Many are surprised to learn that my Toronto studio doesn’t have any natural light! I use studio lighting to mimic natural light in all my sessions, and today I’m sharing some information about my studio lights.
Sometimes my white balance in the studio is way off. That is either due to me forgetting to change my settings after doing an outdoor session, or my studio light shifting temperatures on its own. It’s usually the first reason.
Sometimes it’s the second reason, which happens occasionally with the lights I use, which are the Alien Bee 400 series from Paul C. Buff. I bought these lights six years ago and I’m amazed that they’ve been 100% hassle-free. I have yet to change a bulb or replace a piece that is broken. Their only downside (to me), now that I have had some years of experience, is that their colour temperature is not always consistent across flashes. This means that for a set of photos they might be slightly yellow, and for the next they might be slightly magenta, that sort of thing.
It’s not a huge issue for me because colour temperature is easily corrected in Lightroom or Camera Raw. It does take some time, though, to adjust for each image so that all images in a session are consistent.
If I were to upgrade my studio lights I would definitely spend the necessary money on a system that can maintain a consistent colour temperature throughout a shoot. It would save me a lot of time, overall, and saving time means saving money when it comes to running a business!
For now, I’ll save the $800+ it would cost for a new system since my studio session volume is quite low these days because…pandemic.
Jessica Nip Photography specializes providing a full service experience that starts with booking your session through to the beautiful tangible heirloom products being displayed in your home. Her style of soft, natural and light-filled imagery can be seen in all her maternity, newborn, child and family portraits in Toronto, Canada. Her favourite images are highlighted on the blog, but if you’d like to see what a full gallery looks like, please send her a note and she’d be happy to show you!
To inquire about a session, please click here or email Jessica at info@jessicanip.com.
