Flashes (Strobes) vs Continuous Lights for Photography

[@E_Ten]

Another benefit of continuous lights over strobes is pupil constriction. Continuous lights means a smaller pupil and therefore a bigger more colorful iris. You can even see this demonstrated in the video thumbnail. Here eyes look more colorful in continuous lights. I learned this for some macro photography of the eye.

[@lesotter7241]

Agreed, but for some situations (especially boudoir) when you want to keep a dreamy, arguably more sexy look, dilated pupils carry a message!

[@JoaoSilva22222]

great insight, never thought of that!!

[@thtfhujtutu8807]

It's true, however when zooming in on the eye I often notice some tears welling up in the subjects eyes towards the end of the seesion. Even if they say they're perfectly fine you can't control those bodily reactions and it's a pain in post.

[@royalkingc]

If you use a the lamp mode on a strobe or just be in a room with enough light while shooting with a strobe, you get the same thing.

[@ardentdfender4116]

As someone new to photography and just bought my first real camera today a Sony A73, I’m gonna be honest when I say I don’t always understand what seem like jumbo jumbo in many the videos. But videos like these I can clearly understand and get that knowledge easily clearly seeing the difference between two lights and it’s effects. More these kind of videos are helpful in between all the pro videos.

[@christopherz92]

Great video! One advantage of a strobe that was missed, however, is the ability to freeze action in a shot. I know someone touched on it in a comment already, but this is extremely important when trying to capture movement (such as a model flipping their hair). Not criticizing, just adding useful information 😊

[@KahL1One]

To be fair that's predominantly based on shutter speed and the amount of light that you're using. You can get the same result using a high output continuous bulb and lowering your shutter speed on the camera.

[@Trout-yz5bk]

Finaly, LEDs lost to something

[@felixbelanger2659]

Isn't another advantage of strobes to freeze the subject at slower shutter speeds when you want more ambient light? (dragging the shutter)

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Yeah, wish I'd mentioned that strobes give you a bit more sharpness if the model isn't perfectly still.

[@mrcraggle]

I was hoping this would come up. I did a test shoot a couple of weeks ago with some UV lighting mixed with strobe. Essentially, one half of the models face had UV paint on it that I used with a continuous UV light while the other I used a gridded AD200. It wasn't until I imported the photos into LR that I noticed that the relatively low shutter speed (around 1/80) resulted in the UV paint was soft and slightly blurred while the side of her face shot with strobe was pin sharp. You can use the two in tandem to create some really unique and creative shots. One really cool example I've seen is of a model in a long dress where the top half of her body is lit with a strobe and is super sharp while the bottom half of her is lit with continuous lighting and the dress is being blown about to give it a sense of movement. TL;DR - Using both strobe and continuous lighting can create cool effects.

[@felixbelanger2659]

mrcraggle that's an awesome tip! Thanks

[@manjitp]

Not just that. Check the Iris of the model in both photos.

[@felixbelanger2659]

Sure, you could just ask the model to close her eyes before the shot though

[@jagerardi]

Just wanted to take a moment and say thank you for the free Stunning Digital Photography. That's one hell of a generous giveaway, and I'm sure all of us that got it are appreciative. Thanks again, ..Joe

[@DavcoMediaTV]

You can always turn continuous lighting off for a while to give the model a rest. That's what I do.

[@WatchThatFirstStep]

Still learning the various ways to utilize speedlight, but your video showed the options I have with my continuous light kit. Thanks.

[@fuzzynenja]

There's an upside to continuous light that you didn't mention. When shooting with continuous - it makes the models iris constrict so when you take your shot you get more 'iris realestate' which can be moving for portraits. With strobes, the iris dilates and when the flash hits, you get less color / 'iris realestate' in the eye.

[@royalkingc]

If you use the lamp mode from the strobe or if you’re in a room with light you can get the same

[@pauljohnston4494]

Hi, I tried to get the free copy of SDP E-book as advertised in the video but it was coming up as costing $9.99, is there something that I am doing wrong in the order process?

