photography StudioLighting.net

    www.studiolighting.net/homemade-backdrops-for-portrait-photography

    A backdrop is one of the simplest ways to change the feel of your portrait photography. Changing from a classic painter's drop cloth to bright colored velvet will ...


  • Homemade Light Box for Product Photography StudioLighting.net

    www.studiolighting.net/homemade-light-box-for-product-photography

    The object of product photography is to show details of an object clearly. Lighting an object well brings out details and provides pleasing highlights. One method for ...


  • DIYPhotography.net Hacking Photography For The Love of It

    diyphotography.net

    For our American friends the 4th of July poses a great opportunity to go out and have lots of fun with fireworks. And there is only one thing better than playing with ...


  • Portrait Photography using continuous lighting - YouTube

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRH55WQ69eA

    Gavin Hoey explores with the use of the smick.co.uk 3 head super softbox continuous lighting kit to take portraits. The kit is powerful and versatile, this ...


  • Heather Johnson Photography Minneapolis/St Paul Children's ...

    hgjphotography.com

    Minneapolis/St Paul Children's Photographer ... Heather Johnson Photography : Minneapolis/ St Paul Children and Family Portraiture


  • Audiovisual Production : Homemade Photography Lighting -

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRPilOP7vV8

    If a photographer doesn't have the money to buy a professional lighting kit, he can buy simple Craftsmen lights and a diffuser. Discover how to use a fire ...


  • How to Make An Inexpensive Light Tent DIY

    www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpens

    The following tutorial on constructing an Inexpensive Light Tent was Submitted by Jeffrey Bail over at our Forums. I thought it was well worth highlighting here on ...


  • How to Use lighting equipment for photography Photography

    digital-photography.wonderhowto.com/how-to/use-lighting-equipment...

    Mark Wallace explains the use of lighting equipment (grip, light modifiers, and light sources). Part 1 of 3 - How to Use lighting equipment for photography. Part 2 of ...


  • A Basic Food Photography Kit - Digital Photography Tips:

    digital-photography-school.com/a-basic-food-photography-kit

    Steve Buchanan is a commercial photographer in Maryland and a contributor on Photocratis Photography Blog. His work can be seen at www.buchanan-studios.com.

0 comments:

Post a Comment