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Many of you already know I’ve predominantly switched all of my lighting to LEDs in the last year or so. But why? Was it the incredibly easy-to-use ambient light that shows you in real-time what you’re going to get? The millions of instantly accessible colours? The quick Kelvin adjustments? Sure, these are all ‘nice’ to have, but they’re really only offering me incredibly convenient options for what I could already do. The main reason I switched, is light quality.
The biggest difference for me switching over to LED from flash aside from the incredible ease-of-use that almost makes me feel guilty of cheating whenever I use them, is that unique and beautiful light quality. I’ve already spoken about this at great length in the past so I won’t go into it in detail again here. If you’re curious then I’ll link some previous articles below that explain it further.
The main differing factor to remember when compared to flash, is the shape of the light itself. Flashes push a lot of very bright light out from a single point aka the small flash tube. LEDs and I’m talking about LED panels specifically here, spread that power out across hundreds of small bulbs and each of these individual bulbs pushes out a little bit of light.
This is a page from my new Colour 2.0 course workbook, but it simply demonstrates how light from flashes and LED panels starts out very differently.
So what?
I’ve gone into detail in the past covering why collimated or light rays travelling parallel to one another produce more beautiful looking light on our subjects, so for today, I’m going assume you’re up to speed on that, but please check my previous articles for more details and I’ll link and relevant ones below.
My thoughts on why LED offers something unique vs flash
A look at what causes ‘hot-spots’ and how we can prevent them
We know that evenly distributed light that comes from modifiers like Fresnels and parabolic reflectors produce cleaner-looking light and we know that large LED panels replicate that look by also evenly distributing their light over a larger area compared to pushing it out from a single point, but how does that distribution affect the exposure?
LED Panels and Light Drop-Off
If you’ve switched to LED panels from flash like I have, you’ll know that your muscle memory for lighting is a little off. I’ve been using flash for over 25 years so my experience allowed me to move my lights around a set almost instinctively knowing how much power I’d lose by moving X light 2 feet back etc. When switching to LED panels I very quickly noticed that the light drop-off rules I was so familiar with, were no longer applying. The more experienced among you will be aware of the ‘inverse square law’ and how it guides us on how light will diminish evenly over certain distances. The catch is that ‘law’ applies to single points of light and LED panels are not single points of light and thus their light falls off differently.
This is not a bad thing however and there are a lot of ways in which we can use this knowledge to our advantage with LEDs and I’ll explain that in a bit.
This is a crude illustration of what I mean by singular points of light spreading light very differently when compared to larger panels of LEDs
If you’re reading this after switching to LEDs and you’re thinking, ‘I’ve not noticed anything’, that could be totally understandable as these panels are not truly ‘collimating’ the light and it only appears to do so when you use the panels very close to you subject like I do. Why do I do that? I place my lights very close to my subjects to maintain control of that light. If I pull it further away, I need to turn the power up and now I lose control of all that light bouncing around. You can get away with working like this if you’re using multiple white lights, but when you’re using lots of coloured lights, you absolutely cannot allow those lights to fall on top of one another. Keeping lights close to the subject keeps you in control of that light and allows you to maintain strong colours that are uncontaminated by other lights.
In the above example, I’m using an LED tube and not a panel, but the principle of spreading power evenly over a large area still applies. See how the pink light spreads down the body very smoothly and evenly on the final image on the left? Also, see how the pink light loses its power almost immediately on the body? Look at the far left (her right shoulder), and see how the pink barely reaches that side of the body, even though the light is only mere inches away from it. This is only possible thanks to the hundreds of small lights all throwing a little bit of light compared to the right hand example where we have one big light in real-close that would easily over-expose the face and then also not spread down the body.
TL;DR If we have larger light sources like LED panels and tubes made up of lots of small lights, they put out an even wall of light. Compare this to the singular point of light like a flash which produces an explosion of light from a central point.
One produces soft and even light and the other produces hot-spots of light.
The nerd-talk is nearly over, but I wanted to highlight how LED panels and tubes spread light as this entire setup takes that knowledge and puts it into practice to produce some of the most beautifully soft and even light I’ve ever crafted. Now when I show you the setup and explain the process, the resulting light should make a lot more sense to you…… and maybe it’ll make even more sense why it’ll look terrible if you were to swap out my suggestions and throw a softbox on the floor instead.
The Setup
Below is the setup I used to create the following final images. I will also include diagrams of alternatives for flash users and of course, for those of you who don’t want to suspend that mess above your model.
