LED for portraiture
Today’s post is from guest blogger Richard Liston who runs The R & B Photo School.
Using LED lights in portrait photography is quickly becoming part of our photographic kit bag. On a recent workshop I experimented by using about five very small inexpensive LED lights in order to demonstrated the creative potential of LED, producing the images you see here.
The beauty of working with LED lights is that the light source is continuous. The downside is that LED lights can be uncompromising in their harshness. That is why it is important to position your lights carefully. The way to achieve this is ask your assistant – or three – to hold and manoeuvre the lights around the subject until you get the desired effect.
Once the lights are in position, you can produce interesting and imaginative images, even feathering the light to manipulate shadows.
Your poor assistant won’t thank you for holding LED lights for long periods, so it’s better to use a light stands that you will be able to attach these small and portable lights to.
Many canny photographers are now using at least a couple of the F&V Light Z96 pictured here. And you can attach three or four lights together to create a larger light source.
LED lights have become very popular with photographers who use cameras such as the Canon 5D MkII for video work. If you are a wedding photographer LED lights will prove a bonus at the reception, especially if you are indeed using a 5D MkII or a Nikon D700 and can utilise the high ISO capabilities of these cameras. In a portrait studio, the only limiting factor of these LED lights is your imagination.
If you want to know more about the F&V Light Z96, check out this link http://www.dslrnewsshooter.com/2010/11/23/dj-clark-tests-out-the-fv-light-z96-led-an-inexpensive-video-light-for-dslr/
Richard Liston LMPA
I am a portrait and wedding photographer and a qualified member of the Master Photographers’ Association. I also teach photographer at a London college and run my own photography training business offering workshops on all aspects of photography such as studio lighting, advance digital photography.
R & B Photo School
Phone: 020 8473 4024
Email: r.liston@ntlworld.com
