How to use STUDIO LIGHTING Tutorial

[@rickjbradbury]

Yup I do the same RE WB. 5400k on my camera with my lights. Camera own flash WB is set for the manufacturers speedlites.

[@NathanElson]

Yep, 5300 - 5400 is the way to go.

[@Zakalwe-01]

Hands down the most complete lighting tutorial I’ve seen. Really fundamental and foundational. HUGE thanks and massive respect Nathan!

[@thejeffbeck]

Man, this is a fantastic tutorial. Well presented and engaging.

[@seanfshannon]

One of the best videos on lighting I've ever watched. Love how you explain everything so clear and include the smaller details.

[@carlosazevedo7748]

On your deep para umbrella, why don't you use a normal parabolic octabox with the flash pointing outward? Thanks.

[@NathanElson]

With the light pointed in towards the modifier it gives a more 'even' throw of light. It also allows me to focus the light for a wider or tighter beam of light.

[@enriquebatalla3673]

Thanks a lot for your video, and for sharing your knowledge and experience. It is a great inspiration to improve me work!

[@NathanElson]

Thanks Enrique! Glad you're getting something out of it!

[@codystevenmantla5900]

awesome video I just bought my self studio lighting AD600 PRO from strobe pro an Tracie helped me out awesome love strobe pro i entered an followed how would i know im entered in the draw

[@NathanElson]

Thanks! When you followed the accounts it will tell you how many entries you have in the draw.

[@TiffinboxTV]

This was excellent. Best explanation I have heard. Will be sharing this with my audience tomorrow!

[@kathleencolbourn7587]

Great lighting tutorial. I struggle with lighting and this was very helpful. I am going to bookmark this video.

[@julianwilliams61]

Thank you for this!! I’ve been struggling with Studio lighting for the longest and you’ve definitely opened my eyes to a new and proper way of studio lighting. Thanks for the easy math too!!

[@lubarrera6141]

This tutorial is Amazing, the example with F. Stops and Power Setting it was so easy to understand.. Thank you ! I hope I can win the lights. Photography have changed my life, I just need a little help, so I can start making money. Thanks for the tutorial 😍

[@keithmcdonald3892]

one thing i would like to know that NO ONE ever tells. When you first turn on your lights ...what is your light set to????where do you start? 1/2 1/4 ....where??? Otherwise you videos are Excellent !

[@NathanElson]

The power setting doesn't matter because it will vary depending on distance from subject, output power of the light itself, the modifier you are using, etc. so to tell someone to start at a certain power doesn't really make sense. My 600w light at 1/2 power is a lot different than a 200w light at 1/2 power, so you just have to work within the constraints of the output based on all of those factors.

[@keithmcdonald3892]

@@NathanElson I didn't expect a speedy response . great answer ... i also have 60o watt lights. my dream is delivered thanks

[@MiTomFinland]

usefull videos , well done

[@cashino]

How can one watch this and not subscribe, new subscriber 😎. Thank you~

[@micronet67]

Dude, great! Thanks for tutorial!

[@NathanElson]

Thanks for taking the time to check it out!

[@MauroKruuse]

Hello NATHAN, here Mauro from Argentina. Very good video and excellent photos of your website. I loved them. I like so much your style. I follow you on Instagram and on KZbin. I hope to be participating in the contest. Greetings.

[@davidmunoz-sm9hf]

Hi Nathan- please explain what you have on the other hand when using the light meter to trigger the strobe. Is it a trigger?

[@danzbeard]

Awesome vid. Thank you

[@svoivdosku]

Thank you Nathan it was super) oh, tell us more about the hard light in the studio, like the artificial sun. How to control and set shadows. It's going to be great!!!

[@replaylounge]

nathan more video please ... great tips thank you..

[@michaelsantos5808]

how do you know what power your flash should be?

[@NathanElson]

That’s why you use a light meter. It will tell you if you need to add more power or lower the power to find the desired f/stop.

[@MiaogisTeas]

Awesome. Good to see you back in black (and white).

[@olmo47]

Vey nice and easy tutorial, thank you

[@NathanElson]

Glad you liked it!

[@msandersen]

Very nice. Maybe I missed it, but why are the fill and rim lights measured on f/2.8? Is it just a way of tricking the meter to measure 3 stops under?

[@jasperstempelsfotografie3643]

Great video. Love the black and white version

[@grxndwelljeanco6224]

Great Video ! very helpful and you motivated me to play more with studio lighting . THANKS !

