Photographers become a unique combination of artist and technician when applying their knowledge to the lighting of a set. Studio shooting provides a closed artificial situation where a photographer can fine tune color, intensity, direction and quality of light. Beautifully lighted catalog photography can be dramatic and mysterious while defining the product with richness of detail and depth. Strobes are most often used to create studio set lighting, because they are efficient to operate and because of their consistency. Strobe units are powerful enough to carry a heavy intensity of light concentration, and yet are
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quick to recycle power for repeated exposures. Strobe lighting has generally replaced tungsten lighting in most studios. Reflectors, tents and scrims will catch the light and bounce it back toward the subject, softening the lighting effect and avoiding glare by deflection. The photographer can adjust them with finite moves in order to re-direct light and better capture the image. The biggest advantage of a studio setting is the available control over light. Outdoor lighting is most often “found” lighting... you use it when you see it. It can be controlled to some degree with the use of reflector cards and fill-screens, but not as closely as in a studio
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environment. Rarely does a photographer know exactly what the light outside will be at any given time of day, even in a very familiar spot. It is not possible to look at a scene and predict when the light would be perfect, and then return to photograph it at that time. The light will vary (even at the same hour) from day to day, depending on cloud cover, atmospheric conditions and temperature. Catalog shooting schedules are complicated and demanding, and would not allow that kind of planning luxury anyway. Utilizing outdoor light does present some ideal “windows” of time in which to shoot.
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