Cut out and keep
Both the top light and red tubes on
Top light off and only red tubes on
Top light close up of the ‘contraption’ its encased in
Close up of LED tubes surrounding stool
Early test image before I switched to the blue top-light - Here you can clearly see the incredibly smooth and quick drop-off of light down the body.
The above raw test image of the model before I switched the top-light to blue illustrates the beautiful drop-off of light I was referring to earlier. See how the face is bathed in super-soft light, but also see how there is almost no light falling down the body. Look at her left wrist in this shot and see how it has almost no white light falling on it.
TL;DR/ADHD/Artist Setup Explanation
Setup white background behind subject
Place subject about 3ft/1m in front of that
Suspend AEOS 2 Pro LED light above the subject
Attach the DIY scrim and skirt to top-light
Assemble 3x 4ft tubes around the model (one in front and one either side)
Kit Used
1x Rotolight AEOS 2 Pro
3x Rainbow Series 320-Degree RGB LED Neon Light Tube
White Scrim/Diffusion Material
10m Paracord
Large Silk Painting Frame 100cm x 100cm
Black Velvet
C-Stand
White Backdrop
Camera Settings
Camera - Nikon D850
Lens - DC-Nikkor 105mm f2
Shutter Speed - 1/125th
Aperture - f2.8
ISO - 200
Kelvin - 4500K
Focal Length - 105mm
The DIY Top Light Modifier / AKA The Monstrosity
Below I’ll list out the parts and then you can see the DIY top-lights final-form.
Parts Required
Large Silk Painting Frame
White Scrim/Diffusion Material
10m Paracord
Black Velvet
I got all of my items from either eBay or Amazon. Ordinarily, I try to get things from anywhere but Amazon, but sometimes it’s just inevitable. Have a look around, but that scrim/diffusion material I use all the time so I definitely recommend getting that, even if you don’t use it on this shoot.
Step-by-Step Assembly
1. Suspend silk frame from C-stand via paracord
3. Suspend your light (AEOS 2 PRO) from C-Stand via Super Clamp
5. This should now be good to use, but check for light-spill first
2. Clip your diffusion material across the silk frame
4. Cover light with black velvet to prevent light spill
6. If done correctly, you should have a very clean and even light from below
Okay, so hear me out!
I get it, you probably looked at that mess of wood and string above and think I’ve lost my mind. That’s fair, but the main purpose of this monstrosity was to test a theory and yes, there is still clearly a ton of room for improvement.
The main aspect I wanted to test here, was to include a mini-wall of light aka an LED panel that has a very even spread of light and a very fast drop-off of light down the body. Then I wanted to use that light very close to the top of the subject and soften and control that light in a small space.
The test was extremely successful in my mind and I absolutely adore the final results which I’ll share below now.
The Results
Click to enlarge any of the shots below.
Model: Saida
Breaking it Down
I’ve spent a lot of time talking about that top-light and not much about the LED tubes acting as fill-lights below. The main reason for this is simply that I’ve spoken a lot about the qualities of LED tubes in the past and I’ve used them a lot in many recent articles. That said, I will cover why I’m using them here as a fill light.
Here you can see the model touching the LED tube, but see how that exposure isn’t blown out on the fingers and is still even on the face.
LED Tubes
We’ve already established earlier in the article that lights that distribute their power over a large surface have a quicker brightness drop-off. This allows us to use these lights very close to the subject, sometimes even in-shot, and know that they will not overpower the subject. Instead, they offer us a very clean and even light over a large area of the body and this is what’s making them so popular right now. It’s no surprise that every brand is now bringing out LED tubes as they are extremely easy to use and unbelievably forgiving with that aforementioned even drop-off of light. As I said, you’ve seen me use those tubes, literally touching the model in-shot and not blowing out anywhere. Why? Because of the evenly distributed light. I know I’m really drilling this home, but it’s a very new concept to many strobe shooters and I see so many of them continuing to overlook this.
In my featured setup above I’m using 3 tubes surrounding the model. One in the front and one either side of her. These LED tubes are quite literally just out of frame and in some shots they were clipping the bottom of the image. They are extremely close to her and this is to force that very quick drop-off of light again. I’ve spread the light as much as possible and thus as evenly as possible. This is akin to if she was standing on one of those coloured LED floors you see in every Korean dance video. It’s a lot of light, but it’s spread evenly and thus it drops off very evenly too.
