Black and white photography: Taking great black and white photographs

Black and white photography: Taking great black and white photographs

Photography in its simplest definition is the recording of light. When taking photographs in black and white, light and its interplay with the subject of your photo must be uppermost in your mind. With practice, you will develop the most essential skill necessary for good black and white photography -- being able to imagine your subject in black and white.

Seeing in black and white can be learned through paying close attention to the quality and direction of light. Examine the paintings of the Impressionists. These works are as much about the quality of light as they are about their subjects. One of the clearest examples is the haystack series by Claude Monet. Even though Monet’s subject and viewpoint are exactly the same in every painting, each of these paintings differs greatly because of the quality of light. It is this same consideration of light that the black and white photographer must keep in mind.

Considerations for black and white photography:

Viewpoint. The first and most important consideration of any photograph is viewpoint. What is your subject? What is it that you want to the photograph say or show.

Amount of light. Is there enough light to record your subject? The red that stands out brilliantly in an early evening color shot will be rendered gray in a black and white photo. Is there enough light to display your subject as you want it rendered?

Source of Light. Is the light source natural? Is your subject directly lit by the primary light source (sun, flash) or is the subject lit by reflection of light from clouds or off a large bright object?

Quality of Light. Direct light produces sharp dark shadows and contrast between light and dark. Diffused light, such as the light of a cloudy day, softens shadows and produces softer tones of gray in your photo.

Direction of Light. The direction of light has affects depth, dimension and detail. Side lighting produces greater dimensional effects. Front lighting reduces texture and depth. Back lighting highlights form and reduces detail.

Other Considerations. In black and white photography, as color is muted, other design elements gain in significance.

• Shape – Shape is not only defined by the objects depicted but also by blocks of light and dark in the photo.

• Tone – Tone is conveyed through the use of dark and light in the photograph. Dark toned photographs use shadows and dark gray areas to convey a mood such as sadness, emptiness, etc. Light toned photographs can convey moods such as openness or space.

• Texture –The surface qualities of the subject give texture to a photograph. Texture can add realism or depth, and the lack of texture can add a mythic or ideal quality to a photo.

• Lines – Lines give focus and structure to your photograph. Lines draw the viewer’s eye through the photograph. Lines add movement and tension.

• Patterns – Pattern is the repetition of line and shape. Pattern can give rhythm and structure to a photograph.

Correctly Expose Your Photographs

Exposure Basics: Correctly Expose Your Photographs

by Bryan F Peterson

Every picture taking opportunity allows you to record no less than six correct exposures!

Perhaps you have already figured it out after reading the above, but if not, you will soon know that most picture taking situations have at least six possible combinations of f/stops and shutters speeds that will all result in a correct exposure; not a creatively correct exposure but a correct exposure. But only one, sometimes two, of these combinations of f/stops and shutter speeds is the creatively correct motion-filled exposure.

Again, let’s review, that every ‘correct’ exposure is nothing more then the quantitative value of an aperture and shutter speed working together within the ‘confines’ of a predetermined ‘ISO’. For the sake of argument we are both out photographing a city skyline at dusk, using a film speed of 100 ISO and an aperture opening of f/5.6 and whether we are shooting in manual mode or aperture priority mode the light meter indicates a correct exposure at 1 second. What other combinations of aperture openings (f/stops) and shutter speeds can we use and still record a ‘correct’ exposure? If I suggest we use an aperture of f/8 what would the shutter speed now be? Since we have cut the lens opening in half (f/5.6 to f/8) I will now need to double my shutter speed time to two seconds to record a correct exposure, (1 sec + 1 sec= 2 seconds.) On the other hand, If I suggested that we use an aperture of f/4 what would the shutter speed now be? Since we have just doubled the size of the lens opening (f/5.6 to f/4) I will now need to cut my shutter speed in half (1/2 second) to record the same ‘quantitative value exposure’.

Easy yet hard, right?

For a refresher on these terms, take a look at Bryan’s intro article on Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO

The Equations

The following are equivalent:

• f/4 at 1/2 second
• f/5.6 at 1 second
• f/8 at 2 seconds
• f/11 at 4 seconds
• f/16 at 8 seconds
• f/22 at 16 seconds

Add them up and what have you got? Six possible combinations of aperture and shutter speeds that will all result in exactly the same exposure. I want to stress the word ‘same’; it is meant to mean the ‘same’ in terms of quantitative value only!

