Mark Wallace shows you how the many ways a ring flash can be used in a studio.
Category Archives: Studio Lighting
White Paper Tricks
Mark explains why white seamless paper is so versatile in the studio. Using unique lighting and making something called a “gobo,” you can create different and exciting backgrounds that look like they were shot on black.
Seamless paper can be purchased in a variety of sizes and colors. Try using some of these techniques on different colors as well to see the effects you can get.
Gear used in this video
- Nikon D3S Body Only
- Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G AF-S VR II Zoom-Nikkor ED-IF Lens
- PocketWizard Plus III Transceiver #801-130
- Profoto D1 1000 Watt Second Air Monolight Flash with Built-in Reflector & Power Cable, Coated Flash Tube
- Matthews Baby Junior Triple Riser Stand with Wheels
- Profoto Zoom Reflector 2 – Accepts Profoto Grids, No Gridholder Needed
- Profoto 20° Honeycomb Grid. #100606 / 505-528
- Profoto 10 Degree Honeycomb Grid for the #505-502 7″ Grid Reflector. #100634 / 505-572
- Profoto 5 Degree Honeycomb Grid for the #505-502 7″ Grid Reflector. #100635 / 505-571
- Profoto 50° Magnum Reflector #100624 / 505-504
- Lee Filters Black Foil
- Matthews 20″ Century Stand with Sliding Leg, Grip Head, Arm
- Tether tableTether Tools Tether Table Premier, 18″ x 16″ – Black
- Tether Tools Aero Table, Master Edition Portable Computer Tethering Platform, 22″ x 16″, Black
- Tether Tools TetherPro 15ft USB 3.0 Male (Type A) to Micro (Type B) 5-Pin Cable, Hi-Visibility Orange
- American DJ Mini Fog Portable Fog Machine, 400W Heater Core, 120VAC
- Sekonic L-758DR DigitalMaster, Programmable Digital Flash & Ambient Exposure Meter
- Benro A2690TBH1 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod
- Savage Seamless Background Paper, 107″ wide x 50 yards, Super White, #1
Using Zones
Mark teaches you how to get six different looks from one lighting setup using zones.
You can use zones with both speedlights and studio strobes to control lighting groups independently. Mark will be using PocketWizard triggers to control his zones.
Gear used in this video
- Nikon D3S Body Only
- Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G AF-S VR II Zoom-Nikkor ED-IF Lens
- Profoto D1 1000 Watt Second Air Monolight Flash with Built-in Reflector & Power Cable, Coated Flash Tube
- Profoto D1 500 Watt Second Air Monolight Flash with Built-in Reflector & Power Cable, Coated Flash Tube
- Profoto 2×3′ RFi Softbox, Rectangular
- Matthews Baby Junior Triple Riser Stand with Wheels
- Profoto Zoom Reflector 2 – Accepts Profoto Grids, No Gridholder Needed
- Profoto 5 Degree Honeycomb Grid for the #505-502 7″ Grid Reflector. #100635 / 505-571
- Benro A2690TBH1 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod
- PocketWizard Plus III Transceiver #801-130
- Profoto White Softlight Reflector (beauty dish)
Mix Speedlights with Strobes
Mark teaches you how to properly use speedlights and strobes in the same lighting setup.
Mixing speedlights and strobes can be tricky when using an IR trigger, because the speedlight’s “preflash” will accidentally trigger the strobe before the exposure is made. Mark will explain how to use radio triggers to ensure your lights trigger at the same time, every time.
Gear used in this video
- Nikon D3S Body Only
- Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G AF-S VR II Zoom-Nikkor ED-IF Lens
- Profoto D1 1000 Watt Second Air Monolight Flash with Built-in Reflector & Power Cable, Coated Flash Tube
- Matthews Baby Junior Triple Riser Stand with Wheels
- Nikon SB-900 TTL AF Shoe Mount Speedlight
- Tether tableTether Tools Tether Table Premier, 18″ x 16″ – Black
- Nikon SU-800 Replacement Wireless Speedlight Commander
- Nikon SB-700 TTL AF Shoe Mount Speedlight – USA Warranty
- PocketWizard MiniTT1 Transmitter for Canon DSLR Cameras & Flash Units, with a Range of up to 1200′
- PocketWizard FlexTT5 Transceiver for Canon DSLR Cameras & Flash Units, with a Range of up to 1200′
- PocketWizard MiniTT1 Radio Slave Transmitter for Nikon i-TTL System
- PocketWizard FlexTT5 Transceiver Radio Slave for Nikon i-TTL Flash System
- PocketWizard MultiMAX Transceiver, Remote Control Radio Slave.
- 30″ Small White Umbrella
Light Meter Settings
In this episode, Mark demonstrates how to make sure your light meter is properly set up for use.
Using a Sekonic L-358, Mark shows you how to set your light meter to measure in third-stop increments that will match the settings on your camera, set your sync speed and more. A properly adjusted light meter will ensure that you’ll get accurate readings for your photographs.