[@RichardJPhotog]

Great Vid Nate! All meat and Potatoes...(No Fluff)..keep them coming Brother!

[@Strobepro]

Great video Nathan. Good luck to everyone in the giveaway!

[@leechap82]

Brilliant video, thanks.

[@NathanElson]

Anytime Lee!

[@michaelbrogan6412]

so good

[@markvidal8430]

Great video! Always good to add knowledge. , for me it would be interesting to see how a pro such as yourself would find light without strobes or studio light. Almost like poor man rigging light gear. Cause that's where I am right now. Working with natural light is fantastic but I'm learning that natural light is sometimes harsh light. So I'm getting creative with materials from home to soften light and also I'm trying to find other ways to use extra light with out the stobes or studio lights. Haha, I'm trying not to go crazy with purchasing gear real fast and furious.

[@nobitaadidas]

Hi Nathan...

[@Todd_Kuhns]

One of the best tutorials I've seen for a long time. Novices could understand and points a professional can learn. Well done.

[@luissantana9384]

will 1/8 power always give you f2.8 or is that what he metered for? Could I be at 1/8 power and get f5.6?

[@NathanElson]

The output will vary based on the power of the light, distance to your subject, and modifier being used (or not used) so no, a power of 1/8 will not always give you an output of 2.8.

[@jeremyw4649]

Appreciate the video. Great breakdown to the basics and pulling in some more advanced things. Hockey injury, can't get more Canadian than that.

[@LifebyBertie]

Absolute great tutorial, good in-depth info on the how-to's of lighting! Keep that up my man!

[@leafsfan71]

Great videos, great channel! Subscribed!

[@brindleberryacres]

Great vid! Love StrobePro too! If you have a tighter space, can you move the secondary lights closer and just reduce power?

[@NathanElson]

Totally. The only difference would be that if you were using the same size modifier for fill, the catch light would be larger, but that's not always a bad thing, or you can swap for a smaller modifier and voila :) Cheers -Nate

[@brindleberryacres]

@@NathanElson Thank you!

[@mohitamlani4434]

Sir huge respect for you 😄

[@NathanElson]

Thanks Mohit!

[@purushotham20]

This is so helpful. Gonna be taking notes from this tutorial!

[@moejas]

Thank you for this tutorial... keep going I like all your videos

[@LuisMendoza-gz3rk]

Great tut... this is my first time watching your videos and i really like it... you got a new subscriber here :)

[@giandaoliveira]

Wow, I am here right now watching your videos. They are super helpful. Thanks a lot for sharing them.

[@NathanElson]

You're very welcome!

[@alsaffar1966]

Great video, very informative. Thanks for sahring

[@MrGdmjr]

Great tutorial. Have learned a lot from you. Question: How can you get the same results in a smaller space?

[@MiaogisTeas]

My studio is smaller than his kitchen - not saying I get the same results as Nathan, but I use an even larger deep umbrella as my key light, and the white walls act as fill and kicker which I control with shutter speed (or dark curtains as a flag). So, similar idea but in a much smaller space. You could even use umbrellas and speed lights if you're just getting started.

[@NathanElson]

William is correct, you can definitely get the same results in a smaller space, and often times when I am doing client work on location I end up in much smaller spaces than my studio. I just happen to have a large studio, so I take advantage of it :) Cheers -Nate

[@MrGdmjr]

@@NathanElson Thank you for the tips William and Nathan.

[@florianrichter5172]

A really great tutorial. I love your way of using light. I know you are not the greatest fan of reflectors but maybe you could give some insight in good options how to use stands for it. Currently I lay them on a stool or similar and the holding stuff I found so far on the net was not really convincing to me.

[@JCImagesBehindtheShot]

Just found your videos. Great Channel! This video was really helpful with some great tips. Subscribed!

[@NathanElson]

Awesome, thank you!

[@JimRobertson-Bodhilens]

I was guessing your thumb got smashed by the c-stand knuckle but hockey sounds cooler. Great video and love how you create it! Cheers!

[@Innovate-pq9ci]

Quick question, can light meters work with HSS?

[@NathanElson]

Sekonic does make a light meter that can work with HSS, but it's also just more simple math. Every stop of light ex: 250th/sec to 500th/sec requires an extra stop of power on your strobe (ex: 1/4 to 1/2). I may make another video using strobes outdoors seeing as the reception to this tutorial has been super positive. Cheers -Nate

[@Innovate-pq9ci]

Nathan Elson thanks! However I thought HSS also meant less power compared to a regular strobe firing without HSS. Also how come shutter speed is applicable to HSS? Usually for strobes it's not if I understand correctly as the flash duration is much faster than the shutter speed. Isn't the shutter speed just affecting continuous lighting such as the ambiant?