Likewise, if we find ourselves taking an outdoor portrait at the park with our telephoto zoom, we find that with our aperture set to f/16 and with an ISO of 100, a correct exposure is indicated at a shutter speed of a 1/125 second (s). If I suggest we use an aperture of f/8, what would the shutter speed now indicate as a correct exposure? If you said 1/500s, you are correct, which also means that you know at f/22 the correct exposure would be a 1/60s and at f/11 1/250s and at f/5.6 your shutter speed would now be 1/1000s. Again, why all the ‘fuss’; what difference does it really make which combinations of apertures and shutter speeds we use as long as the meter indicates a correct exposure?

Knowing that every picture taking opportunity offers you no less than six possible aperture/shutter speed combinations in and of itself may seem immaterial, but when you consider the impact of the creative possibilities influenced by the shutter speed (freezing actions, implying motion or panning) and aperture (a great depth of field, or a background of muted tones and/or out of focus foregrounds) you will have a much greater appreciation for why you are choosing that particular shutter speed and aperture combination. The reason willnot be simply because you want to record a correct exposure, but rather because you wanteach and every time to record the CREATIVELY CORRECT EXPOSURE! The difference between a “correct exposure” and a “creatively correct exposure” is often huge! Let’s take a look!

Let’s pretend we’ve invited ten other photographers to join us in capturing this scene and we break into three groups:

• One third of the group shot this scene at f/11 for four seconds
• Another third shot the scene at a f/8 for a two seconds
• The remaining third shot the scene at f/5.6 for 1 second.

You know what? All of us just shot the exact same correct exposure! Even though each group’s f/stops and shutter speeds were different, the end result was the same; the quantitative value of each group’s exposures are the same. It doesn’t matter if you are photographing with a film-based camera or a digital camera, you must learn and embrace a simple fact; every picture taking opportunity offers you no less then six possible aperture/shutter speed combinations. Why must you know this? Even though each group has the ‘same’ exposure, the motion-filled opportunity that each group captured may look radically different. Knowing that each motion-filled exposure opportunity offers up six possible combinations is a start but knowing which one of two exposures best conveys or capture the motion before is the key. Once you are armed with this knowledge you can begin to fully explore the truly endless road of creatively correct motion-filled exposures!

Now let’s imagine that we all awoke the following morning, once again splitting into three groups and we all head into a flower garden. All of us are armed with our telephoto zooms and we are going to record correct exposures of a single flower bloom.

• One third of the group shoots that lone flower at a correct exposure of f/4 at 1/1000s.
• Another third of the group at f/8 at 1/250s.
• The last third of the group shot that same flower at f/16 at 1/60s.

Fifteen minutes later we all get together and compare results and guess what? Every one of us has recorded the ‘same’ and correct exposure in terms of its quantitative value, but, each group also recorded a visually different yet correct exposure. The visual difference is the keyto understanding the difference between a correct exposure and a creatively correct exposure. Although the quantitative value of each exposure was the same, the aperture choices were different and therein lies the visual difference. Depth of field increases each and every time we stop the lens down and in the case of the flower composition, the smaller apertures recorded a greater depth of field than did the aperture of f/4. Again, the exposures taken by all three groups were the same quantitative value but visually they were quite different solely due to the aperture choice.

Image 1

Image 2

So to recap: there are six possible aperture and shutter speed combinations that will result in the correct exposure, yet only one, maybe two, is in fact the “creatively correct” exposure. It is that one creatively correct exposure that gives you the precise depth of field you were hoping to achieve or that one creatively correct exposure that gives the the precise action stopping shutter speed or the precise shutter speed that guarantees a motion-filled image, e.g. the cotton candy effect often seen in waterfall compositions.

Let’s take a real world look at just how different a correct exposure is versus that of a “creatively” correct exposure.