[@SarahBaldwinMUA]

Thank you for this, I shoot with soft boxes. I love playing around with them and having them in different lighting set ups. I have got some lovely images from doing this. I am looking into strobes too. I do mostly studio shoots.

[@matheusmoura9817]

very good! as always Tony and Chelsea making great instructive videos for all of us to learn a little more! Thanks guy's!

[@lylecameron5578]

Great video. I have some LEDs for video but when the grandkids arrive for a photo shoot, I go to strobes. Lots of light allowing faster shutter, low ISO, and narrow aperture for sharpness.

[@rhonaldjr]

Excellent video. I do have a question (just thinking about entering studio photography - as a hobby). I use gfx-50s and thinking about this (Neewer 2 Packs Dimmable Bi-Color 480 LED Video Light Stand Lighting Kit) for newborn, portraits, headshots. What are your thoughts? Do the continuous light (the one I have mentioned) handle anything above 1/125 - say 1/250 shutter speed? Yes, I do have your book :-)

[@shakazulu2442]

Hi Tony and Chelsea thanks for this very informative video. I was wondering if you guys have ever worked with or have an opinion on the rotolight products( neo 2, anova etc) I would love to get your honest opinion on them. Most of the video reviews on it all seem biased

[@joshuacoppersmith]

Shooting into a heavy back-lit scene or really needing amazing white balance, I can see wanting $1,000 continuous lighting. But in less demanding setups and knowing you can do some tweaking in LR, how much fill can you get with two brooder lamps and some wax paper as diffusers? In this age of LED, with different color temperature bulbs for a few bucks at discount stores, maybe the whole paradigm is shifting.

[@_NoDrinkTheBleach]

Another advantage for continuous lighting is small pupils. I realize that I'm not using super powerful LEDs (3 edge lights), but I've never had a heat or weight issue. But simulating soft boxes means I'm not going to overpower the sun. The are compromises with any lighting setup.

[@roganthoerson1909]

It is easier to make a dyi contunous light pannel than a strobe. And then continuous light may become cheap. You can can change white balance/tint of continuous light by adding light (rgb led) while for strobe it is mostly by reducing light (gels). Some continous light can be used in strobe mode, not very much the opposite.

[@rueben68]

Thanks for the awesome tip. I had a similar situation last week while I didn’t have a model like yours I did have bumble bee from the transformers lol

[@KyleNelson]

At my studio I have both flash (Paul c buff) and continuous light (fovitec). I shoot portraits and product photography and use each for different reasons. I typically always lean towards flash as the end result has a cleaner finish in my experience. Thanks for sharing the comparison!

[@howardmaryon-davis666]

Kyle Nelson I do the same, my studio has huge amounts of flash power (24k joules) and vast softboxes, but I often wheel,out the arrilights and use diffusers and bounceboards for the more organic look I get. And when I need a fresnel spotlight, nothing else can give me the same effect.

[@glennedward2201]

Thank you this is really great information and you brought up some valid points. We are setting up a photogrammetry object scanner and debated over the two. The bigger concern is getting a strobe to keep up with 60-120fps constant global shutter triggering (dozens of photos every second or two) which brings to concern recharge of strobe and the amount of flash’s necessary to keep up with continuous control besides the additional control board we would require for multi trigger control. Knowing that the same quality can be achieved I think it makes much more sense to utilize continuous studio lighting since the subject is an object and it will be far easier to calibrate proper lighting needed for continuos frames for 1-2 minute photo shoots. Thank you videos like this are helpful.

[@jesusantezana5714]

Great video! For me I usually go for a flash when outdoors during daylight but at night I use my rotolight neo 2 I think it gives much softer light and goes better with the mood.

[@julianroniger8079]

definetly going to buy a 1100$ continuous and than shoot with my phone...

[@Ashleyapples]

must be that expensive new iphone, eh?

[@glennedward2201]

To be honest setting aside any potential joke here he will probably get remarkable photo quality. There is a reason the iPhones are very expensive. People don’t realize the cost of the stereo optical depth sensors installed and for good quality digital enhancement software to operate them it boils down to what is a great product for many consumers and in the right hands and as stated a quality studio light many won’t even know a phone camera was used. That would make for a great upcoming KZbin video. Our object scanning ids cameras cost around $700 each for 2 megapixels using a 1” sensor. Photo quality is remarkable though most would never believed they come from a 2mp sensor. Ultimately it does come down to quality sensors and whether it’s in a phone or a camera the results should be the same or similar using same model sensor module.

