Photography Lighting

April 19, 2021

The Best Gear for Event Photography: 10 Favorites
Event pro Jeff Cable picks his must-have equipment for shooting events
By Dan Havlik
Photo of best event photography gear
Jeff Cable is a master of event photography whether he’s shooting a Bar Mitzvah or the Olympic games. A photographer for Team USA, he’s captured the last six Olympics in Beijing, Vancouver, London, Sochi, Rio de Janeiro, and PyeongChang. Cable also covers events, including weddings, closer to home in the Saratoga, California-region where... Read more
February 15, 2021

The 5 Best Beauty Dishes for Photography 2021
Beauty is in the eye of these studio reflectors
By Dan Havlik
Main beauty dish image Profoto
They’re ubiquitous tools for studio lighting but how often do photographers stop to consider beauty dishes? We’re guessing pretty rarely, which is strange since beauty dishes are downright indispensable lighting accessories for portrait and fashion photography. Serious pros don’t skimp on their cameras or lenses so why buy a cheap... Read more
January 14, 2021

8 Great Strobe Flash and LED Continuous Lights for Studio Photography
We pick our favorite lighting gear in a variety of pricepoints for shooting photos or video
By Dan Havlik
Photo of Broncolor Siros L
Two of the most popular lighting choices for studio photography these days are strobe (flash) lighting and LED continuous lights. While there’s some debate as to which is better for studio shoots – we discuss the pros and cons of each lighting system in a companion post – there are plenty of quality strobe and LED products out there right... Read more
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November 19, 2020

Portable Strobes
Lightweight, powerful flash options for studio-quality light anywhere
Tom Bol
“Can you stand in front of this thatched hut?” I ask Dewi, a friendly Balinese woman I met a few days before. “I’d like to include more background elements in this portrait.” The jungle heat and bright sun are palpable, and my eyes are stinging with sweat. But I am thrilled about this portrait coming together. Ever since landing in Denpasar,... Read more
February 11, 2020

Continuous Lighting: Back To The Future
An old style of lighting empowered with new technology
Text & Photography By Mark Edward Harris
Continuous Lighting
I used a Stella CLx8 modified with a Profoto collapsible beauty dish as a keylight and a Stella Pro CL 2000 as a very subtle sidelight to photograph Natu and Joko at the Singapore Zoo for my continuing orangutan portrait series to help spread awareness of the issues between these magnificent great apes and the production of palm oil. The alternative... Read more
November 6, 2018

Litepanels Gemini 2×1 RGB-WW LED Panel
A high-powered panel for video or still photography
Text & Photography By Daniel Brockett
Litepanels Gemini 2x1 RGB-WW LED Panel
The Gemini on the job. An Innovator In Lighting Litepanels has always been an innovative company. Ever since its formation in 2001, Litepanels has been a name synonymous with serious LED lighting used in all kinds of production. Today, the Litepanels Astra is one of the most ubiquitous LED panels in the business. Over the past few years, though, the... Read more
August 20, 2018

Rotolight Neo 2
One light, endless possibilities for still + motion work
David Schloss
The Rotolight Neo 2 is an exciting hybrid, designed for an age where photographers and videographers increasingly are the same person. The Neo 2 is a high-powered, consistent LED light, but it has a superpower, one that makes it more versatile than just about any LED on the market. The Neo2 is a high-quality, precision-built and color-accurate LED system,... Read more
May 15, 2018

Equipping The Outdoor Studio
The right lighting gear will allow you to take total control of lighting when your studio is the great outdoors
William Sawalich
There are lots of reasons to make portraits outdoors. First and foremost, you avoid the expense and space requirements of setting up a studio. And since most studios are equipped with artificial lighting and modifiers, there’s a lot of gear to buy, too. Outdoors, however, you’re given the gift of one of the most powerful and beautiful light sources... Read more
January 26, 2018

In The Field With The Stella Pro 8000 And Stella Pro 5000 LED Lights
Waterproof battery-powered LED lights are wonders of compact and sturdy design.
Chris X Carroll
The first impression of Light & Motion new Stella Pro portable lights is how small and light they are. They come in a soft padded stewardess case with orange trim and “Stella” tastefully embroidered on the side that would be right at home in a Wes Anderson movie. This combined with their diminutive size lends them an unserious air right from... Read more
December 5, 2017

Photography By Bike With A Good Light
With the Lustra 50, PRL has figured out LEDs so photographers don’t have to
DL Byron
lighting for photography
Last week in Seattle, on Tuesday, when I was writing about dreariness (I called it dreeping), it was three times darker than the solar eclipse. THREE TIMES, and that reminded me to share with you how I’m getting street shots, even on the darkest days. It’s the Lustra 50 light, and what you need to know is that PRL has figured out affordable high-quality... Read more