Exercise 1: Flower Composition

Head outside with your camera set to 200 ISO and a telephoto lens, say a 200mm, and frame up a flower. Once you focus on the flower, shoot six correct exposures, each one using a different aperture and shutter speed. For example, with the aperture set to f/4, you get a correct exposure indication at 1/1000s. Shoot this one exposure and than move on to f/5.6 and then shoot another at 1/500s, f/8 at 1/250s and another at f/11 at 1/125 second, f/16 at 1/60s and finally another at f/22 at 1/30s. You will soon see that all six exposures are correct in their quantitative value, but radically different in their “visual weight”. Note in just these two examples where the first image was shot at f/5.6 at 1/500 second and the second image shot at f/22 at 1/30s. They are the “same” exposure in their quantitative value, but oh my, look at how much busier the background is in the correct exposure taken at f/22 versus the much cleaner and more isolated flower composition of the correct exposure taken at f/5.6 at 1/500s.

Image 3

Image 4

Image 5

All three of these images are exactly the same exposure (Images 3, 4, and 5). Their quantitative volume of aperture, (light) and shutter speed (duration of time) is exactly the same, yet you can clearly see that visually they are each different. All three photographs were taken with my tripod mounted Nikon D2X and 200mm Micro-Nikkor lens.

Image 3 was taken at f/5.6 at a 1/500 second, Image 4 was taken at f/11 at 1/125s and Image 5 was taken at f/22 at 1/30s. Again, their quantitative values are identical, which is to say that the volume of light that passed through the lens and the amount of time that light was allowed to render an image on the CCD or film was the same. When I composed all three of these images, they looked exactly the same inside my cameras viewfinder. Yet when I reviewed these same three exposures on the camera’s digital monitor, they were clearly different and that difference in this case was with their backgrounds.

In Image 3, the background is limited to subtle out-of-focus tones, color and very few shapes. In Image 4, the background begins to offer up a bit more information in both shapes and sharper tones and by Image 5, it’s ‘clear’ that the background, consists of other nearby flowers due to the much greater defined shapes and tones that are presented. All three are the same exposure, but as is often the case, only one, and sometimes two, are the “creatively” correct exposure.

Use of Motion

When capturing this simple composition of an S-curve on Interstate 5 approaching downtown Seattle, I was presented with six possible options of recording a correct exposure, three of which you see here (Images 6, 7, and 8). In terms of their ‘quantitative value’, all three of these images are exactly the same exposure, BUT one can clearly see that they are vastly different in their creative exposure, with the creative emphasis on the use of motion. It has and will always be my goal to present motion-filled opportunities in the most motion-filled way and more often than not when there is a motion filled scene, the longer the exposure time, the greater the motion is conveyed. In our first example, Image 6 was captured at f/4 for 1/2s, Image 7 was shot at f/8 for 2s and Image 8 was shot at f/16 for 8s. All three of these exposures were made with my Nikon D2X and Nikkor 200-400mm zoom at the focal length of 400mm, mounted on tripod with my ISO set to 100 and my WB set to Cloudy.

Image 6

An exercise such as this is truly eye-opening. The next time you head out the door to shoot city lights at dusk, there won’t be a lot of hesitation on your part about using the slower shutter speeds, since by this example, the slowest shutter speed exposure had the best effect. (I am assuming that you prefer the third image, the image taken at f/22 for 8s and just so there is no confusion, this is not ‘bracketing’ since they are all the same exposure in terms of their quantitative value. I will cover bracketing and other issues related to “where should I take my meter reading” in a future article).

Going to Extremes with Shutter Speed

As you begin to digest more and more this simple rule of exposure, it will soon become clear that the need to pay attention to what aperture choice or shutter speed choice will in fact lead you to conclude that there is but one truly creatively correct exposure most of the time and this is particularly true as you begin to notice that the world offers up an unlimited supply of motion-filled opportunities. When capturing these motion filled opportunities you will find yourself, more often than not, on either end of the shutter speed spectrum; using fast shutter speeds to freeze the action in crisp sharp detail or using slow shutter speeds and the resulting blur to suggest or imply the motion present. There is rarely a ‘middle ground’ when it comes to the motion-filled world and with that in mind, it won’t be long before you discover that most of your time is being spent on action-filled scenes between 1/500s and 1/1000s OR between 1/4s to 8s.

