It could just as easily be any other type of light source such as a window or a street light. In these instances, it’s the actual strobe. Key Light – The key light is your main light source. As such, the light and the reflector are the only things lighting the images and each has its own respective role.

This article will cover examples that are based in a studio where all ambient light is cut out (with one exception) and bounce is controlled through light placement or flags. Of course, it’s also a whole lot easier to lug around one light then it is to take five. If you’re working with limited time, say 20 minutes to set up, take a few shots and get out of there.įour, five and six light set-ups just aren’t going to be an option. On top of that, there’s only one light to set up, only one light to modify and only one light to meter. One light set-ups can give you both dramatic, shadowy photos which ooze mood as well as bright, cleanly lit images with plenty of detail throughout. You may not want to and it’s more than likely that once you’ve got the basics of lighting down, you’ll want to dive deeper and deeper until you get to those ultra complicated set-ups, but it is possible. Technically the reflector is a second light source if you want to get into that, but it’ll be referred to as a reflector for our purposes here.

With a single light source and a reflector for fill, you have enough creative options in terms of lighting that you could go an entire lifetime with nothing more and still fill a diverse and varied portfolio. However, when you are a beginner, I would argue that it’s far too easy to get bogged down in those complications when in reality, you could conceivably go an entire photographic career without touching them. There are also plenty of techniques that involve numerous light sources at various power outputs, rigged together with any number of modifiers.īut are these necessary? If you want to learn every aspect of lighting inside and out, then the answer is yes. Lighting is often perceived as a complicated beast, but does it have to be? Sure, in terms of technical aspects, there’s an awful lot to learn before you can truly master lighting. In this article, I’ll give the virtues and benefits of shooting simply, with only one light and a reflector.

5 in 1 reflector