9 BIG Studio FLASH Lighting MISTAKES to AVOID!
To help improve your studio photography skills faster, here are 9 BIG MISTAKES to avoid when using studio flash lighting.
** Access ALL Classes & Workshops: bit.ly/Join-Visual-Education
I’ve been a photography educator for more than 12 years now, so I’ve seen pretty much everything when it comes to common mistakes relating to first-time studio lighting users.
From relying on a light meter to shying away from understanding the physics of light, here are 9 mistakes you should try to avoid when using studio flash, studio LEDs, or strobe lighting.
Diagrams and information: bit.ly/studio-flash-lighting-m...
How to measure light and exposure WITHOUT a LIGHT METER: bit.ly/learn-light
Why I don't use a light meter: bit.ly/NO-Light-Meter
Introduction to & Understanding Light: bit.ly/understand-light-for-ph...
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After a nearly 40 year career and now it’s a good day to get out of bed and make it downstaires. You sir are one of the few photographers on the web, that I can say are a true professional photographer. You sound like my old boss. Training me as a commercial advertising photographer. I went blind driving home from a four day job working with clients and mps. The great NHS saved my sight but I have an illness Myasthenia Gravis my immune system attacks my nerve endings from my brain, to all my muscles lungs eyes voice. It leaves you weak. I so much miss the life of a photographer. My wife put me on to utube thinking it was a way to stay in touch with photography. Unfortunately not everyone is as professional as you. Keep up the good work. You proved that knowledge is more important than the latest gear. Like you I was taught to make and improvise and only buy what would pay its way in the business. Sorry for the rant. Lockdown means I don’t even get to visit the hospital for a day out.
Hey Gary, I'm glad you are enjoying the videos and that they bring back good memories, very sorry to hear about your illness and how it leaves you weak, it must be very frustrating. We'll be posting every Tuesday as usual helping keep you entertained! Cheers Karl.
I also had nearly 40yrs in the biz and everything you say is spot on. Too many YT'rs are making money trying to flog stuff to people who cannot afford it, don't need it and certainly either don't know how to use it or can't use it, and nearly all of them mistakenly think it will improve their pictures. Hundreds of years ago I used to lecture for Fuji and the main object of my employ was to flog more film - which it did - NPS160 and NHG 400 for the wedding market. My advice for up and coming photographers was to buy the cheapest camera you can afford and spend the rest on film!!! Now we have gone all digital I am unsure if that still applies. But regardless of that my advice to you to you is to perhaps find another way to enjoy your passion, perhaps write a book - or do a blog and allow other people to learn from your own experiences?. Stay strong, stay safe.
Nelson Club thank you. I did a bit for spicer hallfield at focus and other venues and Mike mcmnee the editor for SWPP. And wrote a few articles and a bit on channel 4 and bbc. And still feel that I’m not good enough to teach. My friend died just before Christmas. He was warrington council photographer the local rag and warrington wolves and taught at the collage and also fishwicks in the northwest. My old firm’s owners where taught by the apprentice of the very first professional photographer in Liverpool. So very big boots to follow. An you always know where you are in the pecking order. With that pedigree 🤣. You probably talked me into velvia. I loved the rich quality on my weddings. ( I worked out. During lockdown) well over a thousand, and enjoyed them all. From lock Lomond Christmas Eve. To 7 in 10 days. Never tired of seeing people happy, having a great time. As you manipulate them to pose in the best light and they just think they are having a great time.
I'm a 36yr old photographer, done a portrait session with a 1yr old child yesterday.. My knees were creeking as I get off the ground.. It hit me.. I can't do this forever (well this type of photography).. My question is, how does a freelance photographer plan for retirement, financially and mentally?
