Understanding Studio Flash Lighting

It's very important to understand the differences between flash and continuous studio lighting.

Why do photographers choose to use flash instead of using continuous light?
What are the disadvantages of using continuous light?
Where's the flash coming from and where is the continuous light?
Monoblock flash heads or power pack systems?
How is the power output of studio flash lamps measured and how do they compare?
Understand studio flash F-stops and power range.

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Helpful Resources:

Types of studio lighting: There is a multitude of studio lighting options available, but essentially they all provide artificial daylight-balanced illumination. Master the differences in the way each works in this class.

Lighting Theory (including Inverse Square Law of Light)

Mini Photography Studio Setup for Wine Photography (includes set-up diagram)

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FREE Photography Course (with quiz and 90-Page Illustrated Guide):
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[vimalneha]

Karl is the best photographer and teacher. Many can take good photos, but one who can educate others is the true one.
Joule part I learned from him in terms of F-Stop.

[hawg]

When I was a Paramedic we used Lifepak cardiac defibulators to shock a persons back into a rhythm. The max we had were 360 Joules available. I cannot even imagine getting shocked by a 3200 Joules block. That will send you flying across the room. LOL Great video.

[jlwilliams]

That should answer a lot of people's questions! One thing to know about pack-and-head systems is that they can draw a lot of power from the AC/mains... not a problem if you have a nice studio like Karl's with dedicated circuits for everything, but something to watch out for on locations. I used to shoot market-research photos in-house for a large corporation, and our little studio was next to the IT department... one day for some reason we had to fire both 2400-joule packs at full power, tripped the circuit breaker, and all the computers next door went dark! They were not happy with us...

[gmpixel]

And that's the difference between a pro talking and a simple youtuber... Thx for great clarifications Karl!

[AbhinavanandSingh]

Can't imagine today's photography scenario without you, Karl. As Ansel Adams gave a legacy, you gave us knowledge!

[kallabe]

i’m young beginner photographer who lives in ethiopia and i really want to thank you for your sharing experience

[thehomedepothouseplant]

I like the way you teach. Often clear and straight to the point.

[_JeffMart]

For anyone that is confused, a Joule is the same as a Ws (watt second). 800 Joules is 800 Ws. I may have missed it but I don't think it was mentioned in the video, and I think in the US at least, studio light power specs are generally listed in Ws and not Joules.

[JimmyDaboul]

Thank you Karl! I've been playing around with speedlites recently and didn't want to jump into studio lights in fear of thinking it was above my skill level. Thank you for this simple approach in understanding this misconception of studio lights.

[ahmedm.fathie]

Karl, what a nice scientific presentation! unlike all others you see around. People could see the quality here, no wonder you use a Hasselblad. I really like your style. Dr Ahmed Fathie Ph.D.

[flyeaglesflyyy]

Crazy. I thought my $2, 800 flash setup was expensive. To know that power pack is the price of a used BMW is quite insane to think about. Hopefully I can get to that level someday. I'd take the Profoto Pro 11 instead to fit my ecosystem lol. Thanks for all the info!

[markhall]

Outstanding explanation. I wish someone would have explained this quite as succinctly as you have. I would have purchased different lights for what I shoot. Unfortunately, most companies love to want to buy their "biggest and baddest" new iteration of their products. Thank you.

[Govannonart]

Thanks for the information. It's a good idea to refresh your knowledge from time to time.
Cheers from Mother Russia

[johnhjic]

I must admit to been a Broncolor fan from why back with 606 and 302 to now I have the Siros 800s and 800L just love there kit. Thanks for a nice little video.

[KamranDodhy]

You have such command over the subject. I never try to miss your tutorials. You are one of the best teachers of photography. Keep up the good work. Cheers.

[JustCreativityHere]

This must be a Masterclass! Huge Love and Respect for you Sir from Pakistan! 💖😇

[malcolmrendle]

fabulous video, best explanation of studio lights that I have come across

[Thomasmcse]

What a great video! Thanks for that. I wish, I would have found that earlier. There are so many videos, but not even the half of them are so well explained! 📸

[kevincull]

Another brilliant video Karl, your a natural when it comes to teaching!

[Fleet]

Love the content you provide! I’d love to see you do something on outdoor lighting too🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