Professional studio lights always seem to be out of reach for me, and let’s face it, they can also be quite intimidating and scary.
NOT ANYMORE! This past Christmas, I received my very own studio lights. (I must have been really good, haha). To be honest, it took almost two months for me to tackle my fear and open the boxes and set the lights and modifiers up to try for the first time.
I’m not gonna lie; it was a challenge since you need some power to even put those modifiers together, and I don’t think I’ve ever been drenched in sweat as much as the first day. It took me a good half an hour to put together my 47-inch octabox! The other 51-inch deep umbrella was more straightforward since it works like a regular umbrella. However, attaching the umbrella to my strobe was another adventure. Anyways, let me tell you that they are HUGE for my cozy studio. I mean, with both set up at the same time, there is barely any space for my clients, haha.
Finally, I set them up and played, and I have been playing ever since. I challenge myself to squash that fear of studio lights for good.”
For the past two weeks I have been challenging myself to a different light set ups from natural light to combination of natural light and strobes, one light strobe to two strobes. The position of the light depends on what I want to achieve and now that I understand the basics (like turning the strobes on…lol kidding) it is quite easy. I would say that my challenge lies with attaching the strobes and modifiers to the stand in the position I want them to be. It is not easy my friends as those lights are heavy and modifiers bulky so getting them set up at a desired tilt takes time and a lot of patience. It also does not help that I have three huge modifiers’ two strobes and only one stand to be able to support the weight.
I dove in head first and over the period of two weeks I tried multiple lights techniques. Some worked right the way some just didn’t worked the first time. I felt hopeless and discouraged but never gave up. I shook the bad mojo off, slept on it and tried again.
Although I believe I have understand these techniques and I am quite happy with the results I can get straight from the camera with what I have there’s so much more to learn. To learn it means to practice as every photographer has their own style that elevates them from one another.
I am a member of educational photographer group that has thousands of members from every corner of the world. So much talent in one place is just incredible and that is only a sliver of the talent that there is in the whole world. I am a fan of multiple photographers work and always in awe what they can do hoping that one day I can compare. Today I found out that there are professional photographers that are fans of my work as well!!! I still can not believe that there are people that love my work! And it’s because I challenge myself and strive to be better.
It’s like a dream to me. I hope I will never wake up from this dream…it feels great!
What do you think? Which one is your favourite lighting set up?