@@NPColoured hi Chad sorry for the delay, in answering you. Been a bit tired. Photographers like other industries can leave your body, with problems, knee joints. Back pain and tendons in your fingers. But you should listen to the problems with sportsmen. Their body’s are wrecked. Footballers rugby players and gymnastics are some I have worked with. If you know what is to come you can try some preventative practices. Using a tripod helps your back a prism head will save bending down. Sorry a flip screen 🤣. If your studio is big enough build a platform for your kid photography. It means that you are at ground level, with the child and saves your back and knees. You must bear in mind the child’s safety. But works great. I wish I had learned that trick a long time age and saved my knees. ( I photographed a kids model agency for ten years and spent so many days a month on my knees. I feel for you ) You do need a good pension sorted. You must study that as much or even more than your camera craft. You must work out your costs for materials, equipment, and your time. If you play for hours on photoshop. You have to charge for that time. Or your partner will moan you have worked all day on your photography and now your on the computer. Lifetime balance is a must. I would say have another hobby outside of photography but that would make me a liar. I lived and breathed it. Most of my friends are photographers. My illness happened before I was due to retire. I had planned to buy a small camper van and travel around Britain and shoot landscape villages and architectural. I have shot wildlife during later years. It’s been a fun learning curve. As for your mental health when you retire. That I wouldn’t worry about. You will have had a career in the best job in the world. Meeting interesting people listen to your clients life experience. You will learn so much. And have so many stories to tell. I have never had a bad day in work. When things go wrong, you use it as a challenge and you will find that you are the calm in a storm of emotions. On a wedding day nearly everyone will look to you to take control.
Absolutely love your delivery of these videos. You say what's relevant, you're clear and consise, and you haven't tried to flog me anything or tell how great squarespace is. I've only been doing studio/strobe stuff for a couple of years so really new. Thanks for the great content and long may it continue. 👍🏻
Thank you, although we do post one video per month that has a square advert in it.
4k videos will be a nice touch for the videos Karl, great content!
I'm glad you said this about light meters! When I first started photography, it didnt make sense to me that people still used them. I never bothered and knew to go by eye
Another awesome video! Huge fan of the education website! Gotta be honest: there is a lot of crap on the internet regarding the topics you cover and your approach is easily accessible and far more elegant. Many thanks! And I'm planning to purchase a Broncolor 2-light setup!
I am glad you have these videos. Thanks!!
I always learn so much more than just photography when watching Karl's videos. Thanks for sharing your invaluable knowledge.
My pleasure!
"need to fail to learn" yep totally agree with that, even to the point of deliberately failing to see what the result is, that way if your results turn out wrong you have a better knowledge of why that happened because you already did it in fail testing.
Exactly
Brilliant stuff. I am trying to take some product photos for an online store, this information is invaluable.
A refreshing change of a video. Try things out, see what happens and you'll find your own creative style instead of listing off all the settings. Photography is an art and every artist has their own style. Get a model, family member or whatever. No pressure. It's only a failure when you give up. Everything before is just learning
Been watching since your earliest vids, followed most of your advise and tips. You sir are a great teacher, Mr. Taylor.
I appreciate that!
Great class Karl. So much information and yet easy to digest. So happy you stop the focus on light meters, as they are so dated on how to light your photography.
I really do appreciates your yt videos and it makes me feel motivated everytime watching it,this makes me decide planning to undergo to your photography training/educational course in the near future..
Thank you
Sharing your experience is very helpful. Thanks for effort!
Glad it was helpful
You explain these principles very, very well! I observed that the "light duration" is more important than shutter speed in long exposure photography, but didn't knew it also applies for fast movement.
Thank you.
Amazed by your incredible personality and professionality.
Very kind thank you.
Good morning sir. Thank you, as always, I've learnt something completely new! You are doing a really great service👏🏿
You are very welcome
here comes my first online photography teacher ever!!! your videos have been my inspiration and my source of knowledge since the beginning of my photography learning history.. back in 2011, even when i didn't have any camera, i fell in love with photography. and i watched your videos like every day and every night! you're legend karl thank you
Happy to hear that, thanks.
