PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING EQUIPMENT A Comprehensive Guide for Digital Photographers Kirk Tuck Amherst Media® PUBLISHER OF PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS Check out Amherst Media’s blogs at: http://portrait-photographer.blogspot.com/ http://weddingphotographer-amherstmedia.blogspot.com/ Copyright © 2010 by Kirk Tuck. All photos by the author unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Published by: Amherst Media, Inc. P.O. Box 586 Buffalo, N.Y. 14226 Fax: 716-874-4508 www.AmherstMedia.com Publisher: Craig Alesse Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins Assistant Editor: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt Editorial assistance provided by John S. Loder and Sally Jarzab. ISBN-13: 978-1-58428-993-7 Library of Congress Control Number: 2009911197 Printed in Korea. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher. Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the author’s experience and opinions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book. CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 3. CONTINUOUS LIGHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 From Flashlights to Movie Lights . . . . . . . . . . .53 1. THE EVOLUTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING . . .8 HMIs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Flash Powder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Bright, Cheap, and Easy to Use: Photo Floods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Meet the Tungstens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Flashbulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Fluorescent Light Goes Mainstream . . . . . . . . .64 Tungsten-Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 A Flash of Brilliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Flashlights: Portable and Primitive . . . . . . . . . .72 Fluorescent Lights: A Different Kind of “Flicker” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 4. ACCESSORIES YOU’LL USE ON THE LIGHTS Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 THEMSELVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Hydrargyrum Medium-Arc Iodide Metal Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 (HMI) Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Umbrella Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Standard Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 2. ELECTRONIC FLASH: THE INDUSTRY STANDARD . .17 Magnum Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 On-Camera Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Beauty Dishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Monolights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Telephoto Reflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Pack and Head Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Universal Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 The Hybrid Battery-Powered Studio Softboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Flash Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Umbrellas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Flash Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Synchronization Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 5. OTHER LIGHTING ACCESSORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Modifying, Movie Style: Scrims and Silks . . . . . .92 Flash Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Collapsible Round Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Color Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Safety Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Muslins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Choosing a System for Your Style Canvas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 of Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 The Photojournalist/Magazine Editorial Background Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Photographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 The Generalist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 CONTENTS 3 6. THE SUPPORT STAFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 The Ultimate Outfit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Light Stands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 A Buying Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 Booms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Buying Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 Clamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Get a Good Light Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 Attaching the Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 The Wrap-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 Extension Cables and Power Splitters . . . . . . .110 The Best and the Worst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122 Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 7. BUILDING YOUR PERFECT KIT . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 Location Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 Fashion and Beauty Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 ABOUT THE AUTHOR irk Tuck is a corporate advertising photographer working in Austin, TX. His recent Kclients have included IBM, AMD, Dell, Freescale Semiconductor, Cerilliant Systems, Time Warner, Texas Gas Services, Tribeza magazine, SC magazine, Motorola, Salient Sys- tems, and many others. Before diving into photography, Tuck was a creative director for a regional advertising agency where he won numerous industry awards for writing, tele- vision commercials, and print advertising. A former specialist lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, College of Fine Arts, he currently serves on the advisory board for the Austin Community College photo department. Tuck teaches lighting and photography classes across the country. Kirk Tuck is the author of Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Location Photography, Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Studio Photography, and, most recently, The Commercial Photography Handbook. He