Photo Light: A Practical Guide

Photo lighting for products and portraits comes down to two different jobs. A product shot needs even light, accurate colour, and no distracting reflections. A portrait needs shaping, a pleasing catchlight, and skin tones that look natural. One lamp can sometimes do both jobs, but the setup around it will differ.

For products, the usual approach is soft, even light from two sides, with the product on a plain background. Softness matters more than brightness: a harsh light creates hard reflections on glossy packaging and deep shadows behind the product. Moving the light further away, or bouncing it, softens it without buying new equipment.

For portraits, the light is placed to shape the face. A key light to one side, a weaker fill on the other side, and a catchlight in the eyes are the basics. A ring light gives the catchlight automatically, because the camera looks through the middle of the light. A panel or tube light needs more careful placement to get the same effect.

Colour accuracy matters for both jobs, and more for products. If a buyer judges a product by its photograph, the light's colour rendering decides whether the photograph can be trusted. That is why high rendering figures are worth checking on a detail page before ordering a light for product work.

Finally, consistency matters across a set of photographs. A light that holds its brightness and colour through a long session gives a catalogue a uniform look. A light that drifts forces correction afterwards, which costs time. Ask about stability and run time in an inquiry if the session is long.