Recommended Studio Photography Equipment

Check out our Studio Photography course where we teach you how to use all the studio photography gear shown below.

Strobe lights are the most important part of a studio photography set-up. They are basically strong flashes that help you take shots using only one source of light as they are strong enough to overpower ambient light. This is important because it's easier to get accurate colors in a shot when only one source of light is used as the color temperatures are not mixed.

A softbox turns hard light into soft light which looks more pleasing on the subject since it removes the hard edged shadows and diffuses the highlights. The bigger the softbox, the better because the larger the source of light, the softer it is. This large 120 cm softbox is a great choice for very soft lighting. The only downside is that it can be difficult to move around.

This 80 cm softbox is also popular. It is easier to move around than the 120 cm softbox. But since it is smaller, it will produce slightly less soft light as compared to the 120 cm softbox. This can be countered by moving the softbox closer to the subject which effectively makes its size larger in relation to the subject, thereby increasing the softness of the light.

A strip softbox also turns hard light into soft light. But the main difference is that the light is very directional because of its narrow shape. This makes it great for situations where you want to illuminate the subject only from a certain angle.

Just like a soft-box, umbrella is also a modifier which turns harsh light into soft light. They are way cheaper than soft-boxes but the only downside is that the light coming through an umbrella spreads out in all directions thereby resulting in a lot of light spill. But if light spill is not an issue for you, then this is a great budget option.

A snoot is also a type of modifier. It's used to throw a focused beam of light. One of the areas where it is used a lot is when it is used as a hair light which is fired towards the subjects head from behind in order to create an outline which separates the subject from the background. This s helpful especially if the color of the subjects hair and the background are similar (like black hair and black background).

A backdrop stand comes in various forms. Some can include a roller system where multiple backdrop cloths can be mounted and simple pulled down. The one shown here is a budget stand where you have to mount the backdrop cloth using clamps.

Though backdrops come in various forms, a Muslin cloth backdrop is the best choice for a beginner since it is the cheapest option. It is also very durable and easily portable. More expensive options include the popular Vinyl Seamless backdrops but those can be expensive.