Gear used in this video
- Nikon D3S Body Only
- Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G AF-S VR II Zoom-Nikkor ED-IF Lens
- Profoto Softbox 4×6′
- Profoto D1 1000 Watt Second Air Monolight Flash with Built-in Reflector & Power Cable, Coated Flash Tube
- Matthews Baby Junior Triple Riser Stand with Wheels
- Benro A2690TBH1 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod
- PocketWizard Plus III Transceiver #801-130
- Tether Tools Aero Table, Master Edition Portable Computer Tethering Platform, 22″ x 16″, Black
- Tether Tools TetherPro 15ft USB 3.0 Male (Type A) to Micro (Type B) 5-Pin Cable, Hi-Visibility Orange
- Sekonic L-358 Flash Master, Weatherproof Digital Incident & Reflected Flash and Ambient Light Meter
Lighting Faces Using Grids
Mark shows how to add a highlight to a model’s face using a grid on the key light.
Using light grids is helpful when shooting portraits because it creates a slightly brighter face for added interest. It also is useful for subjects who have skin imperfections, as this light will help smooth those out in the picture.
Gear used in this video
- Nikon D3S Body Only
- Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G AF-S VR II Zoom-Nikkor ED-IF Lens
- Profoto Softbox 4×6′
- Profoto D1 1000 Watt Second Air Monolight Flash with Built-in Reflector & Power Cable, Coated Flash Tube
- Profoto D1 500 Watt Second Air Monolight Flash with Built-in Reflector & Power Cable, Coated Flash Tube
- Profoto 2×3′ RFi Softbox, Rectangular
- Matthews Baby Junior Triple Riser Stand with Wheels
- Profoto Zoom Reflector 2 – Accepts Profoto Grids, No Gridholder Needed
- Profoto 20° Honeycomb Grid. #100606 / 505-528
- Profoto 10 Degree Honeycomb Grid for the #505-502 7″ Grid Reflector. #100634 / 505-572
- Profoto 5 Degree Honeycomb Grid for the #505-502 7″ Grid Reflector. #100635 / 505-571
- Benro A2690TBH1 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod
- PocketWizard Plus III Transceiver #801-130
Using Continuous Lights
Mark tackles the problem of trying to get shallow depth of field with studio strobes.
When shooting with a strobe, you can only turn the power so low, and sometimes that isn’t low enough. To combat this, Mark simply uses the modeling light as a continuous light. This allows him to open the aperture to something like 1.8 or 1.2 to get extremely shallow depth of field and some stunning portraits.
Gear used in this video
- Canon 1Ds Mark II (only available used)
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM AutoFocus Telephoto Zoom Lens with Case & Hood
- Profoto D1 1000 Watt Second Air Monolight Flash with Built-in Reflector & Power Cable, Coated Flash Tube
- Profoto D1 500 Watt Second Air Monolight Flash with Built-in Reflector & Power Cable, Coated Flash Tube
- Profoto Zoom Reflector 2 – Accepts Profoto Grids, No Gridholder Needed
- Profoto 2×3′ RFi Softbox, Rectangular
- Profoto Softbox 4×6′
- Profoto 10 Degree Honeycomb Grid for the #505-502 7″ Grid Reflector. #100634 / 505-572
- Profoto White Softlight Reflector (beauty dish)
- Sekonic L-758DR DigitalMaster, Programmable Digital Flash & Ambient Exposure Meter
- Benro A2690TBH1 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod
- Westcott Photo Basics 40″ 5-in-1 Collapsible Reflector Kit with Case, Reflector Holder Arm & Stand
Using Hard Light for Portraits
In this episode, Mark debunks the myth that hard light can’t be used for beautiful portraits.
The key is positioning the light properly and watching the shadows. Using strobes with no modifier or just a basic reflector can deliver some amazing results.
Gear used in this video
Split Toning
In this episode, Mark demonstrates how to create unique photographs through a post-processing technique called split toning. Using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4, Mark adjusts the colors in the image by applying different hues to the shadows and highlights.
Gear used in this video:
Book Cover Shoot
In the second part of this two part series, photographer Mark Wallace explains how to light a set for a successful book cover shoot.
Gear used in this video
- Nikon D3S Body Only
- Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G AF-S VR II Zoom-Nikkor ED-IF Lens
- Matthews Baby Junior Triple Riser Stand with Wheels,
- Sekonic L-758DR DigitalMaster, Programmable Digital Flash & Ambient Exposure Meter
- Profoto Acute2R 1200 Pro Value Pack
- Tether tableTether Tools Tether Table Premier, 18″ x 16″ – Black
- Manfrotto 055XPROB Black Tripod Legs
- Manfrotto Midi Ball Head 498 with RC2 Rapid Connect Plate
- PocketWizard MultiMAX Transceiver, Remote Control Radio Slave.
- Nikon SB-900 TTL AF Shoe Mount Speedlight
- Apple MacBook Pro 15.4 inch LED Notebook
- Profoto Snoot
- Matthews 48″ x 48″ Road Flag Fabric: Double Black
- Profoto 20° Honeycomb Grid. #100606 / 505-528
- Westcott Photo Basics 40″ 5-in-1 Collapsible Reflector Kit with Case, Reflector Holder Arm & Stand
- Adobe CS6 Creative Suite 6 Design Standard Software Suite for Mac