Take Your Portrait Photography Up A Notch With These Powerful Lights
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Are you ready to take the next steps in your portrait photography journey by adding a flash or a monolight to your workflow? If so, congratulations! We commend you for wanting to learn a new skill. Many photographers think mastering flash photography is hard, but we’re here to tell you that’s simply not true. Adding external lighting to your workflow is an easy way to add drama and extra dimension to your images. The best part is you don’t have to spend a fortune to get started if you don’t want to. We have rounded up some of our favorite lights that we have reviewed over the years and have put them in one place for you. These lights are great for portrait photography beginners and even for pros.
Interfit Honey Badger Monolight
In our review, we said:
“There isn’t a whole lot to complain about the Interfit Honey Badger monolight. It’s small, compact, can be used easily as a constant light, has enough flash output for most photographers, comes with a softbox, and has consistent light output. What more can a studio photographer ask for?”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $367.98
Flashpoint eVOLV 200 Pro TTL
In our review, we said:
“With the Flashpoint eVOLV 200 Pro, you’re able to bring studio-quality strobe lighting on location in situations that traditionally would’ve limited you to speedlights. This is very helpful when shooting solo or with a skeleton crew.”
Buy now: $349
Pro Tip: Using flash and off-camera flash can seem for portrait photography complicated. However, you need to remember just a few things to create images that will wow your models and clients. The biggest thing to remember is to expose your image for the background. Once you have found the perfect settings, you then adjust the flash’s power output to illuminate your subject. Still, you’ll find many more hints and tips in this awesome tutorial from Scott Kelby. The best part is that this guide is under $20!
Profoto B10
In our review, we said:
“The Profoto B10 deserves an Editor’s Choice award. It’s fairly priced when you consider what you’re paying for: reliability, a small size, power, and peace of mind. I’m perfectly okay with that as a working professional journalist who needs to ensure that things get done in little time. The Profoto B10 is for a photojournalist, but it can also work well for weddings, on-location portrait shooting, editorial work, etc.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $1,695
Flashpoint Zoom Li-on X R2 TTL
In our review, we said:
“With just 75 watt-seconds of light output, the Flashpoint Zoom Li-on X R2 is obviously nowhere near as powerful as traditional studio strobes. This doesn’t mean you won’t be able to produce pleasing images with it, though. As long as you understand how the size and intensity of light work in photography, you’ll be able to create some pleasing results using the Flashpoint Zoom Li-on X R2 as a light source.”
Buy now Canon: $225
Purchase now Fujifilm: $249
Buy now Nikon: $229
Purchase now Olympus/Panasonic: $249
Buy now Pentax: $249
Get one now Sony: $259
Flashpoint XPLOR 400 Pro TTL Rechargeable Monolight
In our review, we said:
“This light is honestly just about perfect for every photographer. Whether you’re a studio shooter, or if you do a lot of work outside, this monolight will not let you down. With enough power to shoot in full sun, this light will open many doors for photographers who don’t want to drop four figures on lighting equipment. The build quality is excellent overall, the battery life is fantastic, and its consistent performance means you can just shoot and don’t have to worry about what you’re going to get from it.”
Brett Day – Gear Editor
Buy now: $584