LED Tube Positioning
You may or may not have seen how I attached the LED tubes in the BTS above, but essentially I’m using Munsen clips and light stands. I’ve covered this in previous articles, so if you’re interested in more info, take a look here: Lighting Setup: Affordable LED Tubes
Model Posing
You may be wondering why the model was always sat down and why I didn’t get any standing images. Sadly, it was simply logistical limitations. The space was limited and the ceiling was low hence once the top-light was in position, we simply didn’t have room for her to be standing. As it turned out, the model was phenomenal and actually thrived on the restrictions of being sat down. This resulted in some shots where she’s leaning forward or over the lights below which cast some truly gorgeous light across her body. Images that I simply wouldn't have gotten had she been stood the whole time. As usual, you have to capitalise on your limitations, not use them as an excuse.
Tips on Setting up
The top light needs to be just out of frame to maximise that drop-off. I was shooting on a 105mm lens which allowed me to bring that top-light even lower in the frame than if I’d been on a wider lens. The same applies to the LED tubes below. Make sure they are as close as you can get them without them actually being in-frame. Start by exposing your weakest lights at max power first. For me, it was the tubes. I set them to max output and then adjusted my camera around that. Next, I switched on my top-light and adjusted that power accordingly.
Lastly, we don’t have a background light so you’ll have to manage the colour and exposure back there by simply moving your setup closer or further away from the white backdrop behind. I opted for around 3ft/1m to allow for a little bit of spill and if you move too far away, you’ll notice that it gets very dark back there very quickly.
Alternate Setup for Sane People
Where possible, I do try and offer up an alternative setup for those either not able to acquire specialist modifiers, or those simply still using flash instead of LEDs. As we’ve discussed, the light will look different, but if you’re just looking to play with a new idea and don’t want all the hassle of the extra steps, this is a nice substitute.
Cut out & keep
Pretty simple, right? Large softbox above and a small softbox below. Done. If you just skipped all the way down here, then you just saved yourself 10 minutes! But I will leave you with one final diagram as to why I would urge you to test out some panels when you get a chance.
As I’m illustrating above. Do be prepared for the softbox light to be harder to manage than the panel light. It will appear brighter in the middle when used closely like this, so just be prepared for that.
If you take nothing else from this article then at least remember this; try to spread your light as evenly as possible, as quickly as possible. In this instance, I’m using a large LED panel to do so. Then I want to bring that evenly distributed light as close to my subject as possible to ensure a very fast drop off of light. With these two principles in mind, you should see a dramatic difference in your portrait lighting, especially if you use coloured light.
As always, I wish you luck with the shoot and let me know how you get on.
Products Used
Rotolight
Although I am sharing my own personal thoughts and findings about the lights mentioned in this article, many of you will want to know that I am now a ‘Master of Light’ for Rotolight. As such, I have been given a discount code to share with you when purchasing any of their products via the Rotolight website. Use my code ‘JAKEHICKS10’ when purchasing and you’ll save a bunch of money. I’ve never earned a penny of commission on this though, so if you find a better deal elsewhere, go for it.
Rotolight AEOS 2 PRO
With the AEOS 2 PRO, the world is your studio. Combining the shoot what you see benefits of powerful continuous light with a High Speed RGBWW strobe, AEOS 2 PRO offers unmatched versatility for photographers and filmmakers. Uniquely lightweight with an ultra-thin design, it’s never been easier to achieve beautiful soft light on the move.
Please note that I’ve included affiliate links below for PixaPro and I will benefit (albeit minimally) from the sales of any of these products should you purchase them. To that end, please feel free to use my discount code ‘HICK5-OFF’ at https://www.essentialphoto.co.uk/JAKEHICKSPHOTO to receive a 10% discount on any purchase via their site.
Use Code: HICK5-OFF for 10% Discount on all Essential Photo Products
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Use Code: HICK5-OFF for 10% Discount on all Essential Photo Products ||
Rainbow Series RGB LED NEON Light Tube
I was using the 120cm long tubes, but be aware that 90cm length tubes are also available. More information on these tubes can be found via the link provided.
Rainbow Series 320-Degree RGB LED Neon Light Tube
JHP Livestreams…
I livestream every other Tuesday night via YouTube and there I answer your questions, critique your shots, take community images into Photoshop to work on them and discuss all manner of lighting tips and techniques. I look forward to seeing you and your work there real soon. Jake Hicks Photography - YouTube
