LEFT Image by Richard Bradbury. This picture is taken from Mastering Lighting & Flash Photography by Richard Bradbury, published by Ammonite Press. Richard took the pictures for the famous Ugly Models Agency, displaying the diversity of its subjects. He photographed more than 100 in a single day, designing a lighting set-up that complemented them all. • The book costs £19.99 and Photography News has four copies to be won.
See page 11 for details. ammonitepress.com
Lighting it up If photography is the art of capturing light, it’s difficult to understate the importance of selecting the correct lighting equipment. FROM PORTABLE FLASHGUNS to top-end studio equipment, there’s a huge range of options on the market designed to meet every need and budget. The excerpts from Mastering Lighting & Flash Photography by
more advanced versions, outputting a much more powerful burst of light, positioning it off-camera and adjusting with modifiers for more controlled and creative effects in your shot. Generally, flash is much more powerful than continuous lighting, and it illuminates larger groups of subjects and scenes from distance. It also effectively freezes fast motion for sharp shots and even overpowers the sun in your images, if required. Nonetheless, there are drawbacks. It can’t be used when shooting video, and judging the effect of its light isn’t always apparent before you’ve taken an image.
Continuous lighting is exactly that; continuous. In contrast to flash, it’s ideal for videography as well as stills, and makes the effects of adjusting it instantly apparent on your scene. However, continuous output is not normally as powerful as flash. This makes it unsuitable or intrusive to use with certain subject matters, such as live events and wildlife. Finally, you should weigh up a battery-powered set-up for more portable use or mains power – the latter packs a stronger punch that gives it some edge. With these considerations in mind, discover your perfect lighting fit below.
So, which one should you invest in? In this buyers’ guide, we explore five essential types of lighting and present a comprehensive list of the best buys
Richard Bradbury (starting on page 39) give you a great taste of what is currently available. You should consider several key factors before committing. Chiefly, is flash or continuous lighting what you need? Whether on your phone or a pop-up camera flash, there’s no doubt you’ve used basic flash to create an image. However, dedicated flashguns and studio heads present
Issue 86 | Photography News 45
photographynews.co.uk
Powered by FlippingBook