One of the desires that almost all photographers who begin to take their first steps in this art have is, to create their own photographic studio. Having ample space for art to flow sounds almost idyllic, doesn't it? This wonderful dream can be much closer to the reality of what you imagine. Have you heard about the Strobist philosophy? Did you know that the equipment needed to start is much more accessible than you imagine? You do not have to wait to be a professional who earns thousands of euros to get you to put together your own photo studio because the material needed to illuminate it is much more accessible than you imagine. As the famous saying goes: "Don't leave for tomorrow, it's a photo studio that you can put together today."
THE STROBIST PHILOSOPHY
Back in 2006, a graphic reporter named David Hobby started, perhaps unintentionally, a revolution in lighting in photography. From his blog, called Strobist, he began to explain to all amateur photographers the different lighting techniques with which he managed to make in each of his photographs that he later sold to newspapers, but emphasizing, instead of equipment, in practical knowledge. Thus, with only a few flashes and diffusers, he has managed to bring the amateur photographer closer to professional photography. Strobist stopped being just a blog to learn to illuminate, it became almost a whole philosophy. Although the necessary equipment so that you can illuminate your photographic studio is important, you should not lose sight of the fact that, the most important thing is the way in which you use your ingenuity and your knowledge so that you can return the photographs that you have in mind, in reality . That's where the Strobist philosophy comes alive.MATERIAL NEEDED TO ILLUMINATE YOUR PHOTO STUDIO:
While the equipment and materials needed to set up a photo studio at the highest quality are very expensive and at the same time, huge and heavy, that does not mean that you cannot achieve an enviable quality using somewhat more modest performance equipment. Below I have prepared a brief list of the different light sources that you can use and the various accessories that will help you mold it to your liking. Light sources Continuous light: are all those sources of light that "shine at all times." This type of equipment, such as a fluorescent lamp, a tungsten lamp, a led reflector or a halogen bulb, etc. it will allow your motive to be constantly lit regardless of whether or not you shoot your camera (unlike the flash that is activated when you shoot it). This is its main advantage, since, being its continuous light, it will allow you to observe in detail how the light affects your model, the shadows that form, etc. In any case, they are large, heavy equipment that generates a lot of heat, and therefore, a lot of energy consumption. Contrary to what it may seem to you, getting a pair of continuous light bulbs is not at all expensive, at least when taking your first steps. Search Amazon.es and you will find offers like this: Complete studio lighting kit for less than 200 Euros . External flash: it is the most powerful, compact and versatile light source, because of its size, it is easy to move and you can shoot them directly on your motives or bounce or blur it as you see fit. You can also work with a set of them since, by placing them around the scene and shooting them remotely, you can illuminate it without wires or connection to the electricity grid, as with continuous light, although its light may not be as powerful as the latter . You do not need to make the most expensive flash of the same brand as the manufacturer of your camera, nor does it have to be new, nor the latest model in the market. There are many alternatives, of the "big brands" as well as other manufacturers with which you can get excellent results, although they may not maintain the same functionalities. The Speedlite YONGNUO YN-568EX flash is one of those alternatives as accessible as they are reliable. Once you have yours, be sure to read the following article: " Tricks for a Better Use of Flash ". Study flashes : these are more powerful than external flashes and as large, heavy and not very portable as continuous light bulbs and can be with or without a built-in generator depending on the size of the study. However, their power and versatility make them ideal for modeling light in the studio. It will only be enough to place one of the many accessories available (diffusers, honeycombs, jellies, etc.) so that you can easily achieve the effects you are looking for. They are reliable, durable and very robust lights so, investing in them will not be a bad idea. These flashes, compared to the previous ones, are somewhat more expensive and you can find them from 200 euros and you reach several thousand. Anyway, if you look a little you will find very accessible options. But look at these: 2 studio flashes Metz BL-200 for less than 450 euros . Not bad to start! Modeling light: the flashes have a disadvantage: it will be very difficult for you to judge the final appearance that a photograph will have, when you illuminate it with a flash since it will not illuminate the scene until it is shot. That is why, many heads of studio flashes, bring lamps that emit a continuous light with the same light effect as that emitted by the flash. In this way, you can work the scene even if the flashes have not yet fired. Anyway, this light is not as powerful nor has exactly the same properties as the flash of a flash, but it will be really useful when working in the studio and saving hundreds of bad photographs. So far you have seen some of the main ways for you to illuminate your photo studio. But this is not all because, not only the generation of light is important, but also its manipulation.TO BE ABLE TO MODEL THE LIGHT AS YOU WISH, IT WILL BE VERY USEFUL FOR YOU TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING ACCESSORIES:
