Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Lighting accessories

Simply having access to reliable, consistent light isn't enough. There are times when we need to modify it and direct it to places it will do most good.

Softboxes

The softbox has become the most popular piece of studio gear. Softboxes come in a vast array of styles and shapes, and their purpose is to provide diffused, or 'soft' light. There are even varieties that attach to the camera like flash units and very small portable units. They are particularly helpful for making a face appear younger and 'softer'.



Umbrellas

Umbrellas are more common than softboxes, though perhaps not quite loved. They're most commonly used as reflectors. A photographic umbrella looks a lot like a regular one but acts quite differently. By directing the light at the umbrella, it is reflected back to the model with a softer effect than a direct flash.

Collapsible reflectors

Reflectors are panels of pliable reflective material stretched over a collapsible frame. They're primarily used to reflect light onto the subject, although the translucent panels can be used ad diffusers.

Snoots

A snoot is a cone- shaped device, the base of which attaches to the metal reflector bowl of a studio lamp. This has the effect of producing a tight, symmetrical, round beam of direct light. Snoots are often used from behind to highlight the subjects hair.




Barndoors

They've been around for almost a century, they're still handy for the portrait photographer. Barndoors are hinged, black metal flaps that attach to the metal reflector bowl or tungsten lights. Each of the four flaps can be independently opened or closed to varying degrees. This allows you to determine how much light you want to fall on the subject.



Honeycomb grids

Like snoots and barndoors, a honeycomb grid is an attachment that narrows and focuses the beam from a strobe lamp. The primary difference is that a honeycomb grid provides a smoother and less dramatic gradation to the edge of the light.


Gobo

One of the most useful gadgets in a photographers studio is a Gobo. The term Gobo is short for 'go between'. A Gobo is something you put between a light source and the subject. Its used to block, deflect, redirect, or shift the light.


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