was also the photographer for the bestselling cookbook, Creative Mexican Cooking, by Anne Lindsay Greer. Tuck writes extensively on the subject of commercial photography at www.visualsciencelab.blogspot.com. When he is not writing books or blogs or photographing, you can find him in the Rollingwood Pool with the competitive swimmers on the Weiss and Weiss Aquatics Masters Team. Acknowledgments. No book I’ve written comes together without the help and support of family and friends. I’d like to say that my son, Ben, is a constant source of wisdom and rational thought. He is like a Buddha, teaching me patience and focus. The following friends are a constant source of encouragement and are good “reality checkers”: Mike Hicks, Paul Bardagjy, Greg Barton, Steve Benasso, Steve Matthews, Anne Butler, Jerry Sullivan, and David Rubin The crew at Precision Camera indulges me like a spoiled child. The whole masters team at Weiss and Weiss aquatics keeps me disciplined and happy. Most of all, I would like to express my awe and wonder for my lifelong muse, Belinda. She is as constant as the North Star, unimaginably kind and compassionate, and possessed of more grace and beauty than I ever thought possible in one human being. I also want to acknowledge you, the gentle reader. Without you, these books would have no purpose. 4 PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING EQUIPMENT INTRODUCTION f you boil photography down to Iits essence, it’s all about the interplay of visual content and light. Most photographers use the light they find when they come across a scene or a person or an object that they want to photograph, but there is a separate breed of photographers who crave control over the images they create. We’re not above using available light if it works, but we’re equally ready to jump in and give nature a hand with a toolbox full of lighting devices, chosen to add a lit- tle extra texture or sparkle to a pho- tograph. If you are like me, you just feel more comfortable knowing that, with a well-placed light, you can reduce a lighting ratio for better reproduction, reduce the texture of the skin on a woman’s face, or cre- ate a lighting design that will give your work its own unmistakable signature. Above—When it comes right down to it, we spend a lot of time and money on lighting equipment that is largely used to emulate While there are many books in the marketplace that the light we see every day in the real world. In this image of Heidi, offer you instruction in lighting, there are few, if any, I used a studio electronic flash softened by a very large, white umbrella. It reminds me of the light that sometimes streams that help you navigate through the vast array of gear through my windows. available. There are fewer still that will help chart a course in putting together your personal arsenal of lighting equipment. This book attempts to cover every kind of light, from flashlights to the top-of-the-line studio electronic flashes, with suggestions for their INTRODUCTION 5 Photo—Sometimes we just need to modify the sun a bit to get the lighting that’s right for the subject. This shot was lit by a hazy afternoon sun that was too contrasty to use directly. All it took was one 4x4-foot piece of cloth, held in the right place, to master the sunlight and make a flattering image. Diagram—(1) Building 1 downtown, /8 mile away. (2) Subject. (3) 300mm lens on a Nikon D700. (4) 4x4-foot white diffusion material on a Chimera metal frame, placed on a light stand. (5) Hazy mid-afternoon sunlight. most practical use. It also covers the “supporting cast” of equipment such as light stands, battery/inverter packs, light meters, backgrounds, and more. My goal is to help you make intelligent decisions when choosing and using the most appropriate gear for your projects, your style, and your budget. You might never need the incredible precision of a Swiss- made Broncolor studio flash, but it’s good to know why they exist, what they are used for, and perhaps ul- timately why you don’t need one. No matter what category of light you choose, you’ll find that selecting a high-quality model from a rep- utable manufacturer may be a bit more expensive up front but will probably give you more reliable service in the long run. You’ll also find that, in the case of stu- dio lighting, the quality and availability of accessories is at least as important as the specifications of the core products. In the past, I would have said that lights are “cam- era neutral,” meaning that the lights work the same way no matter which format camera you use. That was 1 true in the film days, but now the realities have changed. Digital cameras have shifted the playing field by delivering higher and higher ISOs with better and better quality. That means you’ll need less power to deliver the same quality. Ubiquitous Photoshop post- 2 production has reduced the need for studio lights to be designed to deliver exactly the same amount and color of light with each pop. In the days of film, the tighter voltage regulation and the higher quality of the elec- tronic pathway meant less variability in exposure. And in color slide film what you shot was what you got. 3 Even though Profoto (the professional standard for studio electronic flash, worldwide) has recently deliv- 4 ered a flash system to the market that claims to be ac- 5 curately repeatable within a 1/ 20 stop, the reality is that 6 PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING EQUIPMENT 1 the difference between /3 stop is the base level of our right tools. Where you end up will depend on the sub- ability to discern change, and smaller variations are eas- ject matter you like to photograph and the style in ily fixed in postproduction. The level of precision you which you like to photograph it. If you are committed need will depend on how you use your lights and what to large format film cameras and large, soft light sort of subject matter you photograph. But in most sources, you’ll migrate toward powerful studio units cases, the relentless move to digital mitigates the need but you’ll be able to save a bit of money because