Modern lighting schemes in the studio with examples. The simplest and most effective lighting scheme for portraits. Soft light and hard light

The article tells how you can make a quality portrait in the studio, using only two light sources, white umbrellas, a beauty dish, white and black paper backgrounds and a portrait reflector.

Do not entertain yourself with vain expectations that by studying these methods, you will immediately learn how to take a picture at the level of great photographers.
However, this material will significantly expand knowledge on the use of studio lighting and give impetus to self-development and the study of new material.

The article will describe the method of setting the light with only two sources. Why is that? Why not three? Everything is simple. First, a large amount of light does not always affect the quality of the picture. Secondly, having mastered the technique of working with two sources, you can easily switch to working with three or more flashes. Thirdly, most studios have only two light sources. This can be considered a basic minimum, but it is often also a maximum. In a home studio where space is limited and budget is generally limited, two lights are the norm.

First scheme.

The use of one light source (reflector "plate" + monoblock), as well as a white paper background, allows you to get a hard pattern of shadows and light. The transition of light and shadow is clear and sharp. To achieve this effect, the model must be very close to the background. Due to this, the light source, located frontally, will create a dense shadow on the white paper background. The monoblock can be positioned at different heights. The higher it is, the longer the shadow will be. It will be most convenient to use the crane stand. It will allow you to set the light in front of the model, and the stand will not interfere with the shooting.

Second scheme.

This scheme is with one light source. A monoblock and a white umbrella "to the light" will be used. The background for the model will be black. With this scheme, you can make a portrait in which the model will be illuminated from one side only. Such lighting will add depth and expressiveness to the portrait, however, such lighting is not suitable for every model. The model should be somewhat removed from the background, and the monoblock should be at the level of her head.

Third scheme.

We use two monoblocks with white umbrellas "in the light" and a white paper background. We set the lighting and direct it diagonally to the model. The main light source is located on the left. He draws soft chiaroscuro. Additional lighting is installed to the right behind the model and illuminates the background. An additional source in such a scheme will eliminate dips in the shadows on the right, and create backlight, giving volume to the picture. The model is positioned three-quarters to the background. The main light source is located at the level of the model's face or slightly higher, and the additional one is at shoulder level. An additional peculiar atmosphere was created by the wet glass through which the picture was taken.

Fourth scheme.

This scheme uses lighting and background in a similar way to the previous scheme. The light is installed on both sides of the model at an angle of 45 degrees. Both of them perform the function of filling the scene with light. This creates soft lighting. There will be no deep shadows with this scheme. Due to underlighting, the white background becomes slightly gray. To exclude the background from the frame, you can crop the portrait.
When shooting portraits in the style of "Beauty" it is good to use a portrait reflector. This picture shows the advantages of this accessory. The reflector allows you to flexibly adjust the shadows on the face and neck of the model. In the example, a small reflector with a diameter of 32 inches, silver color was used. It was located in the center of the frame at chest level.

Fifth scheme.

Two monoblocks with white umbrellas "in the light" are installed diagonally to the subject, which is located on a black background. The main source will be the one on the left. It will create a shadow triangle on the face of the model. This pattern is often referred to as a "triangle". Backlight creates a second source. It highlights the figure and hair of the model, and also gives volume. The illumination of the background makes it not black, but grayish, but the picture only benefits from this, since gray is much easier to perceive, it is more neutral.

Sixth scheme.

The scheme implements the use of two monoblocks and umbrellas "in the light" with a white paper background. The light is installed on both sides of the model and shines at an angle of 90 degrees. Both monoblocks work as fill light. Chiaroscuro is soft, but in the center the shadow takes on depth. This scheme adds expressiveness to the picture, but may not be acceptable for all models. The white background becomes greyish.

Seventh scheme.

This scheme demonstrates the use of two monoblocks and one white umbrella "to the light", as well as a black paper background. Both monoblocks are located to the left and right of the model. The main source is placed in front of the model and will fill the frame with light. Thanks to him, a uniform filling of the frame with light will be achieved. The second monoblock is installed on the right, slightly behind the model. It will create backlighting, highlight the figure and add some rigidity and volume. To diffuse the light flux, a cup is used, which is supplied in one set with a monoblock. it allows you to get hard transitions from light to shadow. The back light source performs another function. he draws small splashes of water.

Eighth scheme.