[@withmeuntiltheend]

iPhones are great for some quick snaps. Not on a professional level, typically, but you can probably use it in some small instances and no one would be the wiser if a proper edit's applied. Literally no other smartphone on the market has of a camera. The color grading, sharpness and just overall image quality trumps any MP sensor. I regret buying my S8+ instead of the iPhone X every single time I use the camera. It's pretty brutal in comparison.

[@Taylordessalines]

Julian Roniger definitely the point and intention of them highlighting the continuous lighting...

[@Camilamscine]

what a joker

[@shanescott3168]

Good video and I bought SDP at full price because you guys do good work on our behalf!

[@markusr3259]

As an enthusiastic amateur looking to buy another couple of lights, I can say that 7 stops of power difference is huge, and a deal breaker for me. Spending twice the price for something with less flexibility in terms of power and portability doesn't seem like a good deal for me - Especially not when there are strobes available with decent in-built modelling lamps. I saw you were shooting at 1.4, can you show us how they perform at say, F8?

[@elnath1978]

Hi, is that a light dome or a softbox? What model?

[@CarlAustinGregory]

Exactly what I was looking for in a tutorial. Thanks.

[@artmaltman]

Excellent comparison and summary of continuous vs strobe. Timely topic as continuous prices decline (slowly). Continuous light (e.g. Peter Hurley Flexkit) can be extraordinarily beautiful for headshots. I am often tempted ....

[@parissoliz658]

Can you link a kit with continuous lighting kits? And or link for singles?

[@kirsch4567]

0:50 it does look similar bUT I LOVE HOW THE STROBE PIC LOOKED there's like more depth to it (?) and also the shadows are sooo pretty OVER ALL i think the strobe is better than the continuous lighting

[@toosas]

Strobes will also freeze movement better. Be it hair moving because of the wind (fan) or if you need to capture a dancer's move mid air

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Yeah, this is a good point that I wish I brought up.

[@gur262]

I like it. But it needs a second part. 1.motion freeze, how its connected to power, how some strobes dont (ad600 does) most speedlights do. That they got Modelling lights(badger, 60 w led) often linked to power so in darker rooms you can See what you do pretty well and switch to stronger bulbs in some .2 light paint and second curtain and multiple Exposure and all that. 3...there must be some more things.

[@Nox444]

Can y'all please review the Tamron 28-75 f2.8 for Sony E? I always prefer y'alls reviews.

[@YvesRecour]

For me, it depends on the situation. Continues light can be handy if you have to work fast. But indeed, you don’t want your client to get blind in front of your camera :) Nice comprising, and thanks for the book. You can keep the camera, just switched from Nikon to Sony. One switch par year will do ;)

[@FriePresse]

thanks for the advices i am brand new just buyed a Nikon d 700 + a nikon 60 mm micro lens a journey have just begun for me

[@awc723]

Great vid as usual...my only issue is that a tutorial is usually for someone who doesn't know or is just beginning and $550 for the strobe and $1100 for the continuous is enough to scare people away..if you could try some lesser expensive ones too that would be cool...

[@darkreigncometh]

Rtee723 I have tried the Godox (also Flashpoint and other names) line and the AD 200 is cheaper than my Nikon flash and 3-4 times as powerful. It's around $299.

[@deanjones2525]

Maybe Chelsea factored in the cost of the wireless trigger. You get way better results with off-camera flash.

[@skitza95]

what modifier are you using on the continuous light? I bought this exact light + an octobox and it's pretty dim even at 100%. I'd rather use whatever you're using on it

[@lilblingking1491]

It's a beauty dish

[@geekdomo]

This is a great comparison, mainly because I use both myself same beauty dish on my AD600. My LEDs are panels though. Thanks for the vid!