Image 9

Image 10

With my camera and 80-400mm Nikkor zoom mounted on tripod and the lens set to 300mm, I captured Image 9 at f/4 and 1/500s. Image 10 was shot at f/22 and 1/15s. Both exposures are exactly the same in terms of quantitative value, BUT quite different in the arena of ‘creative exposure’. Note how at the wide open aperture of f/4 (Image 9) the splash is frozen in crisp sharp detail but at f/22 (Image 10) that same splash is much more ethereal.

Recording a correct exposure will always be your responsibility, so why not make it a point to make the most deliberately and visually compelling ‘creative’ exposure possible!?

Exercise 2: Motion-Filled Exposures

One of the best lessons I know of is one that I have offered up to countless students over the years in my on-location workshops and at my on-line photography school www.ppsop.net. It is a very revealing lesson and not surprisingly will lead you further into the world of creatively correct motion-filled exposures. Choose a moving subject, such as a waterfall or a child on a swing or shoot something as simple as someone pounding a nail into a piece of wood.

With your camera set to Aperture Priority Mode, your ISO set to 100, (or 200 ISO if that is the lowest your camera offers) and your aperture set to wide open, (f/2.8, f/3.5 or f/4) take an image of the action before you. You have just recorded an exposure at the fastest possible shutter speed based on the ISO in use, the light that is falling on your subject and of course your use of the largest lens opening. Now stop the lens down one full stop, (if you started at an aperture of f/2.8 then go to f/4 and if your lens starts with f/4 then go to f/5.6) and once again take another exposure of the action filled subject. Repeat this each time with the aperture set next to f/8, then f/11, then f/16 and finally f/22. Each time you change the aperture by what is called a ‘full stop’, your camera does a quick recalculation and offers up the ‘new’ shutter speed to maintain a correct exposure and since you are stopping the lens down with each full stop change in aperture, (making the hole in the lens half as big as it was before) your shutter speed has now doubled in time to compensate, or in other words, your shutter speed is becoming progressively slower. The slower your shutter speed the more likely it is that your action filled subject before you is showing signs of ‘blurring’, since the shutter speed is too slow to ‘freeze it’.

Conclusion

To re-cap, the fastest possible shutter speed with any given ISO will always be found when you use the largest lens opening and the slowest possible shutter speed (barring the use of any filters) will always be found when you use the smallest lens opening.

There is one thing I hope you will never forget after reading this article: correct exposures can be found just about anywhere, but why settle for just a correct exposure when you can in fact record a truly creatively correct exposure each and every time? You really can take charge of your own creative vision when it comes to exposure!

Intermediate's Guide to Lighting Kits

Lighting Kits by Gary Miller

In our Beginner’s Guide to Lighting Kits we looked at some of the basic choices to make in getting started using artificial light. The next step up is one we’ll call theIntermediate’s Guide, to signify that for one reason or another you have decided to build on your initial investment of photographic lighting equipment. The reasons for doing so usually are the desire or need to do more professional (as in income-producing) work, wanting to expand your capabilities for artistic reasons or (like many of us) the desire to play with fancier toys.

Rent Before You Buy

Before we get into specifics on types of lighting kits and modifiers to expand your light kit, let’s talk about renting lights before you buy. Are you using lights professionally? The pro whomust come back with images cannot blame his or her lighting equipment. This is one reason the combination of renting lighting gear and owning is the most popular. You cannot possibly own every piece of gear you’re ever going to need. So, most professional photographers have a basic kit—either monolights or a pack-based system—then add to it when necessary by renting.

This is also a good way to try out other types, brands and modifiers of lighting gear. If, after a few assignments, you find yourself renting the same piece(s) of equipment, you may find it makes sense to go ahead with the purchase, knowing a lot more from experience than what comes from just reading the company’s literature.

And, depending on the client and type of assignment, many rental fees will be paid for by the client, as long as the arrangement is discussed in advance and both parties approve.

Before You Call the Rental House

Wouldn’t it be great if we could call a rental house and say, “Hmmm, I’m thinking of doing a shot of a light-skinned, light-haired model in a large room, with mostly light furniture and surroundings. I need the right lights for that. I’ll be by tomorrow to pick them up. OK?”