Two monoblocks with white umbrellas "in the light" are installed behind the model and direct their light onto a white background. The angle of incidence of light is 45 degrees. Both sources create a soft silhouette of the model. The white background and fill light make the model look a bit overexposed. Minor details are hidden in the shadows, but facial features are discernible. In this scheme, background tinting is applicable. In our example, pink created tenderness and warmth.

Ninth scheme.

This scheme requires more accessories. You will need: two monoblocks, a plate reflector, a standard cup, and a white background. We arrange the equipment according to the scheme. "Plate" is installed frontally above the model's eyes. This will give a pattern of shadows on the face of the model resembling a butterfly. This scheme is sometimes referred to as the "Hollywood portrait" due to the fact that many portraits in the film industry are shot this way. A higher reflector position will give a longer nose shadow. The background behind the model is located at a distance of about one meter. Because of this, the shadow falls on the background, and the frame becomes denser. The frame density can be adjusted by moving the model further or closer to the background.
For this scheme, a “crane” stand is well suited, which will not interfere with the photographer when shooting. Additional light is installed behind the model at the same level with the shoulders. It creates backlight. This light draws the texture of the hair and adds volume.

Tenth chart.

This scheme almost completely repeats the fourth. The location of the equipment is the same. The only difference is the absence of light pulses. For example, a portrait was shot with only pilot light. Due to the low power of light, you can take a picture with a much shallower depth of field.

There are a lot of schemes for staging light in the studio when shooting a portrait. These ten examples are intended to facilitate the understanding of lighting techniques. Any novice photographer will find something new in these schemes.

Based on materials from the site:

Do you find studio lighting difficult? Understand. When I bought my first set of studio equipment, I fiddled with it for half an hour. Frightened and confused, I put everything back in the box and did not touch it for six months.

But don't worry, setting up an exposure with studio lighting is very easy; this is perhaps one of the most basic photographic skills. By following these tips, with no experience with studio equipment, you will be able to properly expose your shot without the help of expensive and unnecessary lighting specialists. This is not a crash course in complex theories and physics; our goal is to learn how to use studio light and take good pictures as soon as possible. You can return to the theories of your choice. I firmly believe that it's easier to know the "why" when you already know the "how".

Let's get ready

Before we get started, there are a few things you need to do:

Set your lights in place, set them to full power and make sure they work;

You must know how to connect a light source to the camera and power it up using the remote control, PC sync cable, on-camera flash, or the camera's built-in system. Refer to the instructions if you need help. The manual for your studio light should be at hand;

Settings: switch camera to manual mode, shutter speed to 1/125th of a second, ISO 100. (If you have an older model or film camera, then the default is 1/60th of a second).

It will be easier if the calculator is nearby.

Applying full exposure levels

Most of our modern cameras are capable of setting the aperture to 1/3 or 1/2 stops. This is extremely useful for fine-tuning exposure in most situations; however, for this exercise, it's best to put it aside for the time being and focus on the full exposure steps, as shown in the table below.

Looking for Flash Guide Number

Our next step will be to scroll through the instructions in search of the Flash Guide Number or otherwise it is called the Numeric Flash Duration Indicator (also check if it is indicated in feet or meters; this is important). This magic number is quite a complicated thing and is about the brain-destroying Inverse Square Law. But as promised, you don't need to know why it works; you must know how to use it.

There are two main ways to use the Flash Duration Indicator that will be useful to you. You can choose an aperture based on the desired outcome of the photo and figure out where to put the light source. Alternatively, place the light source according to the desired lighting effect and calculate the correct aperture.

Calculate aperture

Some lighting effects require lighting fixtures to be in a specific location and distance from the subject and other lighting fixtures. In other words, it must be in a fixed position and cannot be moved.

In such cases, in order to calculate the aperture for the correct exposure, all you need to do is measure the distance between the light source and your subject in feet or meters (which is what your Flash duration indicator says). Now divide this Pointer by a distance. For example, a Flash duration indicator of 66 and a distance between the light source and the subject of 6 feet would result in: 66:6=11. In this case, the aperture for correct exposure will be f/11.

In most cases, division does not occur as accurately. For example, if you're getting f/9.2, then just round it up to the nearest full number, and we'll see how to fine-tune the exposure shortly.