[@NathanElson]

@@Innovate-pq9ci I'm going to be starting a secondary place for things like this that would be a short video (too short for youtube) but would answer questions like this visually. More details coming May 10th ;)

[@IntothewestOkotoks]

great video, thanks for sharing! Strobepro is a great company to deal with.

[@ryanphotostudio]

Hey Nathan, thanks man this video was excellent. I wish I had of been able to watch it back when I started with off camera flash! Very thorough explanation and thoughtful presentation, well done. I look forward to your future content. Nice studio space as well btw! Cheers

[@brianasealy6257]

Currently watching this and wow wow wow!! I have been shooting for like 8/9 years and I STILL learned from this video!! I cannot tell you how thankful I am that you put this out!! Please keep it up I am here for it!! 👌😉😆🤯🤗

[@NathanElson]

Thanks Briana! Glad you got something out of it :)

[@seeyoosoon]

Hi, I've seen several of your videos now and of course I'm subscribing to your channel. This video was informative and interesting. I was again confirmed that I am on the right track when it comes to lighting. Just when I started my business, I broke both my arms during a diabetes attack. I spend the time for recovery at youtube university. Thank you for all the great videos you share.

[@NathanElson]

Thanks man, and super sorry to hear about your arms, that's a tough one. Glad you are making the most of your time though :) Get better soon!

[@sistasuga]

Great explanation 👌

[@NathanElson]

Thanks Sista!

[@chkgo88]

You jus put me on beyond measure. Thanks bro!! Frfr

[@neetans6424]

Good Job Nathan, I like the way you have given all the information and very well explained.

[@MrDro1128]

Hey Nathen, extremely cool of you to share your lighting ways with us, and to help someone else out, with giving away some of your lights! Thanks for taking the time to help others. Greatly appreciated. Goodbye.

[@svoivdosku]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

[@kapurar]

Thank you! A fantastic tutorial.

[@RudeRichDallas]

Dude, I'm 8:44 in to this and the only thing I can remember is how much you love your Sekonic light meter... If you want to provide helpful info keep it pithy!

[@NathanElson]

No one is forcing you to watch anything amigo.

[@1741951]

Nathan thank you for sharing this video, light bulb moment. (:-))

[@astridlawrencepasquierbing7146]

Love love this video, so informative ! I am a beginner in lighting and this vidéos was so helpful! I have a question regarding the wireless shutter release you use, can you share the brand you use? Thank you

[@NathanElson]

Awesome! Glad it could help out. I am using the Godox X-Pro triggers, as it works flawlessly with the built in receivers on my AD600Pro strobes.

[@surajitadhikary4325]

Excellent tutorial.

[@NathanElson]

Glad you liked it!

[@mortons67]

Very good, Nice to see a B & W portrait tutorial ...... Nice one

[@MattJungJinChoi]

Man hands down the best beginners guide to studio photography thank you.

[@NathanElson]

Happy to help!

[@marclabro]

super tuto

[@marcwalsh]

hey, great vid and tutorial, love it. One q, when you meter your fill light and rim light they come in at f2.8 yet main light at f8, if you set camera at f8, what impact does setting the fill and rim light at 2.8 have? Thanks so much

[@charlesstephens5974]

marc walsh , he adjusted the power to the rim and fill to achieve 3 power stops less relative to the main. So say he wanted the key to be f 11, he would adjust the power until the meter read f11. Now for fill say you wanted it 2 stops lower from the fill you adjust the power until it reads f5.6 etc.

[@KlarqueGarrison]

Hey Nathan awesome video and very cool contest give-a-way. Question how much do you shoot with just 1 key light? did you start shooting with 1? or do you always have fill and rim lighting options. I currently only have 1 key light and wanted to know if I could create magic with just it and a bounce card... Thanks so much in advance!

[@NathanElson]

Start with one light, once you get comfortable with that, then add more. Some of my favorite work has been, and even today continues to be, with just one light. Cheers -Nate

[@zirano]

The music in the background is annoying

[@Noealz]

great tutorial man - love the lack of broll lol

[@jimhatch3091]

Thank you Nathan you made this very informative generally i meter when all the lights are on this gives me new insight

[@alexdsz1989]

Great video, Nathan! I really dig your contrasty portraits. I was wondering if you could make a similar video for the budget-impaired who can barely afford speedlights at the moment. My main concern would be the power to use big modifiers and how to get similar lighting with smaller (cheapper) modifiers and stands. Full disclosure, I've been playing with a (single) speedlight proped on a table, a trigger and a big white wall (my only modifier so far)...

