Types of Lighting for Product Photos

Here is your guide through the various types of lighting for product photography.

Lighting is one of the most powerful tools at a photographer’s disposal.

The way a product is lit has the ability to transform an image, highlighting textures, colors, and details that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Whether you’re shooting for an eCommerce site, a marketing campaign, or a personal project, understanding the different types of lighting available and how to use them, is key to creating compelling product photos.

We’ll discuss every type from continuous LED lights to powerful strobes and everything in between.

You’ll learn the strengths and limitations of each lighting type, and I will offer practical advice on how to choose the best option for your specific needs.

It doesn’t matter if you are working with reflective surfaces, textured items, or simply want to achieve a professional look in your home studio, this article will help you understand which lighting setup is right for you.

By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of how different lighting types can be utilized to enhance your product photography, ensuring that your images capture the essence and quality of the products you’re showcasing.

Let’s get started!

(BTW – some, but not all of the links in this article are affililate links. Just FYI – I don’t recommend anything I haven’t used and found helpful.)

 

cameras look different but camera exposure settings remain constant across them all.

 

Understanding the Basics of Product Photography Lighting

When it comes to product photography, the lighting you choose can dramatically change the look, mood and professionalism of your images.

The right lighting should highlight the product’s key features, enhance the colors, and add depth to the image, making the product more appealing and realistic.

Before diving into the specific types of lighting, it’s essential to understand some foundational concepts that will guide your choices.

 

Key Concepts

 

Continuous Lighting vs. Flash Lighting:

Continuous lighting, as the name suggests, provides a steady stream of light, allowing you to see exactly how the light interacts with your product in real-time.

This type of lighting is particularly useful for beginners or when working in environments where you need consistent light for both photography and videography.

Flash lighting, on the other hand, emits a powerful burst of light when the camera shutter is triggered.

This type of lighting is ideal for freezing motion and achieving high-intensity light, which is especially beneficial in dynamic product photography.

 

Natural vs. Artificial Lighting:

Natural light, sourced from the sun, is often praised for its soft, flattering quality.

However, it’s also unpredictable and varies throughout the day, making it less reliable for controlled product photography.

Artificial lighting, which includes continuous lights, flashes, and strobes, offers consistency and control, allowing you to manipulate every aspect of the light to suit your needs.

The choice between natural and artificial lighting will depend on the desired look, the environment, and the specific requirements of the product shoot.

 

The Role of Lighting in Highlighting Product Features

 

Lighting in product photography is not just about making the product visible; it’s about making it desirable.

Proper lighting can bring out the texture of fabrics, the glossiness of a finish, or the intricate details of a piece of jewelry.

It can also help to create mood and atmosphere, making the product more appealing to potential buyers.

By understanding how light interacts with your product, you can use it to emphasize the elements that matter most, ensuring that the product is portrayed in a way that is both accurate and enticing.

 

Neewer Lighting Kit Ad for at home product photography studio

 

Types of Lighting for Product Photos

Choosing the right type of lighting is essential for capturing the best aspects of your product.

Each type of lighting has its unique qualities and is best suited for different scenarios.

Understanding these differences will help you decide which lighting setup will work best for your product photography needs.

 

Continuous Lighting

 

LED Lights:

LED lights are a popular choice for product photography, especially in eCommerce settings.

They are energy-efficient, generate minimal heat, and often come with adjustable color temperatures, making them highly versatile.

LED lights provide a continuous stream of light, which is ideal for beginners because what you see is what you get.

This means you can adjust the lights and immediately see the impact on the product without taking multiple test shots.

You’ll find that LED lights are particularly effective for shooting still-life products and stop motion animations where consistent lighting is important.

 

Fluorescent Lights:

Fluorescent lights are another form of continuous lighting, though they are less common in professional product photography due to their tendency to produce a color cast.

The fact they are inexpensive, and despite the color cast, they can be useful in certain situations where you need soft, diffused lighting.

Fluorescent lights are often used in setups where budget constraints are a consideration, but it’s important to be aware of their limitations, especially in terms of color accuracy.

 

Tungsten Lights:

Tungsten lights are known for their warm, yellowish light, which can create a cozy, inviting atmosphere in your photos.

These lights are powerful and consistent, making them ideal for situations where you need a steady light source over an extended period.

However, they do generate a significant amount of heat, which can be a drawback when shooting products that are sensitive to temperature changes.

Tungsten lights are often used in fashion and product shoots that aim to create a specific mood or highlight certain colors.

 

Flash Lighting

 

Speed Lights:

Speed lights, or speedlites, are small, portable flashes that can be mounted on or off-camera.

They are incredibly versatile and can be used in various settings, from small home studios to outdoor locations.

Speed lights are powerful enough to freeze motion, making them a great choice for capturing dynamic product shots.