Thank you, you really inspire people to be better.👍🏼
Karl, it’s like hearing myself talking! I found your presentation immensely engaging from almost every elemental point of view. Most interesting to me, was your almost pictorial use of words, that described to my mind, a brilliant engineers, or constructors enthusiasm for the whole of his love of the subject. I fully agree with your saying for instance “Seeing the light” and what this might mean. Importantly, I think to teach effectively, first one must learn how the pupil learns and I think you are definitely broaching on that point in all of the presentations you have here on KZhead. I’m on my way to your site now to check it out. I hope we might meet one day. Thank you.
Thanks Anthony, glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you Karl for taking the time to reply.
All of these are great reminders. Thanks Karl 👌🏾
My pleasure
So excited, I signed up to your classes and courses. I can not wait to start learning. I am very new to flash photography
Welcome aboard!
Thank you, Karl! KTE its really answer for all questions and gold for photoraphers. Happy with KTE almost for 2 years.
Great to hear, thanks
As usual great and very informative video. I've learnt a lot from Karl and am highly grateful to him.
Thanks Karl! You have made me a much better photographer, just by watching your videos and learning photography and how it works in detail.
Thank you and you are very welcome.
During this year, I have dedicated more time to learn the basic concepts and to practice them, thanks to your teaching model, I understood that everything is in being creative, without fear to practice with the type of light that I have in that moment, thank you very much to share the knowledge so much in youtube as in the courses of the web page.
Cheers. Keep it up
I came back here to say this Back in 2011, the 19yo me started to like photography. Didnt have any camera, but i knew someday i would. And do you know, karl? I spent my times watching videos about photography. And one of the most helpful channel is yours. I watched all of them. My fav one is when you're doing street portrait in Guernsey. 10 years later, today, your channel still has the best quality of contents and clear explanations. It's still the most helpful like how i found it for the first time. And am really happy that you're looking healthy. Thanks so much karl
Thank you for your kind words.
Great & informative as always, you inspire me every time. Thank you million times for everything, I still can’t express my gratitude till this day but thank you is the only word that I can come up with.
You are welcome
Thank you so much Karl, very helpful and informative points!
My pleasure!
Thanks for the video, it’s highly appreciated.
My pleasure
Thanks Karl. Very nicely explained. It's like with cooking; you might follow recipes, but if you want to be real good, you need to know the key principles. You have a load of books with photoshoot sets examples and diagrams, but to really advance, every photographer should understand the principles. In this video, I think the way you emphasize the importance of these principles is excellent.
Very true
Very short video but Great Lecture... STILL LEARNING is the most important principle!!!
Glad you liked it!
Great content with your videos. Always something new to learn
Awesome, thank you
Thank you, As always, I've learnt something completely new. About the Lighting.
Glad to help!
Great advices..thank you Karl!
Karl i bought your lifetime course and its the best investment ever... Hope you achieve even greater successes❤️😊
Thanks so much Anurag! Same to you and your photography
how much is that
I am hoping to buy it next year as well
I can listen to you for hours. You are a superb teacher 👍👍
Thanks
Amazing presentation information and awesome knowledge those tips she had help me perform better at my craft. Thank you for the upload
Glad it was helpful!
Love the content of your videos. Always something new to learn :)
Glad to hear it thanks
Karl you are so impressive!!
Great interface as usual.... two weeks ago whilst taking a portrait inspired by one of yours I taped a lens to a snoot, talking about problem solving.
Good stuff.
You are truly a master. Love your educational videos.
Thank you very much
Been watching your Chanel for years and can honestly say... You sir are one of the best photographers and teachers of our time.
Wow, thanks! Very kind.
You are right people are too afraid to fail, too many of them.
Thanks for sharing
Just bought a Hasselblad H4D 50. And picked up a 120 80 and a 35. Super excited for the medium format perspective and experience.
Hope you enjoy it!
woooow.... impossible to not watch the entire video...so much insightful information in just almost 12mins video...wooow...thank you so much....very educative and motivative....thank you.. I like what you said in the end...that one has to keep learning...thank you for sharing....
Glad you liked it!
THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR THE iNFORMATION AND LECTURE.
