Photography is painting with light, is a saying. And it's true! Without light, no photo can be created. The high art lies in directing the light in photography according to your own wishes and ideas. This is possible thanks to countless reflectors, permanent lamps, flashes and light shapers, which are available on the market.
The initial purchase is associated with high costs. But there are also areas where the photographer can handle less equipment - such as lightpainting. Here are all kinds of handy lights used, and these are usually different variants of flashlights. Less well known, however, is that the small light donors can also be used in the home studio.
Small lamp, big effect
Thanks to the LED technology, modern flashlights have become small light power plants and consume very little power. Lens systems in current specimens ensure a uniform light distribution, which is infinitely adjustable between point and area illumination. Most of the small lights are found in a well-stocked household and can therefore serve as a cheap light source for the next photo shoot. But be careful when using it. Due to the high light intensity, a model is quickly blinded. Therefore, pay attention to the safety instructions that are included with the lamps.
The following examples show how many creative light scenarios are possible with one, two or four lamps. Two conventional LED lamps using a standard reflector and a small lamp with a focusable lens system are used. The fourth light dispenser is a cheap headlamp, which has a flat light characteristic. All models offer the possibility to choose between two brightness levels.
photo gallery
Highkey with four flashlights
In newer LED models, there are often simple lens systems that allow a continuous scattering of the light cone. The light intensity decreases as a result, but larger areas can be illuminated. In this example, the light of two flashlights brightens the white molton in the background, while a headlamp from the top right provides a slight light effect in the hair. The main light is an LED flashlight, which radiates above the camera frontally on the model. If this is correctly positioned, drop shadows disappear. The setup is visually comparable to a ring flash. The fine-tuning of the raw file took place in Lightroom CC. The "Contrast" has been increased to +40, the values for "Black" and "White" have been corrected to 40. The bluish nuance in the hair was created by a cooler "white balance".
Take pictures with just one light source
Even with just one lamp and without light former, interesting results can be achieved. The focusable flashlight was located above the camera on a tripod in order to align the light exactly. Due to the frontal illumination, the drop shadows on the white molton in the background are minimized. A slight shadow on the edges provides more spatial depth. A more diffuse shadow was created by a larger distance between the model and the background. For more precise work, it helps to mount the camera on a tripod. The basic profile in Lightroom CC was "Adobe Standard" with the "B / W" setting, which was further adjusted by a partial tone to create the sepia look. Contrast, Depth, and White values have been increased by +10, and Lights and Black have been corrected to 15.
Lowkey with two flashlights
The idea for this picture was created by the advertising poster for the musical "Wicked". In the background was black molton, which almost completely swallowed the light. From the top right, a headlamp provided the necessary details in the area of the hat. To illuminate the face again served the focusable LED flashlight, which was directed by hand, diagonally from below on the model. Lightroom CC was used for post-processing the raw file. As a profile, "Adobe Monochrome" created the look you want. When corrected, the Contrast, White, and Black controls were each set to +55. To make the details of the hat more visible, the "depths" had to be increased to a value of +100.
Experimentation is in demand
Every design has characteristics that have to be tested. With colored filter foils you can also change the color of the photo and thus create even more creative scope in the implementation.
Also own Lichtformer are quickly and easily crafted. Paper rolls create a punctiform light source, rectangular cut-outs in a carton create a slit of light that can be used, for example, to accentuate the eyes. Let your creativity run wild!