All kidding aside, when renting gear, you need to sit down and carefully plan your shoot, down to the last C-stand. All rental houses put together gear packages on an individual, or a la carte, basis, and as a result can’t (or more accurately, shouldn’t) read your mind or guess about what you need.

Draw a simple lighting diagram—or more than one—and label each item. Then transfer those items to a list, checking off each as you do. On critical items i.e. sync cords or extra flash tubes or modeling bulbs, make sure you order a few extra for good measure.

Most rental houses do have some gear available as “packages.” That usually consists of a strobe, head(s), umbrellas and stands, which will take care of your basic needs but you still have to carefully itemize everything else.

Don’t forget expendables like gaffers tape. Most rental houses will supply them but charge you purchase price—so you get to keep them.

Lastly, don’t wait until the last minute to pick up the gear. Allow sufficient time to get it to your studio or location so you can test it and call the rental house if you have problems or questions.

Renting a Studio

As your photography style grows and you tackle larger assignments, your need for a studio usually grows as well. Like buying lighting, it makes sense to rent before you go out and plunk down $2 mil for that state-of-the-art penthouse studio you’ve been drooling over.

An added advantage to renting is it enables you to procure only as much space as you need. If you’re photographing the latest sports car with people all around, you can rent the kind of space necessary for that assignment. But why rent 20,000 square feet of space for simple fashion or people shots? That’s definitely one advantage to renting.

How do you pay for the rental? Simple: ask the client. Explain that one of the reasons your rates are so reasonable is that you don’t have high overhead to pass along. But it also means renting a studio in certain situations. For this assignment, we recommend this studio with xxxx square feet, client space, set facilities, etc. Your client will appreciate your honesty and transparency, have a chance to weigh in on the kind of studio, and everybody will be happy.

What Kind of Lights?

As your expertise in lighting grows, you probably have formed a creative style or approach. Or, you may have just narrowed down your area of interest to portraits, interiors or outdoor action. This combination of factors has also probably given you a desire to build more artificial light capabilities in a certain direction.

In many situations, the choice of lighting is mostly arbitrary. A good photographer can make the same image with speedlights, monolights, packs, tungsten or HMI’s. In fact, the really creative ones will use a combination of light sources. One of the best photographers in the world and certainly one who uses lighting more creatively than most is Gregory Heisler. With more than 70 Time magazine covers to his credit, I have seen Greg use a theatrical spotlight from 500-feet away to illuminate then Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange John Phelan. This is not to say theatrical spotlights are the perfect portrait light. It says you have to think about how and why you want a photograph to look before you nail down the lighting.

Many photographers are also shooting video as well as stills. This would make a good case for constant lighting (quartz or fluorescent) or pack systems with modeling lights.

So let’s take a look at expanded kits, organized from the least expensive to the most expensive.

Speedlight Setup

Speedlights

We’ll begin with the ubiquitous speedlight, or shoe-mounted strobe. Perhaps you have purchased one or two of them, and have started to play around with an umbrella or other diffuser. Do you like working with them? There’s something to be said for being able to grab a couple of small bags containing enough gear to do justice to portraits, tabletops, small interiors or fashion work. Well, what’s the best way to expand your equipment arsenal?

My career has been largely on location, often in remote places with no electricity: Offshore oil wells, thousands of feet down in a mine or the middle of agricultural settings. In these instances you have no choice but to use battery powered strobes. Fortunately, today’s choice is wider than ever and includes units up to 1,200 watt-seconds (with modeling lights, no less). But being able to be free of AC power is one of the beauties of the speedlight (and now battery-powered monolights).

The other advantage of speedlights is low cost. Very often I needed ten or more sources of light, and the low cost of little lights made this concept a reality, both in terms of investment as well as portability.

Speedlight Portrait Outfit

Your decision-making, of course, depends on the kind of photography you do. Let’s take the portraitist. You have probably begun with an umbrella-mounted unit for the main light. Have you sometimes wished for more power? Simple! Put two strobes on a bracket that holds flash units and remote radios. This will afford you the option of using a larger umbrella or, my favorite, the umbrella softbox. If you already have a setup for the main light, a good addition is a shoot-through umbrella that allows for positioning the main and fill and roughly the same distance but giving you a relatively softer fill.