Most welcome
I watched this video and I really liked it. I had already signed up for access to all your material after becoming a member on a monthly basis but I found I was overwhelmed and got lost on what I should be watching. I wish you would have a web page that states which what videos to watch first. Maybe you already have this but I could not find it. After you become a member you should send and email saying, if you are a beginner, what these video links. If you want to shoot models, these links to these videos, product photography, then these. I have reviewed all my emails and have not found anything like this. The videos I have watched so far are great but I am missing basic concepts that are covered in this video. My suggestion would be to organize the information better to focus on styles and types with videos links for each different style/type in a single location. This would be greatly appreciated. If you already have a link to this web page, that would also be greatly appreciated.
Great Creams of Information, Thank you,Master...
Thank you.
Thank you thank you 🙏🙏 Mr Taylor
Cheers
Always enjoy your wisdom talk in a professional way and right to the point...it may sound funny, you talk formal but don't sound boring 🤣
Ha ha cheers!
Sir, thanks for the detailed explanation. I have a question - I am a beginner photographer from India and I was approached by a fashion startup company to shoot their apparel with models/mannequins in the studio. Our budget is very limited and I am looking at Godox AD300 Pro with a 120 CM Octabox as my key light. I already have a Godox TT685 and a small softbox which I can use as a rim/hair light or as a secondary source to light up the background. Could you please suggest if I can light up head to toe shots with the AD300Pro and 120 CM Octobox as the key light? Any advice is much appreciated.
Thank you!
This is as very helpful
Thanks a million for showing these mistakes. Never stop learning from your videos. Cheers from Mother Russia
My pleasure Nikolai! 📷
Mind blowing tutorial sir
Thanks and welcome
Your videos are the best on KZhead. I am a retired photojournalist and teacher. Out of all the videos about photography on the internet yours are the most informative and educational.
Thank you.
great concentrated videos! Important information in each sentence. it is a class! thank you for your job (from Saint-Petersburg, Russia).
You're very welcome thank you
An old basketball coach use to tell me "SHOOT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT, THEN SHOOT UNTIL YOU MISS" "we're in the digital age" great video sir👊🏾
Cheers
If Guy Ritchie created a photography professor character, I have the feeling he’d be a lot like our main man here! I like this channel. Very informative.
Thank you.
Karl, you rule mate.
oh I like that guy! that's fantastic. Thanks 🤩
Hi, I am a current subscriber, can you recommend a class that addresses understanding shadow depth for products? I realized that this is something I could use more help in. Thanks a lot.
Hey Mordechai, take it easy. Try this, the reason artificial lightning was invented is because in Europe is not always sunny, in this video, the instructor says that he made a product take with natural light imitating artificial light, but in fact is the oposite way, artificial light imitate natural light. So, try to make some experiments with natural light. In the other hand, remember that your eye connected to your brain is constantly modifiding lights and shadows, so is an ilusion, try to do that with your photography, start with natural light. Sorry for my english. Baruj Adonay Elohim elohe Yisrael ose niflaot lebado !!
This is a great channel,thanks for share.
Thank you too
you r the best
THANKS
Detailed guide for beginners. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
There's probably years if experience that goes into this but... generally speaking, how do you use the flash and fast shutter speeds in the example of the paint to get it right first time? In that, one can't be throwing paint around all day. I'm not a photographer I'm trying to learn to do my own product photography for my business
Mr taylor... I take off my hat each time i watch your videos
thank you
This has been the best ever youtube tutorial and yes it will take me time but im going to start my journey even tho i never thought to be a photographer at 34 lol
Cheers
Hi Karl, this is a great video and I agree for 95% but mainstream a 100%. My doubts are on the subject about people asking about your camera (exposure) settings. Now people, starters, are often impressed with all those numbers and asking for guidance. Of course in their situation this are completely different but if you guide them towards how you got to those settings things will help them in their quest to get it right. Just a week a go I asked an excellent landscape photographer why he used F11 ISO 800 while F8 ISO 400 would target the sweet spot of his lens and would introduce less noise. (he needed a certain shutterspeed to avoid branches moving caused by wind.) So he pointed out he wanted to get bush close to him in focus too. Solid question, solid answer. Now I respect you great for the quality of your studio shooting and teaching but the other day I wend to your web site and looked around (nice website BTW) and I started one of your educational video's but there is an error (not so important to the viewers, more or less on a physical level) in some of those video's and I would like to address that to you by mail cause the quality of your work matters and I rather don't do it in a comment. Is there a way I can mail you directly ? Thanks for sharing this wisdom and I hope I can be of any help.