Reflective screens : these screens are widely used when modeling light as they will allow you to reflect, intensify or reduce it. Depending on the material with which its surface is made, the light will be reflected in one way or another: it will change its color, its direction, its intensity, etc. There are several types: white to disperse the light, golden to achieve a warmer light, silver for a cooler light, black to absorb it. They are really cheap: a 5-in-1 set on Amazon can cost you around 15 euros. Here you have a Delamax brand for about 15 euros . You can even make them yourself. How? Reading the following article: “ Bricofotografía: How to Mount Home Photographic Accessories ”. Light windows : the light windows or "softbox" are an accessory that will allow you to soften the light of the flash or light source you are using. By placing it ahead of these, they make the light that passes through it, more diffuse and natural. You can also direct the light since, having only one translucent side, the light is concentrated there. Depending on the material with which they are manufactured, their size and the distance at which they are placed from the subject, the light will be more or less natural, that is, more or less diffuse. To achieve natural results working in a study, a window of light will be essential. But do not worry that they are not expensive at all: you can get yours with a few euros. But look at this window of light: Neewer . Umbrellas: umbrellas or "umbrellas" will allow you to bounce the flash light on them so that "the spot of light" is much wider. In this way, the light will reach your subject in a much softer and more natural way. Depending on how near or far you place the umbrella flash, the hardness or softness of the light will vary, so it is important that you not only have an umbrella, but also a support that allows you to alter that distance. Like the reflector screens, you will find them in several colors: white, silver, gold or translucent. White and translucent will allow you to achieve softer lights, while silver or gold will concentrate it. Again, getting one of these will not be so expensive: umbrellas can be found for less than 15 euros each at Amazon. Photometer: this tool is nothing more than an exposure meter like the one your camera has to measure the light of a scene, but handheld. You can measure the light that affects a subject or the light that the subject reflects towards the camera with one of these spectacular devices in order to make a correct measurement and exposure of all your photographs in the studio. The exposure meter incorporated in the camera is not always able to calculate correctly (in fact, rarely) the values ??of “the amount of light” to take a shot either due to own shortcomings or, for example, to work with many flashes, So having a handheld photometer is very useful. If you want to give you a more complete idea of ??its usefulness, do not forget to read the following article: “ Detailed Guide: How to Make a Correct Measurement and Exhibition in Your Photographs ”. While they are somewhat more expensive, it will not be impossible for you to get yours. You can find a Sekonic L-308X Flashmate on offer for less than 250 euros. Flash radios : radios are nothing more than a remote trigger, but instead of being for your camera, they are for firing a flash. They are placed in the shoe of your camera and allow you to shoot one or more flashes in a controlled way and can vary the position of these as you wish. You will be very useful to work with flashes in the studio since not all of them have the option to synchronize them by photo cell and so on, they don't always work as well as they should with said system and also to be able to direct and model the light in all addresses without the limitation of being on your camera. The Yongnuo RF-603 N II N3 flash radios are reliable and very economical: less than 40 euros.THE COMPLETE KIT:
Now that you have a more finished idea of ??what are the necessary materials so that you can illuminate your photo studio, you only have to choose the way by which you will be equipped to have it ready to take your photos: do it assemble by parts or buy everything together ? There is a great variety and price range in terms of photographic equipment. If you want to build your study little by little and as you experiment with each of the materials, I have already given you some reference prices, but if you are something more anxious, you can also choose to buy a complete kit. At Amazon, a kit with these characteristics so you can start taking your first steps in studio lighting will cost you around 100 euros . I have chosen all the equipment as a reference. Before making your purchase, take the time to delve a little deeper into its specifications so that you can assess whether it really meets your expectations or not. So you know, the material to illuminate your study may not be as expensive as you would have imagined at first. It will only remain that you think what types of photographs you want to take, how you plan to do it and with what equipment, and then read this article again and go shopping.