Gary Miller

Gary Miller

Your third light should be a hair or backlight. The first requirement is to shield this light so it won’t spill on other areas, especially into the camera lens. The easiest and quickest is to fold a piece of shirt cardboard to fit around the flash. But how inelegant! My favorites are some of the ingenious products from Honl Photo. In this case, the 1/8-inch Honeycomb Grid is just what the lighting doctor ordered. You need a speed strap to attach most Honl accessories, but this is simply a small wrap-around Velcro™ strap onto which you attach various accessories. Honl’s line of gear is very well constructed, uniquely designed and in this writer’s opinion nothing short of brilliant.

The fourth light is a background light (as opposed to a backlight). In a typical portrait situation, you would probably put it on a short light stand so it is hidden, yet doesn’t have to hit the background at an extreme angle (which would happen if you put it off to the left or right of the subject). Both the backlight and background light can be filtered, that is to change the color temperature of the light warmer or cooler. On speedlights, you can simply tape a Roscoe Filter to the front. Their sampler book has more colors than you could use in a lifetime. There are also filters and filter sets available for specific brands.

With four speedlights you can tackle a lot of assignments, for example:

• head-and-shoulders portraits
• full-body shots i.e. fashion
• environmental portraits i.e. surrounded by a related scene
• tabletop shots (products, how-to, etc.)
• simple interiors
• night time exteriors (using strobes to accent specific areas)
• outdoor fill (weddings, sports, etc.)

Monolights

I happen to favor the monolight for the intermediate user for a couple of reasons. First, if one goes down, you usually have at least one more as a backup. For generator or pack-based systems, you need to have an entirely redundant pack and head to insure against failures. For the really high-priced studios this is not a problem, but most of us are on a tight budget these days so thus it’s an important reason.

The second reason is you don’t have to deal with the cabling (and potential for cable failure) that runs from the pack to the head. Everything is self-contained; all you need is a common extension cord for AC.

Third is cost per unit or cost per watt-second. You can generally buy a three or four monolight system for less of an investment than for the generator route (remembering you need at least two generators for redundancy). However, when you’re buying top-of-the-line monolights the price evens out a little, leaving the choice more open to personal favorites.

If you’re doing architectural work, pack-based systems require cabling for every head, and it’s not unusual for pros to have a dozen lights hundreds of feet apart. With monolights, you just need to find a nearby AC outlet.

Bowens

For portraits, for example, it’s hard to beat a set of high-quality monolights like those from Bowens. Their 250-watt second unit is a great buy, on sale as of now for $300.00. This new digital unit is smaller than their manually controlled counterparts but comes packed with extra features. Power is controlled via a single rotary dial allowing control in exact 1/10 stops over five stops from full to 1/32 power. The large and clear digital display shows the current power level as well as other important information at the touch of a button; the display can even be inverted while using ceiling rail systems (way cool!). Trigger voltage is a safe 5 VDC.

The smart photocell on Esprit Gemini Digital units allow the photographers to set the cell to ignore pre-exposure flashes from their camera or even to learn the pre-exposure sequence to ensure perfect flash synchronization. And the advanced modeling can be set to Off, Proportional and 100%; the Gemini digital units allow users to set their own level of modeling light from f/5 to f/10. The modeling lamps can also be set to pulse when the unit has recycled to full power as a visual indication that the flash is ready to go again.

These are pretty sophisticated features for a monolight in this price range.

Profoto D1 Series

I have used the Profoto D1 Series which, at the other end of the price spectrum, is without a doubt the gold standard in monolights. The Profoto D1 series flash unit is fully digital, not just on the display panel, but in the flash output control circuitry as well. This to ensure a consistency in flash-to-flash color temperature and flash energy. The dual mode SMPS capacitor charging technology ensures flash-to-flash precision, and the 7 f-stop power range gives all the power the demanding photographer needs for creative freedom, to shoot with high speed and fully open lens.

