Sunday, 13 January 2019

flash - What should I consider when choosing continuous lighting vs. strobes for studio photography?


If one were to want to get started with studio photography (I'm thinking things like portraits, headshots, perhaps pets, etc) what would be the considerations in choosing whether to go with continuous lighting vs. strobes for the lighting equipment?



Answer



Studio strobes:



  • + More light means lower ISO, larger aperture etc.

  • + Can freeze motion

  • + Can overpower the ambient light meaning you can leave the room lights on to see what you're doing

  • + Greater choice of flash units / accessories / lighting modifiers

  • + Can be used with battery pack for location shoots


  • - Have to be triggered somehow

  • - Need to use a flash meter, or test shots to set exposure

  • - Can be too bright (some have limited options to turn the power right down)

  • - Can be more expensive to start off with


Continous Lighting



  • + Can be done on the cheap using gear lying around the house

  • + Can use the camera's metering system

  • + Can be used for video as well


  • + No need to trigger

  • - Limited power output

  • - Can cook your subject

  • - High levels of ambient light can be undesirable when working

  • - Fire risk with homemade mods!

  • - There can be colour issues with some florescents


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