The ring light is the best alternative to full professional lighting. With little effort, it provides favorable conditions and allows you to bring out and emphasize more interesting details. How much does a light ring cost, how to use it and what additional accessories are worth attention – you will find out later in the article.
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What is a ring light and how does it work
A ring lamp is nothing more than a special type of lighting (also known as a “light ring”), which owes its name to the shape it takes through a special arrangement of light points on the outline of a circle . If, looking at it, you see your dentist in front of your eyes, it is a very correct association. Because the ring lamp has its roots in this lamp that your dentist willingly puts under your nose to better see all the cavities.
The ring light is now gaining popularity in more general use because it is great for evenly illuminating a selected subject while virtually eliminating unwanted shadows. In addition, the vast majority of it emits light with a color temperature that perfectly reflects natural lighting. Another advantage is its lightweight construction and the ability to quickly set it up at home. Thanks to this, it serves not only professionals taking advantage of specialized studies, but also all creative artists who work in more intimate conditions in their hobby or business.
Types and use of ring lights – for make-up, for photography, for selfies, for video
The ring light is a category of equipment within which several individual types can be distinguished, which will also work better for various activities. Belong to them:
- ring lamp with continuous light often going hand in hand with a tripod – this is the type of ring lamp that basically defines this lighting model. They are especially willingly used for make-up, visage, tattoo, cosmetic treatments, photographic portraits and recording vlogs, etc. They work well wherever it is important to bring out the details of the object that the eye is directed at and emphasize their real presence in daylight.
- ring flash type ring flash put on the camera lens – the light source located in this way affects the very natural reflection of the photographed objects, also in the macro version. Particularly useful in professional fashion, artistic or utility photography. In a word, where the flash will not kill the expected effect.
- selfie ring lamp – it is a portable type of light ring, which is distinguished by the fact that it is equipped with a handle that allows mounting around the front camera of the smartphone. There are also versions that are basically a scaled-down version of the standard ring light to be mounted on a phone along with an attached mirror. A great solution to beautify selfies presented in social media, e.g. Instagram.
Ring lamp – the most important parameters, i.e. what to pay attention to
Type of light
A ring lamp is not equal to a ring lamp. These may differ not only in types, but also in individual parameters. There are a few that you should pay special attention to before selecting the best model for your preferred applications. The biggest difference will come first, namely the type of light used .
Well, the ring lamp can be equipped with fluorescent bulbs or LEDs. The latter are characterized by higher energy efficiency and durability as well as a lower degree of heating. Which is very important, especially in the case of contact of the lamp with another device, e.g. a smartphone or a camera, which can draw heat from the lit lamp. If that wasn’t enough, these bulbs also generate more light for the same wattage and can support additional functions such as color change. In return, compared to fluorescent bulbs, they reproduce colors a little worse.
Ring lamp – power and diameter
Speaking of which, as it happens in electrical devices, the power of the lamp will be important. The larger, the larger the diameter of a particular ring will be. In this case, it is also worth taking into account the size of the photographed objects and the distance separating them from the camera. Typically, the most powerful lamps will oscillate around 65 W, so if you are going to use them in studio work, bet on something from this ceiling. You can also look for models with adjustable power. Thanks to this, you will gain more opportunities to work in scenes with different parameters and on different objects.
Also remember that the larger the diameter of the lamp, the softer the light, which will not emphasize the characteristics of the skin with perfection in a single pore. Its size will therefore largely depend on the expected effect.
The color temperature of the light
Staying on the topic of regulation, it’s good if your favorite ring lamp has an adjustable color temperature of light . This functionality will allow you to play with effects and get lighting conditions as close as possible to natural sunlight. This is reflected by the temperature in the range of 3300-5300 K. A higher coefficient will correspond to a cooler shade, while a lower one – to a warmer one. The color temperature can be controlled using the application, remote control or knob. In addition, you can find ring lamps with the option of changing the color of the light, which further expands their creative potential.
