Studio lighting can be intimidating — so much so that even renowned photographers like Sue Bryce admit to not fully understanding the complexity of it. Fortunately, editorial and commercial photographer Felix Kunze has a knack for making it look easy. But even Felix can’t do it without the help of some handy tools.
Here’s the gear Felix couldn’t do without:
1. SkyLite Rapid 2mx2m diffusion scrim with 1.25 stop silk: “It might sound funny to put such a technical item at the top of my list, but this thing really is a godsend for me,” says Felix, “I travel with it everywhere.” A solid scrim is any studio photographer’s best friend — but if you can’t afford a fancy one, there are plenty of workarounds, including this DIY scrim that Kevin Kubota put together for under $30.
2. Alienskin Exposure 6 – “I’ve used this software so much, I just love it,” Felix explains. Alienskin has made multiple CreativeLive appearances, including in Felix’s lighting challenge with Sue.
3. Profoto Pro Acute B 600 – “I use this light everywhere I go,” says Felix. “So versatile, light enough to travel, and high-end enough for all my clients. It’s perfect!”
4. Nikon D800 – Felix calls this camera his “workhorse.” “I treat it badly, it gets bashed around, but it always does its job.”
5. Sekonic L-358 Flash Meter – Though many studio photographers opt not to, Felix says he just can’t do without a light meter. “Despite my best efforts, I can’t help but use a meter,” he explains, “It adds a level of certainty to what I do with lighting. If you use more than one light, use a light meter! Mine has the Pocketwizard trigger built in, it works with my lights.”
Want to learn more about studio, natural, and basically every other kind of lighting? Check out SkillSet: Best of Lighting, which is broadcasting for free now through July 4th, where you can watch photographers tackle a whole range of lighting challenges, while learning cool tricks like how to shape natural light, work with unpredictable wedding lighting, manage speed lights, and get the most of out of your studio lights. You’ll also get a run down on lighting theory and fundamentals. And you’ll hear it from industry influencers like Felix and Sue, Scott Robert Lim, Mike Fulton, Tony Corbell, Clay Blackmore, Mark Wallace, Zack Arias, Joey L, and Joel Grimes.
