Studio Photography Buying Guide

Studio buying guide

In the studio, you can use many different types of equipment. But which equipment is best for your project? Will you choose to set up a flash, or go for a lamp instead? Which backgrounds do you need? We understand, of course, that choosing studio equipment isn't always easy. That's why we're shedding some light on this problem, so you always have the right equipment set up in your studio.

Studio flash or continuous light?

You won't get far without light. That's why it's important to consider what kind of light you want to use for your studio shoot. This can be flash light or continuous light. There are both advantages and disadvantages to using these lights. Below, we explain the most important differences.

Continuous light

Continuous light refers to lamps. These provide your subject with light the entire time. The biggest advantage of this is that you immediately see what the light does to the subject. When you move the lamp, you instantly see what effect this has. After that, once it's to your liking, you can start selecting the right settings for the camera. You can choose to use a light meter at this point to determine the ideal light intensity and the corresponding settings. Then you can go straight on to taking photos.

In photography, daylight lamps are generally used most often, but you can also use warmer light. With many LED lamps, the color temperature is adjustable. You turn the dial and immediately see how warm or cool the light will be in the photo. Not only the light, but also the lamp itself can get warm. So pay close attention when working with models, for example. Over time, the warm lamp can become unpleasant for the model, but also for you as the photographer—because you really don't want to see beads of sweat on your model's face. That said, LED lamps get a lot less warm than other types of lamps.

Continuous light is suitable for less mobile subjects, such as products or food. It also comes in handy when photographing flash-sensitive subjects, such as newborn babies or pets. Of course, continuous light is the only option if you're going to film in the studio. At the bottom of this page, we have an extra section about special lighting for filmmakers, which you as a photographer might also find useful.

Flash light

With flash light, you can work with on-camera (reportage) flashes or studio flashes. Although the advantages of flash light generally apply to both types, for now we'll focus only on flashes for use in the studio.

The biggest advantage of a flash is that it has much more power than a lamp. So you get more light on your subject. Because the light is bright and brief, you can freeze movement.

Most studio flashes are equipped with a modeling light (or pilot light). This modeling light helps with positioning and aiming the flashes, but the final result of the flash (intensity) will only be visible in the photo. This makes using flash light a slightly bigger challenge for the beginning studio photographer.

We prefer to use flash light for portrait photography, (fashion) shoots with models, and studio setups where fast movements occur.

Which studio flash is right for me?

There are a great many different types of studio flashes available in various price ranges. Before you make a choice, it's helpful to ask yourself what you're going to use the flash for. What kind of light do you want, and what requirements does the flash need to meet so you can take the photo you want?

It's useful to first look at the flash's power. This is expressed in watt-seconds and indicates what the light output will be. This light output can usually be set in large or small increments, depending on what you need. The guide number indicates the amount of flash light. The higher it is, the more light the flash will produce.

The flash duration and the recycle time (charging time) indicate how quickly and how often you can flash in succession. This is useful to keep in mind if you're going to do a photo shoot with a lot of fast movements. In that case, you'll want to be able to capture them in quick succession.

Flashes for beginners

For beginning studio photographers, we've selected three flashes. In doing so, we've taken into account ease of use, but also the purchase price. With these, you get good flash light and quickly learn how to work with flashes. The Godox AD200 Pro leans a bit more toward somewhat advanced photographers, but is very easy to use.

Flashes for the professional photographer

The next three flashes are real studio workhorses. They're equipped with more features and give you more control over the settings. This way, you have the right flash on hand for every situation. The possibilities are almost endless, and these flashes will take your photography to an even higher level.

Which lamp is right for me?

Just like with flashes, it's important to first ask yourself what exactly you want to use it for. What kind of light do you want? Is it daylight or warm light? Maybe it's a combination, and you'd be better off with a bi-color LED lamp. Do you prefer working with hard or soft light? Then it's important to use light shapers. You can read more about that here.

The power of the lamp is usually expressed in watts. This doesn't necessarily say anything about the light output yet, because an LED lamp, for example, produces much more light with fewer watts than a spiral or incandescent bulb. The strength of the light is often expressed in lux or lumens. The difference between these two is explained in our Studio ABC. Generally, you'll want a greater light output for larger subjects or when the distance between the lamp and the subject is large. Choose a dimmable lamp so you can vary the light output.

LED lamps are increasingly present in studios because of the great flexibility they offer. Switching between color temperatures (sometimes even different colors), stepless dimming, not getting warm, and the high light output with low consumption make them an excellent choice for the studio.

Lamps for beginners

These LED lamps from LedGo provide a lot of flexibility, so you can go in any direction with them. Because multiple lamps often give better lighting, we've also selected two sets that get you ready to start right away in one go.

Lamps for the professional photographer or filmmaker

These lamps are considerably larger in size and also have a much higher light output. They offer you a lot of flexibility and will provide the studio with beautiful light. They're suitable for the photographer, but also for the filmmaker diving into the studio. The Nanlite Forza is available in multiple versions with different power levels. With several of these lamps, you can easily create the ideal lighting setup.

Special lighting

To create fun effects in the studio, you can use one of these in addition to your standard lamps. LED strips or "tubelights" are narrow tubes filled with LEDs. Their intensity can be adjusted, and the color is also adjustable across the entire color spectrum. They're also very handy if you have little space. The very compact lamp from Litra can be tucked in anywhere or hidden behind something. Handy for effects, but also for extra lighting in difficult spots.

Which background system should I get?

In principle, there are three different types of background systems available: with wall mounting, on tripods, and a fully foldable background. Which background system is most suitable for you?

If you have your own studio where you often work with backgrounds, then wall mounting is the best choice. You don't have to set the whole thing up every time, which saves you a lot of time. Unfortunately, not all of us have our own studio. That's why a collapsible set is also very handy. It consists of two tripods and a crossbar to which the background is attached. Would you prefer to be able to work even faster and transport fewer items? Then a foldable background is suitable. It's ready within a few seconds. You can then start photographing right away.

These flexible backgrounds have the big advantage that they set up quickly, but also that they're less prone to creases or folds in the fabric because there's a lot of tension on it. A paper background or a fabric can get dirty more quickly and will therefore need to be replaced sooner. If you choose a foldable background, the surface area is often more limited. So if you want a large background, go for a different setup.

Which type of background should I choose?

A paper background is much quicker and cheaper to replace than a fabric one. If there are creases in it or the paper has gotten dirty, you can cut off that piece and unroll the rest of the roll. A fabric is much harder to keep clean. That's usually why fabrics are really used only as backgrounds. You can let the paper rolls run out across the floor so the same color carries all the way through to the bottom of your photo. This way, your model nicely stands on the same color surface as the background.

Do you mainly use one color and only as a background? Then a fabric is suitable for you. Would you like to be able to switch things up and take photos where the background continues across the floor? Then we recommend a paper background.

Light shapers

A light shaper can actually be described as a photographer's tool. There are all kinds of light shapers. Think, for example, of softboxes and octaboxes, reflectors, umbrellas, beauty dishes, grids, and snoots. Each type shapes the light coming from your studio flashes or lamps in its own way. Check out the light shapers and lighting page for more explanation about which light shaper is right for you!

Curious about more equipment tips? Then head to the must-haves page. Or would you like to read more about taking photos in the studio? Then read these eleven tips for studio photography.