How to use and set up a ring light
Using the lamp itself is very simple. Let’s make a deal, just put it up or mount it stably on a tripod and turn on the power. I’m not going to dwell on it any more. A much more important issue, however, is the way the lamp is positioned, which will translate into expected or unexpected, but at the same time satisfying, effects.
First of all, the light provided by the ring lamp is not indifferent to other sources of lighting, be it natural or artificial. If you want to bring out the whole spectrum of possibilities of this particular lamp, consider covering the windows in the room that plays the role of a photo studio. It is important that the light ring is the center of the lighting.
The location of the lamp in relation to the object or area where the photos will be taken will also have an impact on the final result. This one should be located straight ahead and in front of the stage , and the camera itself should preferably be positioned inside the lamp circuit. In this way, you will ensure full lighting without a shadow of a doubt (sorry, it was stronger than me) on the details. Which only means that no unwanted shadows will appear on your image.
In addition, this way of positioning the lamp will also be reflected in the eyes of the model. And this time, literally. It is about the so-called bliki (no, it has nothing to do with payments), or in other words “sparkles”. This effect deepens the look and makes it more captivating and alluring.
A ring lamp with a tripod, i.e. these and other useful functionalities
Accessories for fixing lamps
The tripod is one of the basic accessories that facilitate the use of the ring light. This additionally can be connected to it on a flexible arm that moves sideways or a joint with a full range of motion, also forwards and backwards. Thanks to such a mount, you gain more opportunities to conveniently adjust the lamp setting to the photographed object.
Before choosing a specific tripod, familiarize yourself with its capacity parameter. In this way, you will be sure that it will hold and ensure the stability of the lamp along with accessories, if you choose them. Also pay attention to its height, even if it is adjustable. If you intend to use the lamp mainly for make-up, as an element illuminating the dressing table, then it is better to look for lower variants.
While we’re on the topic of mounts, another useful accessory can be a smartphone or other mobile device holder. Its special clip will allow you to place the phone inside the light circle, which will translate into better photo or selfie effects. In this case, we can also come across various solutions, e.g. with a 360- degree rotating handle and a soft arm .
We can also reverse this situation and focus on attaching the lamp to the camera . In this way, a professional SLR or GoPro camera will be the center of the ring. This mount is based on a standard ¼ inch thread.
Additives for better lighting effects
Ring lamps, apart from the mounting options that separate them, can also be distinguished by other properties that will determine the possibility of obtaining the most interesting lighting effects. We are talking, among other things, about the function, let’s call it working – panel separation. Which means that some models of ring lamps consist of two independent panels – semicircles, which can be used as two separate light sources. This gives an incredibly wide field for playing with effects and manipulating light and shadow.
A special diffuser can also be used for this, i.e. an overlay made of fabric or plastic, whose task is to soften the light of the ring lamp. You will find it in two color variants: natural white and warm. I have already mentioned this in the chapter on the placement of the lamp. This additional coating allows you to place the lamp anywhere and at the same time get a portrait that will not present all the details of human skin or make-up with surgical precision.
Equipment that increases the scope of work
However, when in everyday duties you definitely appreciate the smallest details, a mirror and a magnifying glass will be a useful addition for you. Thanks to them, you will not miss any important details that could affect, for example, customer satisfaction, and you will monitor how you present yourself in a specific light on an ongoing basis.
In addition, some models of light rings will have adjustable light intensity and the ability to change the color temperature. In these cases, the set will probably include a dedicated remote control , if in a wireless version, the better for you. You may also come across a remote control for your phone that connects via Bluetooth technology. Using it, you can take photos without using the smartphone camera interface itself. A valuable property in a profession where the best staff can be the result of a very fleeting moment.
Recommended models of light rings – a ring lamp for every budget
Ring lamps are a graceful tool that gives professional lighting at a low cost, be it economical or functional. Decent lamps for smartphones are available for less than USD $50 , while full sets with a tripod can be found for just over this amount. This is not a huge contribution, considering how much your range of possibilities and artistic expression expands.
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