Continuous lighting recommendations

Freddie Bennett

Freddie Bennett

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Thomas
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Hi, My name is Freddie and I recently moved to the UK from America. I live in the Sevenoaks, Kent area. I'm looking for recommendations on using continuous lighting for portrait photography. I will be doing some school portrait photography work in a few weeks and I'm considering using a LED continuous set up instead of flash... I've used flash in the past but I'm thinking about switching. Does anyone have experience or recommendations. Hoping to purchase a 2 or 3 head set up and I'm hoping to keep the price under £600. I'm thinking about the Pixapro LED 100D MKII two head kit. Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated!

https://www.essentialphoto.co.uk/pr...-mkii-daylight-balanced-led-twin-softbox-kit/
 
Continuous lighting is possible for portraiture but far from ideal - much better to stick with stuff flash.
 
Meant to say studio flash - bluddy predictive text...
 
Totally agree with others. You really don't want to be using continuous, there are why too many disadvantages.

It gets talked about a lot because it has two advantages that appeal to hobbyists.

1. It's cheap.
2. It's very easy with little skill to produce pretty decent images*

*pretty decent means just that. Not top quality or professional. If you are studying and have aspirations of being professional, you'll want proper studio heads.

There are of course exceptions. Continuous is used in specialist situations such as a vintage Hollywood look, but then you'll need huge Arris with fresnals to do that.
 
HAHA what an unhelpful thread.. I searched rather than posted myself...

I need continuous lighting to shoot dog setups.. flash is no good.. I used someone elses last week and they worked a let better than the available light... but cheap standard... I was wondering what a good pair would be best to get ?..
 
To be even less helpful - the answer has already been given. LED lights are crap for portraiture - even for animals. You'll have customers complaining there's something wrong with the colour of their pets fur.

Unless you're prepared to spend £1,500.00 plus (each) for Broncolor ones you're far better off with flash. The flash doesn't bother the dogs at all IME whereas bright lights can. (y)
 
Sky said:
To be even less helpful - the answer has already been given. LED lights are crap for portraiture - even for animals. You'll have customers complaining there's something wrong with the colour of their pets fur.

Unless you're prepared to spend £1,500.00 plus (each) for Broncolor ones you're far better off with flash. The flash doesn't bother the dogs at all IME whereas bright lights can. (y)
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If I am not spending thousands, the available light is too dark, flash is a nono ... Then I am open to suggestions?

Its not expensive pet portraits...usually social media give aways from day care centers who pay me then publish on FB .. this set was done with continuous lighting the owner lent me that cost £27.. I could get these but wondered if anyone knew better ones



All the above where given away free on FB ... I am just offering a print service :)
 
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Sky said:
To be even less helpful - the answer has already been given. LED lights are crap for portraiture - even for animals. You'll have customers complaining there's something wrong with the colour of their pets fur.

Unless you're prepared to spend £1,500.00 plus (each) for Broncolor ones you're far better off with flash. The flash doesn't bother the dogs at all IME whereas bright lights can. (y)
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In my experience, a "helpful" post is one that tells people what they want to hear . . .
KIPAX said:
If I am not spending thousands, the available light is too dark, flash is a nono ... Then I am open to suggestions?

Its not expensive pet portraits...usually social media give aways from day care centers who pay me then publish on FB .. this set was done with continuous lighting the owner lent me that cost £27.. I could get these but wondered if anyone knew better ones



All the above where given away free on FB ... I am just offering a print service :)
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If they're good enough for you then you have no reason to change, but personally I would never use continuous lighting for any type of photography of live subjects because
1. There isn't enough power
2. The colours can never be right
3. They are very uncomfortable for the subject.

And you say that
KIPAX said:
flash is a nono ...
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Without saying why you believe that. Flash is in fact ideal, although obviously having one light each side is far from ideal.
 
Garry Edwards said:
In my experience, a "helpful" post is one that tells people what they want to hear . . .

If they're good enough for you then you have no reason to change, but personally I would never use continuous lighting for any type of photography of live subjects because
1. There isn't enough power
2. The colours can never be right
3. They are very uncomfortable for the subject.

And you say that

Without saying why you believe that. Flash is in fact ideal, although obviously having one light each side is far from ideal.
Click to expand...

Because my main customer told me not to use flash and is the reason he hired me originaly.. worked wiht him for a few years... he doesnt want me using flash... I am guessing small room.. some skittish dogs and we do need multiple pics.. they seem to gte used to the two continuous lights OK and the scene (as per link) was lit up nicely... We have a simmilar shoot I do for them at Christmas which was even harder last yr and decided I would gte my own lights...

Too many people set in there ways.. like the manual camera shooter who cant understand there are reasons to use other modes...

In my experience, a "helpful" post is one that tells people what they want to hear . . .
Click to expand...

hahaha true.. But your not putting me in that group for goodness sake :)
 
KIPAX said:
Because my main customer told me not to use flash and is the reason he hired me originaly.. worked wiht him for a few years... he doesnt want me using flash... I am guessing small room.. some skittish dogs and we do need multiple pics.. they seem to gte used to the two continuous lights OK and the scene (as per link) was lit up nicely... We have a simmilar shoot I do for them at Christmas which was even harder last yr and decided I would gte my own lights...

Too many people set in there ways.. like the manual camera shooter who cant understand there are reasons to use other modes...



hahaha true.. But your not putting me in that group for goodness sake :)
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Fair enough, I'll blame your customer then, not you:)
 
On occasion I’ve brought along strip lights with a selection of tubes to match the available light. Super cheap. Does it gives acceptable results? yes but nothing amazing.
 
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