There are many benefits of using a ring light for photography and videos, I’ll tell you about the key benefits of ring light in this post. The ring light is designed for professional and amateur photography. Most often, the ring lights are used in beauty salons, photoshoots, and video filming. The equipment is in the arsenal of a professional photographer, as it is often used at work.
Key Benefits of Ring Light
The ring light is a budget option for professional expensive equipment. At the same time, the quality of lighting can be no worse.
The ring light gives a glint in the subject’s eyes. Looking at the photos of bloggers, you can see bright thin rings in their eyes. This effect adds playfulness to the face. The glare in the eyes immediately grabs attention, which is often used by photographers.
There are no shadows when photographing, thanks to the small round base. The ring light is suitable for portrait photography of models (for showing designer clothes, makeup). Additional lighting can be used for photographing from above.
The ring light gives an even, unblinking light. Shooting up close does not emphasize facial imperfections.
1. You Can Use Ring Light as Main Light Source
Often, new video bloggers take a photo or video with a lamp standing in front of a window, mirrors, or any other light source. In this case, the photographs turn out to be strongly overexposed, the face looks unnaturally pale, and objects in the background distract the viewer’s attention.
To prevent this effect, place the subject model in the darkest corner of the room, place the lamp in front of it. Next, set the intensity of the light flux and the lamp at an angle so that the light is maximally concentrated on your subject. So, the blogger or subject will always be in the spotlight.
2. Adjustable Light Temperature
This characteristic simplifies the work of the photographer. The correct selection of the light temperature will allow you to get professional images without digital editing.
This parameter is selected individually for each shooting, depending on what effect you want to achieve in the finished frame. Cold light helps to accurately reproduce the colors of a photo or video, and if you are filming the process of applying makeup, then such light will help you concentrate on work. Warm light relaxes and creates a cozy atmosphere.
The temperature of the light is also important for the work of a makeup artist. Warm light is safer and more comfortable for the human eye, so after many hours of shooting, there is no feeling of fatigue. Cold light negatively affects vision.
You may also like to read: Lighting in Filmmaking and Photography: A Complete Guide
3. Easy to Manage Light Source Distance
The distance to the light source depends on the effect you want to achieve and the diameter of the ring lamp. If professional equipment is needed for shooting small objects, the distance between them is 0.5 to 1 meter.
For photographing people (hairstyle, makeup, tattoo), the distance to the illuminator is selected individually. It depends on the light in the studio and the brightness of the LEDs. The average distance is 1 to 1.5 meters. Do not put the ring light closer, otherwise, the image will be too bright.
When shooting at home, the distance from the lamp to the person will be about 50 centimeter. Adjust the brightness to low or medium so that no strong reflections appear on the face.
To shoot a person in full length, the ring light have to be placed at a distance of 1.5 to 2 meters.
Why is Ring Light So Good for Professionals and Amateurs?
Do you know why ring light has become so popular and why not only for lash makers, makeup artists, hairdressers, stylists, and bloggers? And also for the photographers and those who want to take cool selfies for their social networks.
The ring light has become extremely popular over the past few years because it is versatile and suitable for any newbie or professional in the beauty industry. There are many manufacturers of high-quality ring lights who give a guarantee for their products for a year. So this is a long-lasting perfect lighting source for video bloggers and photographers.
Below are the key features of a ring light why it is so good for professionals and amateur photographers:
1. Value for Money. Ring lights are relatively inexpensive. You can even find very cheap options, but we do not recommend buying them if you plan to use the lamp for a long time. On Amazon, you can find many high-quality, professional ring lights at the lowest possible price.
If you see the price several times lower, then think about what is it caused by? Probably cheap Chinese components. LEDs are not the main thing in a lamp – if the control board fails, it will be easier to buy a new lamp than to replace it.
2. Playful Gleam in the Eyes of The Model. The ring light creates a characteristic playful glow in the eyes. Surely you noticed this in the eyes of the girls flipping through Instagram. It grabs the viewer’s attention and sets you apart from others.
3. Lack of Shadows. Because the ring light is not too large and perfectly round, there will be no shadows on the subject. You can even get great close-up shots just by shooting from above through the lamp – very convenient.
4. Uniform, Perfectly Bright Light. This light will perfectly evenly illuminate your face – any imperfections of the skin will be less noticeable due to the absence of shadows. You can adjust the brightness and warmth of the ring light as you like.
5. Long Service Life. When buying a professional ring light, you can be sure that it will serve you for a long time. You’ll get one year warranty for the ring light. Even after the end of the warranty period, you can always contact sellers in case of any breakdown and they will repair your lamp as soon as possible.
6. High Level of Security. Low power consumption and no heating of LEDs provide a high level of fire safety, and there is no possibility of overloading the electrical network.
If you still have not decided which specific ring light you want to buy, then you can get advice by phone or write to me at the mail indicated on the contact page.
Some Unusual Ring Light Photography Ideas
An interesting shooting option is the output of a ring light on the self-portrait. The model is located in the front or behind the equipment. The first option is more suitable if high brightness is required at certain parts of the image.
The ring light can act as a decorative frame. The face is sufficiently lit and the finished photograph has clear boundaries. Such shooting is suitable for a portrait in profile and front view.
Use a mirror when shooting. First, you get an additional light source – reflection. Secondly, it will create a double image effect.
For this unusual idea, the model wears sunglasses. And the light from the ring will be reflected in the glass, which looks unusual.
Ask the person (subject) to pick up the ring light. The equipment is lightweight and simple in design; even a child can lift it. In this position, different ideas immediately appear:
- the model holds the device in front of her, framing her face (I participated in such a photo session, a useful and memorable experience);
- a person reaches with one hand to the beholder (calls him or asks for help);
- parents hold a ring light in front of the child.
The model wears the ring light around the neck or head. The face acquires more volume, and the device becomes the central element in the composition.
Ring light photos can have their own story or message. This small lighting equipment is used to take pictures of hands also. If a person orders an advertisement for professional services (artist, hairdresser, make-up artist, tattoo artist), this idea will suit him. In the photo, there is only a neat brush of the model, and the hand is holding specialized tools.
I tried to cover all the possible benefits of ring light and some useful possibilities of this unique lighting equipment in photography.
Where to Buy?
There are many online marketplaces where you can get these ring lights. Personally, I recommend using the amazon.