[@Thunderbolt03]

Great tips and you're looking so damn good today Chelsea

[@ChoicesHabitsAttitudeLuck]

You need both Strobes and continuous light. For wedding photographers cum videographers. You need continuous light on hotel rooms that are so small and have less lighting. During weddings, clients are always in a hurry so you don't have that time to test fire that strobes/speedlights. You are in and out of the bride's room and off you go to the groom. Strobes are great for your outdoor shoot after the wedding.

[@HaimGreen]

Great one , simple and short .

[@canturgan]

I was watching a movie being made in the street and they had 4, 10 kilowatt lamps aimed at a building to simulate daylight (at night), hooked up to large noisy generators. I bet you could have lit the same scene with some studio strobes, just for stills obviously.

[@foilpainterfantasyartist1711]

How safe is using strobe in the house without blowing a fuse

[@barmalini]

For me the main difference between the strobe an continuous light is in the size of pupil of the model's eye. With the strobe they tend to be slightly bigger, slightly wider open, which I find more pleasing for female portraits. But the difference is really subtle and in all other aspects the two types of light are practically identical

[@benjaminsarcofilms]

What about the videolight Godox sl-60?

[@jessestarks3128]

Nice video and LED lights aren't the only continuous lights you can use. Fluorescents, (for the deep-pocketed) HMIs and good old fashioned tungsten are alternatives. Thanks for what you do!

[@abovegroundlevelvideograph1933]

I use continuous light for both photography and videography. Flash/strobes intimidate me but I'm tasing the plunge! Maybe you guys can review the Profit A1 if you haven't already?? Pleeeeeaaase? ;O)

[@bengrist5424]

The quality of the light from strobes vs continuous is a big factor, it's worth comparing the CRI values. Continuous lights are not as good as strobes for capturing colours accurately.

[@wulfjr]

Chelsea I see you still loving that 105....I'm taking donations if you wanna help out my 105 fund. Oh and thanks for showing what strobe is used for.

[@thelumiereacademyofphotogr9560]

Love the presentation 🤗🤗

[@tommys6126]

Strobes and speedlights all day for me , great video.

[@gewglesux]

Do you use godox or Pocket wizards? I like to use strobes too.. mainly because thats what i have.

[@tommys6126]

Full Godox system sk300ii, 2x tt685, and xpro trigger all for Canon

[@gewglesux]

Thanks for the reply..... and issue with customer service? or anything? Thanks.

[@tommys6126]

Live in the UK so bought from UK dealers off eBay and Amazon all good service and good prices.

[@gewglesux]

Thanks for the reply!

[@glasshalfempty1984]

1:34 again no, this won't happen with an LED, the heat is dissipated at the back of the light and its a FRACTION of a FRACTION of the heat that traditional filament type lights emit.

[@glasshalfempty1984]

too hot? That's an LED. Virtually all heat generated by an LED is generated the opposite side of the light. That is to say that the heat doesn't radiate out from where the light is pointing (not much anyway), but instead the heat from the LED is typically carried away from the LED itself (opposite direction of the light) to a heatsink and fan so the heat is behind the light, not in front.

[@sarperdewd]

I shoot stills and video, while I have strobes I mainly use continues lights now, I just use strobes for casual shooting like family or friends events.

[@bbtank3000]

Good points. I feel bad for saying I never thought about it from the subject's perspective (brightness and heat).

[@todayshike2899]

I am now using LED continuous for shooting table top and live view on my camera. Faster workflow.

[@harmbooij8241]

Because strobes are more powerfull they give you a better control over subject and background lighting and with a strobe, the strobe becomes the shutterspeed with less chance of camera shake.

[@rsg440]

There's something I personally don't like about continuous light for headshots is that the pupil of the eye contracts because of the constant light, and looks too tiny when you watch in details the result. Any way, still you'll find respected and famous photographers that has made his all career taking photos with continuous light like Peter Hurley. I think is just what works better for you and workflow.

[@scottmckay3034]

One other benefit of continuous light is that it closes down the pupil of the subject's eye - giving a larger iris.