They are also compatible with a range of modifiers, such as softboxes and diffusers, allowing you to shape and control the light to suit your needs.

However, because they are not as powerful as strobes, they may require multiple units or higher ISO settings (which can introduce noise into your photo) in larger setups.

Strobes:

Strobes are the workhorses of professional studios.

They deliver a powerful burst of light that is perfect for freezing motion and capturing high-speed action.

Strobes are highly customizable, allowing you to adjust the intensity and duration of the flash to achieve the desired effect.

They are particularly useful for photographing products that require high-intensity light to bring out intricate details, such as jewelry or electronics.

While they are more expensive and require a bit more setup than speed lights, the results they produce are well worth the investment for professional-grade product photography.

I personally have two Godox AD 200 Pros and a Godox AD400 Pro and they work beautifully in my small studio.

  

Specialty Lighting

 

Ring Lights:

Ring lights are commonly used in portrait photography and content creation, but can also be adapted for product photography, particularly for small items like jewelry or cosmetics.

The unique circular shape of ring lights helps to eliminate shadows and provide even illumination around the product.

However, they can also create unwanted reflections and glare, especially on shiny surfaces.

To mitigate these issues, consider using a diffuser or experimenting with different angles to achieve a softer light.

 

Ring Light Alternatives:

For those looking for a more versatile option, umbrella lights offer a similar soft, diffused light but with greater control over the direction and intensity of the light.

Umbrella lights are easy to set up and adjust, making them a great choice for beginners or photographers looking to replicate natural light in their product photos.

 

Backlighting and Fill Lighting:

Backlighting and fill lighting are techniques used to create depth and dimension in product photography.

Backlighting involves placing a light source behind the product to separate it from the background, while fill lighting is used to soften shadows and even out the overall exposure.

These lighting techniques allow you to create a balanced, professional look and are often used in combination with key lighting to highlight specific features of the product.

 

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Choosing the Right Lighting for Your Product Photos

Selecting the right type of lighting for your product photos is not just about the tools you have at hand but also about understanding the specific needs of the product and the environment in which you are shooting.

Here I’ll break down the key considerations that will help you make informed decisions about which lighting setup will best suit your photography goals.

 

Considerations Based on Product Type

 

Reflective Products:

Products with reflective surfaces, such as jewelry, glassware, or electronics, require careful lighting to avoid unwanted reflections and glare.

In these cases, soft, diffused lighting is your best friend.

Using light modifiers like softboxes or umbrellas can help soften the light and reduce harsh reflections.

You may also want to consider using a polarizing filter to manage reflections on glossy surfaces.

 

Textured Products:

For products with significant texture, such as fabrics, food items, or handcrafted goods, lighting that emphasizes these textures is key.

Side lighting works well here, as it casts shadows that highlight the texture and depth of the product.

Continuous lights, especially those with adjustable intensity, allow you to fine-tune the lighting to bring out the intricate details of textured products.

 

Budget Considerations

 

For Beginners:

If you’re just starting out and working within a budget, continuous LED lights are a great option.

They are affordable, easy to use, and versatile enough for most product photography needs.

Pairing these lights with basic modifiers like reflectors or diffusers can significantly enhance the quality of your images without breaking the bank.

 

For Advanced Photographers:

For those with a bit more experience and budget, investing in strobes or high-end speed lights will give you greater control and versatility.

These lighting options are ideal for more complex setups, such as those involving motion or requiring precise control over the light’s intensity and direction.

Strobes, in particular, are an excellent investment for professional-grade product photography, especially if you frequently shoot in a studio setting.

 

Lighting for Different Settings

 

Home Studios:

In a home studio, space and budget constraints are often a concern.

Continuous lights, especially LEDs, are a good choice as they are compact, generate minimal heat, and can be easily adjusted.

Consider using a three-point lighting setup (key light, fill light, and backlight) to create a balanced and professional look without the need for excessive equipment.

 

Professional Studios:

In a professional studio, you have more flexibility to experiment with different lighting setups.

This environment is ideal for using strobes, large softboxes, and complex light modifiers.

The additional space allows for more advanced techniques, such as using multiple light sources to create depth and separation in your images.

Next, let’s look at some practical tips on setting up and using these different types of lighting, to get the best possible results from your chosen setup. 

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Practical Tips for Using Different Types of Lighting

Now that you have a better understanding of the various types of lighting available for product photography, it’s time to put that knowledge into practice.

So let me share some practical tips on setting up and using these different types of lighting to ensure that your product photos turn out exactly as you envision.

 

Setting Up Continuous Lighting

 

Positioning and Adjustments:

Continuous lighting, such as LED lights, are ideal for beginners because it allows you to see how the light affects your product in real-time.

