Studio Lighting Equipment ~ Photography Lighting Kits

Whether you are just starting out as an amateur photographer/videographer, or you’re a budding professional, there is nothing more important to your craft than proper lighting.  Lighting is the key ingredient to all forms of photography.  Without proper lighting your craft will not look like a craft at all and be doomed to obscurity.

The good news is, gaining the proper tools and knowledge about studio lighting is relatively cheap and abundant.  This article will give you advice on obtaining the proper studio lighting and other photography lighting kits, but it would be of your best interest to read up on some studio lighting techniques.  Check out the great selection of books to the right to get you started on the right path.

The lighting kit you choose really depends on the type of photography you are interested in. For this article we’re going to assume you want a home studio lighting kit for portraiture photography. In this case I recommend a lighting kit that has at least 3 lights; one for the background, one to diffuse and one direct light. Most kits will allow for multiple setups with an assortment of softboxes, umbrellas, barndoors, snoots, and gels. These are all used to manipulate the direction and the volume of light on your subject.

Also, when purchasing a complete photography lighting kit, make sure it includes the stands for the lights, and the transmitter/receiver for remote triggering of the flash. Also, many kits will include backdrop muslin and muslin frames. A carrying case is essential too if you want your studio lighting kit to be portable.

Check out some of the great offers below.  A basic photography lighting kit ranges between $80 and $300.

To create great photography, you’re going to need a digital light meter.  A digital light meter will measure the amount of light directed at your subject and recommend the correct aperture setting you should set on your camera.

A digital light meter can be synced with your camera’s shutter speed and ISO as well as with your lights to record and measure the light that will travel through your lens as it reflects or bounces off of your subject.  Check out the video below to get a better understanding of how a light meter works and the importance of having one if you want your photography to have the highest quality. When you finish with the video, check out some of the recommended digital light meters listed to the left.  The  video and I recommend the Sekonic L-358 digital light meter.