Photographic Lighting

There are different types of photographic lighting:

• Built-in flash.  The built-in flash is pretty limiting with regards to using light creatively.  It generally tends to produce very harsh images and for portraits gives, as Bryan Peterson calls it, a 'deer in headlights' shot of your subject. You can soften this light by placing a diffuser in from of the light which will help reduce the brightness of the light. 

• Portable flash.  Usually referred to as a speedlight. This is better than built in because you do a lot more with it.  Depending on your flash head you should be able to swivel the head which allows you to direct the light and bounce it off the walls and ceilings for a softer and less harsh lighting effect.  You can also use it off camera on a stand or handheld which will give you more interesting shots.  In the notes for the course portable flashes are not rated very highly.  However I think that is quite harsh.  You only have to look at the work of Joe McNally and David Hobby to see how effective speedlights are. 



Nikon Speedlight





• Studio lighting - continuous.  As the name suggests these are professional studio lights that stay on continuosly.  These can be very easy and straighforward to use you just position them, turn them on and start shooting.   Studio lights can overheat especially cheap ones. You will also need some form of diffuser. Using reflectors will help you create a second light effect by bouncing your continous light of a reflector positioned the other side of your subject.

• Studio flash.  This is mains flash that plugs into the wall instead of your camera.  The modelling light on a mains flash aids you in seeing the direction the flash light will take once triggered.  These lights are generally more expensive and require a light meter (more expense) and wireless triggers.  You will need to use some form of diffuser either and umbrella or a softbox.  Softboxes have the benefit of containing the light giving you more control over it than with an umbrella.

Umbrella





Softbox