Understanding Studio Lighting
Understanding Hard Light and Soft Light
When you are looking into setting up your photography studio in your home, it is important to understand the concept of lighting, and with that comes knowledge of hard light and soft light, and the difference between the two.
Hard light creates shadows and transitions from light to dark and is very stark. Basically, it is light in its truest form without any form of diffusion. Hard light is ideal for textures since it casts hard shadows and high contrast. Hard light would usually come from a small source if you will be comparing it to the subject. Bright, mid-day sunlight typically creates hard light, the shadows being very strongly defined with hard lines.
On the other hand, soft light comes from a larger source than the subject and is more complimentary to people. The effect of soft light is achieved because soft light wraps light around the subject which fills shadows and lowers contrast. In natural daylight, a cloudy day casts soft shadows (if at all) with soft, blurred lines if shadows are there.
Working in your own home studio would mean that you should understand how hard light and soft light works. Now whether light that is falling on a subject or object that you are photographing is hard or soft, would depend on the size of the light source and of course your subject. A large source of light will wrap light around a small subject filling the shadows and lowering the contrast while a small source of light will direct light on a large subject (or object) and create hard shadows and high contrast. By understanding how soft and hard light work, you should be able to manipulate your light source in order to compliment your subject and get the desired effect you are aiming for.
Now there are two ways to soften light indoors. The first is moving the light source closer to your subject (remember the first rule however, this light needs to be bigger than your subject), and the second is using reflectors and diffusers. These are other photography lighting equipment you might want to consider purchasing or investing in. When shooting subjects, a softer light gives them a more complimentary and natural glow, and this can be achieved through light modifiers.
Here is an example of one type of light diffuser / reflector panel, but there are many types available, some of which are to be set on your speedlight flash units.
In order to get a harder light, you would then have to move the source of light farther from the subject, and instead of using reflectors and diffusers, you would need to use a bare bulb or a bare bulb flash. To understand this better, picture a bulb that is mounted in a reflector. It is actually the larger reflector that becomes the light source. This happens because a bare bulb actually has no reflector, so the light is then much smaller. Because it is more of a point source it then casts a harder light on the subject. It lacks a reflector to focus light since the range is shorter than other kinds of light.
Manipulating Light
Light coming from your equipment may seem hard or fall in places where you don't want it. Lucky for us, we have ways to control light or make it work the way we want it to. This ability also allows a photographer to play with different settings and effects for more creative shots.
Light Modifiers - Nifty tools to use with light, they are often attached to lighting equipment or on a light stand to make the light manageable. They can be purchased in your local photography store. Each of the light modifiers are used for a purpose but mainly these are used for supporting your lighting equipment and complimenting your photography. This is also where it can get really fun. I'll show images in this section as well, to give an example what these light modifiers look like, although there may be other versions out there as well.
1. Softbox - Ideal light modifier that softens light, giving your subject a smooth and even look. Often used when shooting portraits. The softbox has 2 diffusers, inside and out. These two layers not only soften the light, but they also give out a nice even wrap of light towards the subject. It is made of plastic, which makes it light and easy to bring anywhere (if you have electricity available). It is also collapsible, which makes it easy to bring along for location shoots. Not recommended if shooting in windy conditions. If your soft box is a large one, it may be more difficult to transport than the smaller ones.
This softbox is a very popular choice for using continuous lighting in a studio setup.
2. Umbrella/Brolly - It may look like the same thing that we use to protect ourselves from rain, but these are mainly used to soften the light. The expanse of fabric disperses light, thereby softening its effect. There are 2 types of umbrellas:
a. Shoot-thru umbrella - light passes through the umbrella.
b. Reflective umbrella - light bounces off of the umbrella, these might be white, gold or silver. Sometimes black is used as well to strategically block light in certain areas.
Umbrellas cast a nice soft light; however, light often falls through or leaks into unwanted areas. The best way to work around light falling into unwanted places is to fold the umbrella to limit the light going through or bouncing off it. Alternatively, you can add boards, or black fabric draped to block the light from going to unwanted places. Umbrellas are a common light modifier because they are easy to navigate and to shoot with.
3. Snoot - another attachable equipment where it limits your light to cast a spot light. Often used for background light, or creatively in portraiture. Sometimes it is pointed at a person's hair to light it up and make it shine.
4. Beauty dish - It actually looks like a UFO but it is also a light modifier wherein it acts like a softbox, but with the dish there is one layer to bounce the light from the source towards the dish. It is also heavier compared to a softbox or an umbrella, and is often used for fashion photography. Beauty dishes are also known for the dramatic round catchlights in the subject's eyes that they produce. The beauty dish is a modifier that does not reflect light but rather directs and thus gives the more dramatic effect it is known for.
A beauty dish is of course shaped like a dish and the light comes from the bottom center of the dish. When the light is on the dish, it funnels it directly on the subject with little diffusion and a high falloff rate, this may create a light that is difficult to master but once you master it, it is definitely worth it since you will have great photos.
In order to control the harshness of the light from the beauty dish you can add modifiers on top of the beauty dish. Most beauty dishes come with a cover for the tube so you can use it to improve the light falloff, and is often fitted with a grid in order to provide added light diffusion.
5. Ring flash – A ring flash is another light modifier that directly attaches to a flash mount on the camera (around the lens) or can be attached to a hotshoe. It acts as a flash. Ring flash was originally used for macro photography, but it is used in fashion and portrait photography as it gives a flattering soft light and a high fashion look.
It may seem like the flash came from the camera flash, but it goes beyond the bounds of a typical flash, since it covers below or the underside of the camera. Some ring flashes need the camera flash, and some are made with their own flash units and can work with other strobes or flash units.
Other Modifiers:
Grid - this equipment can be attached to softboxes and beauty dishes only, it limits/restricts the light passing thru it, to prevent light falling in unwanted places in the frame of the photo.
Barn doors - are often attached to hot lights, very much like the grid but it has 4 doors wherein it prevents the light from falling into unwanted places and offers a good deal of creativity to its use.
Board reflectors – are common types of light modifiers. They are a flat surface constructed to reflect or light the photographer's subject. Simple to use, they offer great effects when used inside or outside of the studio.
They come in different shapes, sizes, and colors and of course each type of board reflector will have a different effect on your image. There are board
reflectors that come in silver, gold and white. When you are choosing what type of board reflector to use (or purchase), you need to remember that a warm toned reflector (gold) will give your photo a warmer effect, a silver reflector will bounce cool light on your subject. The white ones typically soften and filter light coming through to the subject, for instance, in bright sunlight, or if an area of a studio light is too bright. Conversely, there are also black ones that can be used to block light from certain areas of the subject.
Other factors you need to consider when shopping for board reflectors would be if it is double sided (if both sides of the reflector are made of the same material) and collapsibility (how easy it is to fold and put away to store).
Board reflectors are used to bounce light from the main source to the subject in your photography in specific areas. It is also used to reflect light to another part of the subject to get fill lighting onto the other side, this is especially important if one side of the subject is too dark, and if you want to light up the eye area, or under the chin where sometimes shadows get too dark.
Sometimes they are held by a lighting stand, or sometimes an assistant will hold them in the position the photographer wants.