[@agylub]

Cheap Arri Fresnel copies which are tungsten lights give fantastic skin tones, have very low UV so they don't penetrate makeup to give that pasty white look and are super cheap. The great Hollywood portraitists used tungsten as you know - LED are not the same. The ability to use focusing spots to make a great portrait does require considerable skill

[@esmokebaby]

Awsome looks like ill be getting strobes as thos seem more affordable at least what you showed anyways i have 2 octaboxs that was 32$ on amazon lets say they are only 50 watts they do the trick in darker ambient light but Brenner ambient light you can't tell they're even on in the octa boxes suck I made a square softbox out of cardboard and it gives a better effect and look just don't have a stand to hold it up

[@ljaproductions07]

Very Helpful video, thank you for your time and explanation!

[@maineiac114]

About to try to shoot my second wedding as an amateur working to pro. I know my shots are okay but that's why I'm charging lower prices. I have to laugh in that SDP is right now on my Ebay watch list.

[@facu_eze_peralta]

NIce video. Like always nice job guys! ♥

[@b991228]

You forgot one strobe advantage. A strobe can either freeze motion or else blur motion with rear curtain sync.

[@bassemelkashef5425]

thanks for the informative rare content,,also the cute stuff in-between

[@parissoliz658]

Omg finally a video that was simple and made sense ty!

[@Titanius1066]

Strobes are soooo much better!

[@rgarlinyc]

Great tips. thanks a lot Chelsea!

[@henlyforbesly2176]

Very clear explanation. Thank you

[@grease112]

i just went to the link but its not free

[@JP_Adames]

Love your videos. They've really helped me out a lot. Thanks

[@benjshields]

Nice video guys!!

[@ikantspelll]

If pupil size matters too continuous lights will give smaller pupils the strobe will have a bigger pupil

[@chrisogrady28]

Continuous lights will shrink the models pupil and show more of the colour of the iris. This is striking with blue eyes. Ala Peter Hurley.

[@stoef]

It's a little bit too bright right now. Still leaves the light on. Nice

[@rfzw]

Shadows are way darker with the strobe, whereas the continuous light is much softer.

[@maffeaffe9804]

Continious light is better for people with epilepsy. I had to do some schoolpictures and for some kids I had to use daylight because the flashes could trigger an attack.

[@HS-fk6hb]

Very helpful! Thanks Chelsea!

[@srowe829]

Thanks for another awesome video!!!!!

[@zachsowersfilmandphoto6659]

Just filmed a wedding where the photographer had a continuous light and it was the most obnoxious thing for both me and everyone she shinned this light on!!

[@mohammedullahrasel4662]

Just another helpful one...appreciate it

[@JaySilva88]

Strobe for photography, and something different from that oven for video would be ideal.

[@martinisbutik]

A flash with modelling light gives the best of both worlds.

[@shang-hsienyang1284]

Strobes for event and portrait photography; continuous light for dance and sports for less interference.

[@AnthonyJohnston1]

well, i liked the video just cuz of Chelsea's outro

[@facelessman316]

does Emeli have a instagram account?

[@talyagutmanelk6329]

Great video!!! Thank you!!!

[@Johnve33]

Great video!

[@ronspi]

Stobe for the win!

[@twisted0790]

Thanks for sharing ❤️❤️

[@celo2043]

that ending lol

[@malajia3919]

Right I was like wtf was that about 😂 lmfao

[@carlstawicki1915]

At least nowadays we no longer have to go through the expense of using Polaroids to preview strobe exposures.

[@karlwesneski7593]

Uh, you can just turn on your modeling light on to see what the strobe will look like ..

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Modeling lights are really weak in comparison to the full strobe, so you can't see ratios when balancing natural light.

[@roderickwho1983]

Bllabh bllabh indeed ! Thanks Chelsea ;-)

[@theoriginalonion7545]

Thanks guys

[@kerebronemtadrata5459]

We all blah-bla-blah you, too! You're doing great work there! :D

[@fabiooya]

Her eyes look a lot better with LED light. Pupils are smaller showing more colors.

[@cosmichrist]

Thank you

[@kamalettahri3226]

Thanks 😍😍

[@Zakeerhkb]

Strobe is better for me because this is low budget and strobe are so much better for me