What type of lights are good for an amature photographer?

Question

help?

Answer 1

An amateur photographer can hone her skills best by learning how to best use the available, ambient light. It will help teach you the limits of your camera, and THEN determine what kind of supplemental lighting you might need.

You may be surprised to learn how much the lighting equipment you may already have around the house can help enhance low light situations. Desk lamps, table lamps, incandescent and flourescent light will, each, impart different qualities, and, again, practice with these will help teach you which qualities will best serve the subjects.

Once you feel you have exhausted the possibilities from around the home, then, as "fhotoace" suggested, a contractor's lamp from a local home improvement store might be a good start for learning how a stronger light source can be best used. These come from very inexpensive, such as a $10 clamp and clamshell, to the more costly ones that have a wheeled base and can be adjusted to direct the light to where it is needed.

At some point, when you are ready, do some research at sites or stores that sell photograpic equipment. ESPECIALLY research which KINDS of equipment provide which kinds of effects. Some times, it is not lights, but reflectors that provide the best light to minimize harsh shadow. Other times, it is gels and filters that give the photographer what he/she needs.

Answer 2

It really depends on the type of photography, if you are using digital and can auto white balance (different bulbs produce different colors of light our eyes adjust but film cannot) you can use hardware store clamp lights and regular bulbs ($35) If you are using film you would have to purchase a better floodlight housing and daylight balanced bulbs ($100)(better housings as these get realy hot). The best route if you are rather serious and have the money are a novatron system (Thier fun kit ($600 or so) has 2 lights) these have both a flash tube and an incandescent bulb for aiming. these allow you to see the lighting effects that you are creating. However for film and flash tubes you will need a beginning flash meter ($75-100) But the best investment for photographic lighting and techniques is a really good book.

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