Start by positioning your primary light source (often a softbox or LED panel) at a 45-degree angle from the product.

This angle generally provides a good balance of light and shadow, creating depth without harsh contrasts.

If the shadows are too intense, you can add a reflector or a secondary light (fill light) on the opposite side of the product to soften them.

Continuous lights often come with adjustable brightness and color temperature settings, so experiment with these until you find the right balance that highlights your product’s best features.

 

product photography lighting setups

 

Using Light Modifiers:

To get the most out of continuous lighting, use modifiers like softboxes, diffusers, and reflectors.

Softboxes help diffuse the light, creating a softer, more even illumination, which is perfect for reducing harsh shadows and highlighting details.

Reflectors can bounce light back onto the product to fill in shadows, while diffusers can soften the light further if needed.

 

Using Flash Lighting Effectively

 

Syncing Flash Units:

When using flash lighting, particularly with speed lights or strobes, it’s important to ensure that your flash units are properly synced with your camera.

This can be done using wireless flash triggers, which allow you to control multiple flashes simultaneously.

Proper sync ensures that your flashes fire exactly when the shutter is open, preventing issues like misfires or inconsistent lighting.

  

Adjusting Power Settings:

One of the key benefits of flash lighting is the ability to control the intensity of the light.

Most flash units allow you to adjust the power output, which is essential for preventing overexposure, especially in close-up product shots.

Start with a lower power setting and gradually increase it until you achieve the desired brightness.

Remember, it’s easier to add light in post-processing than to correct for overexposure.

 

Avoiding Overexposure:

To avoid overexposure, particularly when using multiple flash units, you may need to stop down your camera’s aperture (use a higher f-stop number) or reduce the ISO setting.

Overexposure can wash out details and make the product appear flat, so take test shots and review them carefully before proceeding with the full shoot.

 

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Modifiers and Diffusers

 

Softboxes and Umbrellas:

Both softboxes and umbrellas are excellent for creating soft, diffused light.

Softboxes, with their enclosed design, provide a more controlled and directional light source, while umbrellas spread light more broadly, mimicking natural sunlight.

Use softboxes for more precise lighting control, especially when working with smaller products or when you need to minimize reflections.

Umbrellas are great for evenly lighting larger areas or multiple products.

 

Scrims and Reflectors:

Scrims are another useful tool for diffusing light, particularly in outdoor or natural light setups.

They are essentially large, translucent fabrics that soften direct sunlight or artificial light.

Reflectors, on the other hand, bounce light back onto the subject to fill in shadows or add highlights.

They come in various colors—white, silver, and gold—with each providing different effects on the light quality and warmth.

Additionally, if on a budget, white foam core board is inexpensive and makes a wonderful reflector.

By using these modifiers and diffusers, you can control the quality and direction of light, ensuring that your product photos are well-lit and free from harsh shadows or unflattering reflections.

 

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Common Questions About Lighting for Product Photos

As you explore the different lighting options available, you might encounter some common questions that other photographers frequently ask.

Here are answers to a few of those questions:

 

What Type of Lighting Is Best for Product Photography?

The best lighting depends on your specific needs. Continuous LED lights are excellent for beginners due to their ease of use and real-time adjustments. For more advanced setups, strobes offer powerful, controllable bursts of light that are ideal for dynamic and detailed product photography.

 

How Many Lights Do You Need for Product Photography?

A basic setup often includes three lights: a key light (the main light source), a fill light (to reduce shadows), and a backlight (to separate the product from the background). However, you can start with just one or two lights and add more as needed.

Can You Use LED Lights for Product Photography?

Yes, LED lights are very popular in product photography due to their energy efficiency, low heat output, and versatility. They are particularly useful in continuous lighting setups where you need consistent light over extended periods.

What Are the Three Point Lighting Techniques?

Three-point lighting involves using three lights: the key light, fill light, and backlight. The key light provides the main illumination, the fill light reduces shadows, and the backlight adds depth by separating the product from the background. This setup creates a balanced and professional look in your photos.

 

Let’s Recap …

Lighting plays a pivotal role in product photography, influencing everything from the overall mood to the minute details that make your product stand out.

By understanding the different types of lighting available and how to use them effectively, you can ensure that your product photos are not only visually appealing but also true to life.

Whether you’re just starting out with continuous LED lights or looking to invest in more advanced strobes, the key is to experiment and find what works best for your specific needs.

Don’t be afraid to try different setups, play with light modifiers, and adjust your settings until you achieve the desired result.

As you refine your skills, you’ll discover that the right lighting can transform your product photography, helping you create images that capture the essence of your products and draw in your audience.

For a broader overview of lighting in photography, be sure to check out our related article, “Artificial Lighting Techniques For Product Photography,” where I’ll go into additional techniques and tools that can further enhance your photographic work.

 

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