Photography News issue 22

44 Accessories test

Photography News Issue 22 absolutephoto.com

Buyers’ guide Studio lighting accessories

Just like adding lenses to your kit bag, increasing your arsenal of studio lighting accessories will give you more options and lead to better shots…

It’s true that buying your first set of studio lights opens the door to a wider world of creative photography – but having the power of flash lighting at your fingertips is really just the start of the journey. The next steps are arguably even more important, and they’re all to do with how you learn to control that light and refine the look of your images. Any good flash head froma starter version to a pro-spec model can be used to create great photos if it’s used effectively, but it’s how the light from the flash is directed – how its bent to your will – that really matters. To do that, practise is important, but so is investing in kit to expand your options; it’s very much like adding lenses to your kitbag – the more focal lengths you have, the wider the range of subjects you can shoot; and the more accessories you have the more you can refine the look of your pictures. Controlling the light While most studio kits come with reflector dishes as standard and possibly also a small selection of modifiers – pick up a twin-head kit and you might get a couple of umbrellas, or softboxes, or a combination of the two – there’s a huge range of other ways to play with the light. Brollies, softboxes and beauty dishes which spread the light, can be bought in differing shapes and sizes to those you’ve already got, granting more localised illumination, or providing even more diffusion. And to do the opposite – to harden and direct the light – there’s an army of If you have an Elinchrom flash kit like the excellent D-Lite RX One you’ll know that one of its unique features is the umbrella tube that’s located within the accessory ring. This isn’t just for slotting in a brolly though – you can also use it to attach modifiers like this set of four deflectors. The design means that these deflectors canbeusedon themajorityof Elinchrom reflector dishes, but they’re particularly useful with the company’s collapsible Portalite softboxes. Slot a deflector in, over the flash bulb, but behind the softbox’s diffuser, and you’ll alter the lighting giving it a more focused look, halfway between a softbox and a beauty dish. And of course you can also use themwithout the ’box’s diffuser for a harder look. The four deflectors are Clear, Translucent, Silver and Gold, and each offers a different look, as they vary the amount of light between direct and fully reflected. The amount of direct flash that’s taken out and reflected is half a stop for the Clear disk and a full stop for the Translucent version, while the Silver and Gold versions deflect all the light for a softer look; the Gold version being warmer in tone. For less than £30, the variety this adds to just one modifier is immense. Elinchrom 4 Piece Deflector Set

options out there like snoots, specialist reflector dishes, honeycombs and barn- doors of various shapes and sizes. Then, of course, there are reflectors and deflectors to bounce or swallow the light, filling in or strengthening shadows, and lighting gels that can be used to add a colourful twist to your pictures or balance the flash with natural light. Other accessories But of course it’s not just ways of modifying the light that you need to consider when investing in your array of lighting kit. There are loads more accessories out there which can be used to improve the technical quality of your pictures, make working in the studio easier, and even put a more creative spin on the images you’re getting. Examples of these include dedicated stands to improve the positioning of your lights, bags and trunks for transporting or storing your precious kit, flash meters to get a more accurate exposure, backgrounds for a cleaner, more professional look, and even light sources that aren’t flash to mix with your regular lighting. It all adds to what you can achieve in the studio – and that’s why this month, to help dip your toe further into the waters of flash photography, we’ve gathered some high- quality, innovative lighting accessories for your consideration. But of course each of the manufacturers featured here has plenty more to offer besides. Take a look, and make sure you pick up some new kit – it’ll change the way you shoot.

Lencarta Combined Floor/LowLevel Stand If you’ve shot studio portraits of children or pets, you’ll know that their height can cause problems, because regular lighting stands will only lower to about 80cm. This means light normally has to be directed down at them, cutting your options. Yes, you can raise the subject, placing them on a chair, or a tabletop, but it’s not ideal. What is ideal is a low- level lighting stand, and the latter can also be used for floor-level uplighting on larger subjects. This Lencarta Combined Floor/Low Level Stand can be raised in sections (two), reaching a maximum height of 80cm; a useful level for a background light, or placing behind a standing subject. Unlike regular stands though, the centre column can be removed, lowering theworkingheight to just 23cmandallowing flash to be used at almost floor level. What’s more, the spigot which holds the flash head can be mounted horizontally (as well as the usual vertical) on the column, for even more freedom. Like its height, the weight-spreading base is streamlined, and at 60cm across it takes up a lot less floor space than others. Using a nylon lock mechanism, operating the stand is easy and it has a strong aluminium construction, but is still light, weighing in at 930g.

£ 35

£ 29

theflashcentre.com/elinchrom-store elinchrom.com

lencarta.com

Powered by