Hi RS, I have no problem you commenting here or leaving a public comment on our website. We have full confidence in our material and methods, most questions we receive relate to not having watched our courses in the right order or having missed a particular video but we welcome any feedback if there is anything we can improve.
@@VisualEducationStudio Well spoken Karl, and where her we go. In your courses/tutorials, which are of great quality, *you speak about a digital sensor.* The thing is: A sensor in NOT digital, it is ANALOG. The camera is digital but the sensor NOT ! (doesn't really matter for the intention and quality of those good tutorials, but I just like to put this to your attention) Allow me to explain: The light coming through the lens towards the camera passes the color array filter and ends at the photo diodes. The differences of light intensity reveals itself a fluctuation in voltage at the back end of the sensor. This is an analog proces/signal. Further down the electric circuit it passes an A/D filter and after that it becomes a digital signal. (hence the Analog to Digital filter ) before or after the A/D filter (depends on make and model) a gain is supplied to strength of the signal (this is what we call ISO in the digital camera world). That's in short my comment . Be safe and thanks for sharing the goodies ;-) Greetings from a sunny Amsterdam, Rob
Hi RS, thanks for your feedback. Realistically we couldn't also consider the camera to be 'digital' because its method of operation and capture remains the same as those of 'analog' cameras such as the Canon T90 and early EOS or Nikon cameras. The only element that has truly changed is the recording medium which then was film and now is a photodiode substrate and then the transfer of that information to a memory card. Although I understand and appreciate what you are saying, for the majority of people learning photography the term 'digital' relates to the transition from film cameras to those using photodiode sensors and I use this terminology to avoid further confusion. In fact next weeks video is all about sensors and image quality which I hope you have time to watch I'm sure there will be some interesting facets that you might like to examine and welcome your feedback.
@@VisualEducationStudio Thanks for the early reply . Yes great. It will not detract to the quality of your videos but I thought it would be worth mentioning . Looking forward to that video and I will reveal another thing about sensor modding in a comment. You will be happily surprised, I hope. ;-) I subscribed to your channel some time ago , so I will definitely watch it.
The part at 3:30 is Gold!
Usually when people ask about the power settings, it is not about getting a formula, instead, it is to get an idea of feasibility of equipment. For example, if you are using a 2000 watt second strobe and you tell someone that to get the shot, you needed 3/4 of the output power, the user with a few soft boxes and some Godox AD200s will not have the equipment needed. Beyond that, there are cases where the user wants to get an idea of the lighting ratios.
Another way to think about is to look at sharp shooting videos where everyone wants to know the barrel length, twist rate, caliber, powder amount, bullet weight. The reason why is because without that info, you will have people saying that the strategy demo started is bad because someone tried it with their .22LR when trying to do a 1200 meter shot instead of the 338 lapua that the user should have been using.
It’s all not relevant
Hey Karl , I got a great KZhead video idea, you could come out to other ppl studios and show that you can work in any kind of set. I would be happy to invite in mine very small and difficult studio to shoot. just a thought, would love to get some insight from a light master like you . is there any on the set courses that you do as well ? im based in London. thank you
What you said a 2:20 , I don't understand how people don't realize that earlier.
2'42" : "We need to fail to learn !"
Love for guru 😍
Decided to subscribe to karl taylor education. Best investment ever!
That's great to hear and thanks for the testimonial.