recy- for much expensive engineering in your lights. cle time will be less an issue to you. If you decide to Most of us start our journey into photography as make a living photographing weddings, you’ll be able available light amateurs and move progressively to to achieve most of your lighting goals with a small, ef- battery-operated flashes and then to studio flashes. ficient trio of battery-operated flashes. As you’ll dis- Those of us who decide to pursue photography as a cover, the sky is the limit, but your competence in business move on to more and more expensive flash using the lights is part of the equation. equipment. It’s largely a matter of being able to So, let’s get started and figure out where you need achieve competence in the field you choose, with the to be to make the images you love. 1 2 6 5 4 3 Photo—Lights and lighting tools are the bread and butter of pho- tography. When you understand how light works, it informs and improves every shot you make. Diagram—(1) Black seamless paper. (2) 40x50-inch softbox with 2000 watt-second strobe, 3 feet above subjects. (3) Electronic flash head with standard re- flector. Blue gel over the top of a 40-degree spot grid. (4) Bread and grapes on black deck plate surface. (5) Small white foam core fill card. (6) Medium format camera with 150mm lens. ISO 64, f/22. INTRODUCTION 7 1. THE EVOLUTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING hotography predates electric lighting. Think about by unavoidable blinks and even body movements Pthat for a minute. Early photographers never had caused by breathing! the option of plugging in a lamp and shooting after dark. It sure made for a shorter work day, but it made FLASH POWDER life tough for photographers to get results under any Photographers developed two strategies for dealing but the most optimal circumstances. Early films were with the lack of light. They found ways to cope with so slow that they required exposures of up to a minute long exposures and looked to artificial light sources. in full sunlight. Companies soon marketed chairs with One early light source was called “flash powder.” It neck braces attached so that photographers could try was made of granulated potassium permanganate or to make sure their clients didn’t move during the long ammonium nitrate and finely ground magnesium. It exposures. Many hand-coated film plates were ruined seems that most early photographers developed their own mixture, but one thing was true in every case: the mixture was extremely flammable, could be explosive, and the brighter it burned the more smoke it gave off. Here’s the way photographers (brave souls) used flash powder: First they would have to test the mix- ture, the distance from the subject to the flash powder, and the particular batch of hand-coated film they in- tended to use. Once they got a good idea of the right exposure based on their tests, they could move on to real subjects. All the cameras of the era were basically view cameras, so the photographer would evaluate the scene through the lens onto the dark, ground glass of the camera, focusing and composing on a very dim image. He would then close the shutter, stop down the aperture of the camera to his “pre-tested” f-stop, and put in a film plate. He would then pull the dark slide so that the film was open to the lens. At this point, the photographer (or his unlucky as- Above—A kids’ track meet. Late-afternoon sky. The sun was modified by clouds low on the horizon, yielding beautiful light sistant) would measure out a very exact portion of and just the right color temperature. I think most lit photographs flash powder onto an elevated platform. When every- are an attempt to emulate what we see all the time in nature. Cameras just need more help than our eyes. thing was set, the photographer and his assistant did a 8 PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING EQUIPMENT Left—Once you master the basic lighting concepts, you’ll be able to light quickly and spend the bulk of your energy building rap- port with your subject. Rob Williams for Zachary Scott Theater. Right—Emotion in a shot trumps technical perfection. Doing both well makes your work good. Espy for Zachary Scott Theater. precise little dance. As the photographer opened the shutter (generally a time exposure), the assistant would strike a flint or sparking device that would set off the flash powder. If everyone was lucky, all the people in the room would be blinded for a few moments by the PHOTO FLOODS flash. If they were unlucky, someone would be rushing But things got better. Edison got to work on electricity to find water buckets with which to extinguish the fire. and lightbulbs, and in just a few decades the movie in- 1 The flash wasn’t the quick /1000 second that we’ve dustry got their hands on big, fat, high-output lights come to expect from modern electronic flashes. It had that, when coupled with advances in the speed of film, a burn time that, depending on the consistency of the were able to be used reliably in most situations. The powder, could last for up to a full second. But the pur- first large bulbs were called “photo floods,” and if you pose of these flashes was purely raw illumination. Early shop carefully, you may still be able to find them for photographers didn’t have the luxury of flashes that sale today. A cottage industry soon grew up, designing would freeze motion entirely. In fact, the 19th- and making reflectors and holders for the lights. They century shutters were not even synchronized! were hot, did not last long (six to eight hours, at best), Pity the photographer doing early flash photogra- and weren’t nearly as powerful as the newer genera- phy, as he usually only got to make one shot. No one tions of continuous lights coming onto the market. wanted to wait around for a second experience after Movie studios needed lights that were bright the uncomfortable brightness and a room full of acrid enough to fill in or compete with sunlight in order to smoke. tone down the high contrast of early movie film stock THE EVOLUTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING 9