LED Continuous Lights vs Strobes for Photography – which is the best studio lighting solution?

Shooting with LED continuous lights vs Strobes for photography – which should you be using? LED Lighting for photography has come a very long way in the last few years and all indications are that constant light sources and LED’s will be the future of portrait lighting and all photographic and video lighting.

The real questions right now are do you really understand the differences between continuous lighting and strobes or speedlights? Why would you use one instead of the other? If you are a new photographer which type of studio lighting should you start with?

The simple reality is that you will not find one light that is best suited for every situation you will encounter as a photographer. As I have shown you – there are pros and cons to both lighting systems. I actually consider myself lucky that I learned portrait lighting with those cheap silver reflectors and 150 watt bulbs mounted on top of light stands. It made it easier to learn how to see light – because the light was alway on. And it forced me to learn how to really see and manipulate light because the light quality from those cheap silver reflectors is horrible.

If you are new to lighting and plan to shoot people like I do or even products, I would whole heartedly encourage you to start with LED lights. The constant light sources will allow you to really see what you are doing and will definitely help you develop your lighting skills much faster.

And for you portrait photographers – here is a huge bonus that you get with constant LED’s… studio photographers have a bad habit of working in slightly darker studios so that they can see the effects of their modeling lights. The problem with that is that the modeling lights really aren’t very bright so your subjects pupils expand to gather more light. The result is that you see less of the iris and less color in the eye. Using LED lights for your portrait lighting will generally cause the pupils to contract which allows you to see more of the iris and more color.

Some of you are going to ask about the new LED flash combos and if they are worth the money. In my opinion – at the time of this video – they are gimmicks and definitely not worth your hard earned money. If you are a geartographer and the GAS is killing you – go for it – they’re interesting, but for practical purposes, they are too small and way too expensive. You can actually save yourself money by owning separate flash and LED systems compared to purchasing the few combination lights that are currently hitting the market. Please remember the newest gear and the most expensive gear don’t make you photography better. Only you can do that. Purchase your gear based on your real needs.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO
Savage Edge Lit Pro LED Lights:
LumoPro LP180R Speedlight:
Paul C. Buff Digibee DB800:
Smith Victor Bi-Color 19” LED Ring Light:
Spekular:
Nikon D810:
Tokina 100mm f/2.8 Lens:
Sekonic LiteMaster Pro L-478DR-U Light Meter:

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FTC Disclosure: Savage Universal, Smith Victor and Spiffy Gear provided lighting showing this video. No sponsors have paid to be included or mentioned and all words and opinions are my own.
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