This is why i argue if you want to become a good photographer? Go enroll in college and learn properly, When I studied for my diploma we spent one day a week in the studio completing assignments, each week we had a different product shot, food, wine, portraits industrial parts, jewelry, shooting with water, soft, hard textiles etc etc, The knowledge I learned and confidence i got to take any gig was irreplaceable.
great tips
Cheers
Excellent… Break down….📸
Cheers
informative
Как всегда Карл лучший учитель)
This guy is genius.
Will oily skin or dewy makeup always give specular highlights. I shoot headshots of regular, nonmodel people with varying degrees of makeup expertise from no makeup (usually men), to amateur, self applied makeup, to excellent self applied makeup. Regular or no makeup always gives me specular highlights. Typically use a 1.5m reflective umbrella with and/or without diffusion about 2 meters away in butterfly lighting setup. Any advice appreciated. Cheers.
Hi, yes anything 'glossy' has the potential to create specular or brightly illuminated highlights so anything you can do to remove any 'glossiness' and make it matte will help as well as the physics of moving your lights as close to your subject as possible to make the matte exposure levels more similar to the gloss exposure levels.
Love you Karl but I disagree about the light meter - it was the most important learning tool for me when I couldn't assess how much light is 'good enough'. Still I love to use it for quick sessions when I play around with strobes and modifiers and don't have to annoy model with all the test shots
The Mercedes of photographers 🤘🏻
😊
Sir, I need to know how to shoot round reflective objects such as steel bowls, jars n bottles. I'm from Photocare Udaipur Rajasthan India
See our website
at 4:00 when you used a light meter you also had much more hair ;-) Sorry, I couldn't resist. Back when film was measured in ASA we were taught how to survive if you didn't have a light meter like in a Hasselblad 500cm, there isn't a meter in that model. You remember the formula, ASA 100 bright sunny day shutter speed 1/125 at F-11-16 would get you an acceptable pic. Your a very good photographer & instructor. I like that View camera behind you at 4:00 also.
Ah yes I remember ASA although it wasn't long until it changed to ISO.
Lol i thought u was just a grumpy guy but ur facts are fkin FACTS love the video new Sub 👊🏼
thnx Karl well explained hope ppl get a better understanding i do,,, i follow you Karl for years and dig more in the lighting and how better to work with my studio lights and yes light is the number one to understand better and how to juse it to get the mood you after years ago i was jusing a light meter when i was shooting with film ,, but not any more those days and guys go on Karls webstie and follow one of his cours it will make you a better photographer and understand it better how to juse your camera and lighting :-)
Thanks Rene.
@@VisualEducationStudio your welcome Karl ;-)
Good morning Mr Karl. When your subscription gets to 1 million, it would be a true 1 million because you don't force people to subscribe. Good luck and I will buy your monthly lessons.
Haha 😂 Cheers Ade. We're certainly more about the education on this channel so fingers' crossed we get that big! Thanks for watching
@@VisualEducationStudio you are welcome sir
2023! hi there! Thank you very much for this info..
Welcome!
If you know how to use a meter, and what you want from a photo, a meter will give you a good +starting point+. And using a meter is faster than hit or miss without one.
I'm much faster without a meter, but then I already know the starting point in my head.
@@VisualEducationStudio Me too, usually. But I get some tricky combinations of window, ambient, and strobe quite a bit, so it's better to meter to put all vailues in their correct place.
This is all very useful, and I couldn't believe when you said there was more on your website for free. But when I go to the site, it's all paid content. I'm going to buy a class in the next 2 months, but still, its a bad look to misslead people!
Hi Doom, in our Essentials section on the site there is a whole course for free. There is also a ton of useful stuff on our blog too.
Nice Video :)
Thanks
Thank à lot from Senegal (africa)
Cheers
Yeah, I think at $19 a month for access to Karl's website is a no brainer. I'm struggling to get to grips with studio lighting as I am primarily a street photographer but don't think I can go wrong at least trying a subscription.
Thank you.
Karl says: Put that light meter away and USE YOUR OYS !!! Indeed I will sir!
👍
@@VisualEducationStudio Is that an INVICTA Pro Diver?