If you are just starting out and you want to try your hand at lighting with inexpensive Home Depot shop lights, then light panels are the best way to soften them. With light panels, no matter the type of light source, all you have to do is place your light behind the panel and start shooting. Want to add a softbox to your speedlights? Well, you are going to need another type of speed ring adapter for that, too. It can be a one-time cost, but if you ever change brands of lights you are most likely going to need a whole new set. After shelling out serious cash for a new softbox, the last thing you want to do is buy an adapter so you can actually use it. I oftentimes shoot through a diffused panel, then reflect some of the stray light back into the shadow side of the subject, using a second panel fitted with a white reflective material (as seen in the figures below). One of the coolest things you can do with light panels is harness the stray light from your strobe, to create multiple sources from one light. It makes a beautiful fill for both indoors and out. I also like to use opaque white fabric to reflect and bounce light. I love to add black material to my panels and use them as flags to shape the light. While softboxes can be sort of a one-trick pony, light panels can easily be turned into flags (to block light) or reflectors, just by changing out the fabric. Different fabrics = different light modifiers This is a great technique if you want to create a tall, thin stripbox effect, or if you only need to use a portion of the panel. Easily change the shape of the lightīy clamping pieces of black fabric over a panel fitted with diffusion material, you can create light sources of different shapes.
Since the panel and light are separated, the panel becomes the source of illumination and can remain in the same stationary position, in relation to the subject, throughout the entirety of the shoot. Moving the light closer or further from a panel fitted with diffusion fabric can quickly create a different size softbox effect (closer to the panel = smaller light/harder quality versus further from the panel = larger light/softer quality). Quickly change the size/quality of the light
#BEST LED PANEL LIGHTS SKIN#
When using LED light therapy, the device should be used away from the eyes using a handheld device or the eyes should be covered with protective goggles or patches.” Though the devices are suitable for all skin types, she advises those with melasma to be cautious “because thermal heat can make the condition worse.#3.
“With all light therapies, the most important thing is eye protection. Willis explains that there is minimal risk when using an LED device on the skin. What are the potential risks of using LED lights? “How it works and how much it works is related to the target indication, the wavelength of light used (affects depth of penetration and action), how much power the light source has, and how long the light is used on the skin.” She says that you will find most beneficial effects with short pulses of higher powered light sources, like those used in a doctor’s office, though at-home treatments can still be effective. Does LED light therapy really work?Īccording to MacGregor, light therapy truly does work for the skin. Red LED light stimulates collagen and elastin which can help with anti-aging,” explains esthetician, makeup, and beauty expert Tiara Willis, whose work is centered around treating skin of color. Green and yellow LED light treats sensitivity and uneven skin color. “Blue LED light treats acne by killing acne-causing bacteria. And so, the LED devices often offer an assortment of different light colors based on your skin’s needs.