The D1 series is designed by what the company calls their philosophy of look, listen and touch. Controls are easy to use, freeing your mind, eyes and hands, so you can focus on the image you are creating. The unique built-in reflector gives you full control and minimizes stray light. It is designed for use with softboxes and umbrellas and for use with or without additional reflectors.

Short flash duration gives images a crisp feel and the fast recycling time means that you never have to wait for the flash. If you’re really serious about getting the best monolights on the market, the D1 is your choice. They’re available in 250, 500 and 1000 watt-second models.

In between are a host of moderately-priced monolights from a variety of manufacturers. These range from about $300 to $1000 per unit. Buying a complete system is a good way to save money, and be sure to look out for specials which many manufacturers offer from time to time. One of the more popular brands is Alien Bees. They get high marks for dollar value, build quality and service reputation.

Generator or Pack-Based Systems

Before the introduction of such a wide variety of monolights, it was customary for the intermediate photographer to purchase a pack-based system. As indicated above, if you are doing assignments you must have a backup unit, so that means at least two generators and flash heads. For the less expensive pack systems, that’s not too bad, but if you go for one of the top brands all of a sudden you’re into some serious money.

Even if you’re shooting in a big city where it’s easy to rent a unit should one go down, do you really want to stop production while you go to get another strobe? Not good.

Nonetheless, there are some sound reasons to go for a pack-based system. The first is power. Most packs come in a 2400 or 4800 watt-second model, giving you a lot of light if, for example, you’re shooting medium format digital or lighting large areas.

Another reason is that some companies offer a wider variety of light shaping tools (ringlights, globe lights, focusable spots, etc.) for pack-based systems. Again, this comes at a cost, so unless you are a professional with a steady stream of assignments, it’s probably better to rent. We’ll get into more of this in our third installment, Professional’s Guide to Lighting Kits.

For most photographers, either a monolight or pack-based system will offer more than enough choices for light-shaping tools.

Dynalite

When I was shooting annual reports, back in the Pleistocene era, the more powerful strobes were big and heavy. Many pros were reluctant to carry them around, ship them, etc. Then along came a company called Dynalite, and I’m happy to report they’re still in business manufacturing great gear. At the time of this writing, the company is offering their RK5-1100 Kit for about $875. That includes one head and a carrying case. A full setup with another pack, two more heads and support gear will probably get you up around the $2500 mark, but that’s a good value for the dollar.

Another reasonably-priced system comes from Novatronwhich starts at about $800 for a two-pack system and goes up to about $2900 for a four-head complete system. Other well-known and reputable brands include Elinchrom, Norman, Profoto and Speedatron.

Again, purchasing used equipment is not such a bad idea if you’re just getting started. You can save a lot of money and as long as the equipment has been in use (not using strobes for many years causes the capacitors to dry out) and works when you test it.

Light-Shaping Tools

Without a doubt, any photographer could break the bank buying light-shaping tools. Umbrellas, softboxes, reflectors, scrims, flags, barndoors, and the like can quickly add up to more of an investment than the strobes themselves. (Take a look at the variety of light-shaping tools from Profoto as an example). So what do you really need?

Again, it depends on the kind of photography you do. If you photograph cars in a studio, for example, you will find the number one tool is a huge butterfly, sometimes as large as 20×40-feet. A butterfly is a piece of diffusion material held by an outside rigid frame. They’re useful outdoors, for example, in softening the effects of direct sunlight. But if you’re just doing portraits or fashion, your needs will be much less onerous.

Incidentally, the number of terms and phrases in the lighting business can be mind-boggling. Lowel publishes a terrific glossary that answers all your questions and then some.

Softboxes

Softboxes

If you do a lot of portraits, one or more softboxes are essential.

A softbox produces the same kind of wrap-around, soft light as a butterfly, although it’s rare you will find one larger than 4×6-feet. They’re also mostly used in a vertical position, where a butterfly might be used at 45-degrees or parallel with the ground. A softbox consists of an outside diffusion material held in a box shape and a way to mount the “box” to a strobe head. This device is called a “speedring” and, in most setups, allows the softbox to be mounted to the strobe head by rods (either aluminum or fiberglass).

