Unlike strobe lighting, continuous lighting — aka constant lighting — remains consistently active throughout a shoot, offering constant illumination.
It comes in forms such as LED panels/heads, LED tubes, fluorescent bulbs, and tungsten lights — each with unique characteristics to suit various shooting conditions and creative preferences.
Today's article focuses on LED lighting sources with a traditional form factor reminiscent of strobe lighting — and two sets using LED tubes for creative effects.
A. Using LED Lights — The Pros
LED Lighting offers a beginner-friendly, quick learning curve.
WYSIWYG
LED lights offer a user-friendly experience for beginners compared to strobes, which demand a deeper understanding of complex settings and equipment. With LED lights — mainly when working with multi-light setups — adjustments to position and intensity deliver instant effects. This simplifies the learning process, offering the What You See Is What You Get principle.
Time Saver
A quicker light setup process and real-time adjustments allow you to save time during the session — or to have more time available for additional setups.
Exposure Consistency
WYSIWYG means no waiting for flash recycling time or flash misfires — what you see is what your camera will get.
No Triggers
No need for any additional triggers or receivers.
Same Light Modifiers
If you opt for the Bowens-mount system, you can use the same modifiers for/from various strobe brands — Godox, Pixapro, Interfit, Flashpoint, Westcott, Jinbei, etc.
Bi-Color LEDs
Change color temperature on the fly without using gels — when it comes to warm-to-cool light.
Versatility
Continuous lighting can be used for both photography and videography. A one-time investment for both mediums.
B. Using LED Lights — The Drawbacks
Like everything, LED lights have some downsides. Depending on your photography branch, these drawbacks are more or less significant.
Limited Power
LED Light Setups are best suited for indoor portrait, headshot, and beauty photography when shooting in smaller defined sets and placing the light closer to your subject. Strong LED heads (800, 1000, 2400 W) exist — but are meant for film/video sets, not in front of a subject's face, and they get expensive and bulky.
Avoid Available Light
LEDs need to overpower room light, meaning the room light needs to be dimmed down. Before a shoot, take a test snap to ensure you get a black image without any LED light switched on.
Heat Output
Continuous lights generate heat over time, making the subject and team uncomfortable, especially in small rooms without sufficient airflow.
Power Consumption
Continuous lighting tends to consume more power than strobes, which can increase your electricity bill.
C. Download the Comparison Setups
Two prepared comparison setups to inspect yourself — for female and male subjects.
D. Conclusion — Ease of Use
From the Community — Four LED Setup Ideas
Two sets with classic LED light heads and two with LED tubes for creative effects.
LED Lights — Shallow Depth of Field Portrait
by sr432
LED Lights — Kim, 1-Light Setup
by ragemage
Titan Tubes — Gelled Beauty
Titan Tubes — Neon
by Déclic Numérique / Steve De Jongh
Have fun trying it out,
Dan from elixxier
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