Shining a Light on LED

Most photographers still use flash to light their subjects, but is it really the ideal light source? I suspect most of us in studio situations would prefer to use continuous lighting, because it lets you visualize exactly what the lighting looks like before you press the shutter (plus, it allows you to shoot video without changing lights). That’s why more photographers are taking a closer look at LED lighting solutions.

Although LEDs may not provide as much light as strobes, that’s less of an issue now that cameras can shoot at higher ISOs. When you’re shooting children, animals or moving objects, flash is still the only option if you want to freeze movement. However, if you’re shooting a subject that stays still, LED lighting is a great alternative. There are dozens of companies now producing LED lights (a search on B&H or Adorama, though, shows over 1,000 lights from other well-known companies, including Bescor, Cool-Lux, LitePanels, Manfrotto and Westcott, with prices for individual lights ranging from under $100 to over $1,000).

Adventurous photographers may even consider using LED lights from home improvement centers that are used for worksite lighting. One could possibly even adapt LED light bars that are available for off-road use. Some of them can produce up to 24,000 lumens of blinding light in a relatively compact format, though the light output is not adjustable and the color temperature might not be as consistent as those created specifically for photographic use. The photo gallery presents a sampling of eight LEDs I tried out myself.

As long as you don’t need really high output or to freeze movement, any one of these—or better yet, a combination of them—could prove a very useful and economical addition to your kit. Most of the rectangular models have mounting slots on each side, so they can be attached to each other to create a light bank for greater output. Many also include some mounting hardware, and filters to alter the color of the light. All of them, with the exception of the Lowel GL-1, include a carrying case.

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