Softboxes come in two basic varieties: recessed and flush front. The recessed models offer a little “flag effect,” keeping the light from hitting the lens. The flush models allow stacking with absolutely no seam between them. So two or four flush softboxes mounted together can cover a tremendously wide area with beautiful light.

Flags, Scrims, Flats and Reflectors

One of the cheapest yet often-used light-shaping tools is a 4×8-foot piece of Foamcore. These can be used to block or reflect light, depending on your needs and where you place the foamcore. Often studios will build a “flat” with 2×4′s to which is fastened a piece of Foamcore. The flat is self-standing and can be moved anywhere in the studio.

The other inexpensive tool is a flag, usually flat black in color. This is used to keep light from spilling on unwanted areas. Foamcore can be ordered in flat black for this purpose or you can simply spray regular white Foamcore flat black on one side — that way you have both a reflector and flag at the same time. Flags can be as small as 2×3-feet or as large as 4×8-feet (sometimes larger if necessary).

A must-have for any tool kit is a toolkit of color gels and diffusion material. Roscoe and other manufacturers make assorted sizes in sheets as well as individual filters. Bowens has a neat little kit “Advanced Lighting Accessory Kit with Softbox, Reflectors, Barndoors & Gels” that combines a lot of often-needed tools.

If you need a stronger reflector than plain Foamcore, try this old trick. Crumple up aluminum foil, then straighten it out and spray-mount it to a heavy-duty backing like pressboard. You can make this fairly large, up to 3×4-feet or 4×8-feet, but remember if there are strong winds you’ll need a strong assistant.

There are many commercially available reflectors these days, made more compact and easier to use by the “twist and pop” design. You take them out of their case, let go and, voila!, they pop up into a full-size reflector. To put them away, simply twist and put them back in their case.

One of the more innovative — as well as educational — companies in this area is California Sunbounce. They have a catalogue in ten languages, and a series of excellent how-to videos. Well worth checking out.

Positioning Lights

A task photographers always face is how and where to position lights. Sometimes where you want to put a light is in conflict with how you are going to get it there i.e. you’re working on a factory floor where it’s dangerous, there is no room because you’re at the edge of available real estate, the floor is tilted, etc. In these instances, you have to usually start with a clamp of some sort. The Bogen Super Clamp started the clamp revolution and it’s still a great choice. This can be affixed to pipes, door edges, ceiling fixtures and other places and has a reversible stud for mounting lights or other accessories.

Lowell also has an assortment of well-designed and assignment-saving support gear. Clamps, plates, flexible arms, etc. were originally designed for their tungsten lighting kits but most of them can be used for any lights. Remember, too, that Gaffers Tape is key to not only setting up lights, but doing things like covering potentially dangerous extension cords so people won’t trip over them. While on the subject of safety, if your lights hang over peoples’ heads, make sure you have a safety chain as an extra security measure. You can buy them from hardware or home improvement stores.

To properly position a hair or back light, a boom support is a very useful tool. This particular one, from Creative Light, is very cleverly designed for use both as a light stand as well as a boom fixture. It comes with a sandbag for counterbalancing the weight of the head/reflector. Others, such as the inexpensive boom fixture from Wescott are more straightforward and consist of a clamp that affixes to the top of the stand and a counterweight.

You will also find a variety of simple light stands useful. I have one bag with a few small, lightweight four-section stands best suited for speedlights. In another bag I carry a few larger stands, including a big Mathews fifteen-footer that can be fitted with wheels. This can hold most softboxes or other heavy setups.

When Will It End?

As you can imagine, a photographer’s light kit is always changing (usually getting larger, but once in a while we sell off some old stuff to make room for the new). How do we make sense out of all this craziness?

• Innovate when you can; use what you have in new ways
• Build or temporarily rig a fixture rather than buying a whole new strobe
• Rent a particular piece of gear before buying it – don’t buy on a whim
• Mix light sources
• Buy gear that you know will last, that has a wide choice of light modifiers

The last piece of advice in this department is to get out and use the gear often. You won’t know its features and/or limitations by sitting in your living room. Join a meetup group or camera club. Attend classes or seminars. Practice, practice, practice.