Hot Lights Vs. Strobes
Hot lights and strobe lights represent the two main types of photo studio lights. Hot lights, also known as continuous lights, stay on at full intensity until someone turns them off. Strobes deliver a high-intensity flash of light for the short duration of a camera's open shutter, then are dark again until the next flash. Both hot and strobe lights have characteristics that suit different situations.
Hot Lights
Hot lights can be grouped into four categories: photofloods, quartz halogen, fluorescent and LED. The best feature of hot lights is that a photographer can see the shadows in a picture before taking it. Hot lights are not as bright as strobes, however, and work best in product photography in which the subjects do not move and the camera can be mounted on a tripod.
Photofloods
Photofloods resemble large household light bulbs, though they provide a much brighter light. They are tungsten and so require tungsten-balanced film or a white balance in a digital camera to offset the warm tone. These are the oldest type of studio lights and least expensive.
Quartz Halogen
Quartz halogen bulbs are constructed out of quartz and filled with halogen; they burn brighter than photofloods. They are energy-inefficient and emit much of the energy as heat rather than light. For this reason, people touching them can be seriously burned; fires can start if flammables come into contact with them. Also, they are a drain on electrical wiring, so older structures must be inspected to make sure it is safe to plug quartz halogen lights into the outlets. In addition, quartz halogen bulbs can explode in specific settings.
Fluorescent Lights and LEDs
Fluorescent lights are arranged in banks; they provide a better quality of light than the bulbs used for regular room light. They are significantly cooler, more energy-efficient and provide a more stable light quality than photofloods or quartz halogen bulbs. The biggest obstacle to owning fluorescent banks is a high cost factor.
LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are arranged in arrays for the most recent and coolest-running type of studio lighting. They are energy-efficient and provide an unwavering quality of light. The HMI type of LED lighting is often used for motion picture filming. These are by far the most expensive type of studio lighting.
Strobe Lights
Strobe light heads consist of a flash bulb or tube, its reflector and a dimmer modeling light that stays on to give the photographer an idea of what the shadows will look like in the photograph. The strobe heads are mounted on stands in the studio. These lights run cool compared with some hot lights, and they provide a higher intensity light than hot lights so stop-motion photos are possible. The main drawback to strobes is that the photographer cannot see the exact lighting until the photograph is taken. Two types of strobe lights exist: monolights and power pack units.
Monolights and Power Pack Units
Monolights contain the power source in each head and thus can be heavy. Each head is plugged into a separate electrical outlet. They are usually less expensive than power pack units.
Power pack units are much lighter because they do not contain a power source. Each head plugs into a master power pack. They are usually more expensive than monolights, though sets of each type can be found in multiple price levels. Power packs are used by virtually all professional photographers.
Tags: quartz halogen, halogen bulbs, power pack, they provide, type studio