[@llg4958]

Consider using the sun as your main light and the speedlite as your fill. Indoors, you can modify the sunlight with drapes or a bed sheet; a reflector can be made from inexpensive poster board.

[@williamgentes5167]

Great tutorial!

[@NathanElson]

Thanks William!

[@louisetsnghk]

Thank you for this. You explain it all fantastically and have put so much into this video. I am a natural light photographer, looking to get a strobe and get more consistency. I've subscribed and look forward to more videos. Could you do a video tutorial on rim low key portrait lighting? I am keen to explore this before the end of the year.

[@NathanElson]

I'll see what I can do :)

[@carlitodcreative]

Great Video!

[@NathanElson]

Thanks!

[@stevenbrutosky521]

Really appreciate your videos. Guess I’ll break my light meter out of my camera bag. Good stuff.

[@NathanElson]

Thanks Steven!

[@ericnshimiye]

Very much needed in the KZbin space! Thank you!!!

[@Being_Joe]

I was wondering what was up with your thumb, lol.

[@Volumatic]

Great video! So many helpful details on top of the lighting.

[@pmonaco828]

Very informative and well organized video!

[@simon.revill]

Interesting video, thanks. I don’t understand how you got to the power settings for the rim and fill lights. If your shooting at f8, and the cheek in shadow meters at f2.8, then 1/16 or 1/32 power setting isn’t three stops weaker power. Does it matter what the shadow cheek meters at, if the power setting is set based on visual trial and error for acceptable appearance? I suppose the the light meter is reading middle grey, therefore you are making a judgement on the how dark you want the shadows to be, for example, 2 stops under middle grey??

[@denisagusevic5007]

Yep. There is indeed a lot of guess work left out in this tutorial.

[@MooreCinemaYT]

Awesome video! Enjoy 16K while it lasts. With this kind of quality and knowledge, you're going to blow up for sure. :)

[@NathanElson]

Much appreciated :)

[@lornesunley6815]

very clear discussion of lighting

[@garrettfitzgerald955]

A hockey injury? Now that’s a Canadian photographer. Great video. Great lesson.

[@NathanElson]

What's even better is last March right before the lockdown I suffered an AC joint separation when I caught the tip of the goalies stick as he was diving to try and stop my rush. Bad news was it resulted in me going shoulder first into the boards, good news was I scored on what would be my last play of the season ;)

[@hansolo312]

Really nice tutorial, thanks a lot 👍🏻😁

[@jeremyn6726]

Thanks so much for simplifying the process and explaining in an entertaining way.

[@NathanElson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@heipuntnl]

Thanks! grtzz from the Netherlands.

[@ThisRightSideUp]

Super tutorial! Thank you for sharing!

[@andrewchisholm3665]

Thanks for this and entered as many times as I can

[@WaqasNasir]

What settings / preset you used for black & white conversion .. ?

[@NathanElson]

www.sellfy.com/nathanelson

[@jacobrenoj3388]

Nathan Elon , I only have two 85 cm Octabox with me can you please tell me is it ok to do a portrait photography,or Fashion photography with this Softbox

[@NathanElson]

The same way you would with any other lighting modifier :) Learn it and get creative with it. Just shoot as much as you can with it and you will figure it out.

[@legaleaz]

Fantastic video. Amateur photographer in Bellingham but grew up in Calgary. Very helpful and professional video. Thanks.

[@dalewhitehead7527]

Awesome tutorial. Very easy to follow.

[@cymbaline87]

This was awesome, but I do have one question...when you meter one of the strobes, do you have to turn the other ones off in order to get an accurate reading? Thanks! Love your work!!

[@NathanElson]

If you use the directional meter it's pretty spot on providing your light sources are not coming from the same direction, but if they are then I would meter one at a time, whether that means powering the others down, or setting your trigger to only fire one light at a time.

[@jackvainer9679]

Really good tutorial, you explained things very clearly. Thanks, Nathan.

[@jessestarks3128]

Ditto

[@tomrockwell6630]

Thanks for doing this video.

[@arthurcoon7901]

Great video, thanks for the tips!!

[@atxrich]

Another solid tutorial! Your channel is highly underrated

[@Innovate-pq9ci]

Great video Nathan... love your work.