Calculate the distance to the light source

Conversely, if you know what aperture you want to use, perhaps for some interesting effect, simply divide the Flash Duration Index by your desired aperture. In portraiture, I mostly use f/8, so if we divide our previous example of 66 by 8, we get 8.25. That is, to get the correct exposure, you need to place the light source at a distance of 8.25 feet from the subject. It's really simple.

One word of caution: if you have a powerful light source in a small room, you're not going to be foolish enough to set f/64. If the power is too high, reduce it by half and divide the flash duration indicator by two.

Fine-tuning exposure without changing settings

As you learned, there are times when you want the aperture to remain the same. You also don't want to change the power of the light source so as not to change the Flash Duration Index and nullify your ability to easily calculate the exposure. However, subjects are moving, or you may want to slightly over- or underexpose the shot for artistic effect. The way to do this is very simple.

To underexpose or reduce the amount of light hitting the subject, move the light source further away. If it's really close to the subject and you move it about a foot away, you'll lose 1-2 stops of light (smaller f/number). If the light source is a little further away from the subject and you move it a foot further, you will lose less light. This is due to the Inverse Square Law, which states: “In physics, the inverse square law is a law stating that the value of some physical quantity at a given point in space is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source of the field that characterizes this physical quantity” (taken from Wikipedia). Just know that the farther away the light source is, the less impact it will have on the subject.

That's why I asked you to use a full step and not a fractional step. Moving a light source or model 1-2 feet is much easier than assuming that 1/3 of a step would require a 4 inch (10cm) increase.

Note on light modifiers

Most modifiers in studio photography have an effect on the performance of a light source in terms of exposure. You may need to increase or decrease the aperture, or the distance to the light source, depending on the type of modifier you are using.

Soft boxes and white or clear umbrellas that give a softer diffused light will reduce the amount of light that hits the subject. You can compensate for this by increasing the aperture (smaller f/number) or moving the light source closer to the subject.

Beauty dishes, silver umbrellas, and reflectors that produce a harder, more direct light will increase the amount of light hitting your subject and require you to decrease your aperture (larger f/number) or move the light source further away from your subject.

If you choose to change the aperture in such situations, then you can now use fractional values. A modifier can rarely change the output of a light source so much that it takes a full step.

You'll quickly learn how modifiers affect light output, and after a few sessions you'll find yourself compensating for them automatically without thinking.

Let's move on to practice

I created a quick portrait photoshoot to demonstrate how these techniques are applied. Gemma graciously agreed to this task.

The only thing I did was set up a paper background and attach a beauty dish to the light source. When Gemma arrived, I asked her to stand two feet from the background and placed the light directly in front of her at its highest position, pointing the plate at her face.

To start shooting, it was only necessary to set the aperture. The Bowens GM400 equipment I'm using has a guide number of 76. I measured the distance to the light source; it was 7.5 feet. Dividing 76 by 7.5 gives me 10.133. Since I used a silver beauty dish, we know the aperture needs to be reduced a little for a more accurate exposure, so I set it to f/11 and took a test shot. As you can see from the histogram, these simple calculations gave me an accurate exposure and it only took a minute.

In this image, you can see that the exposure stays the same from the first frame to the last, allowing me to focus on other aspects of the image.

And here you can see the end result.

I hope that you are still here with me and convinced that studio lighting is not something to be afraid of. With a little practice, the techniques described in this article will become second nature to you, allowing you to focus not on the technical side of correct exposure, but on the aesthetic side, such as composition and establishing contact with the model or client. As with most things, practice is the key. Take a photo of a friend, a pet, or a bowl of fruit and go through the whole process over and over again until calculating the right exposure becomes a reflex. And you will find that you spend more time and energy on the creative side than on the technical side.

Ten lighting schemes with a standard set of three Hensel illuminators.

Many photographers ask how to set the light in the studio when shooting a portrait. Realizing that it is very difficult to learn without examples, we decided to write an article about fashion photography.

In order to make the circuits easy to repeat in most studios, we used 3 Hensel 500 Integra monoblocks.

And the most popular light shaping attachments: octobox 80 cm, silver umbrella 120 cm, beauty dish, standard reflectors, strip boxes 60x120 cm and 30x180 cm (ideally they should be the same, but I had to work with what I have).

In addition, we used reflective panels and black flags.

Scheme 1

A lighting fixture with a silver umbrella mounted slightly to the right of the camera was used as key light. We placed two illuminators with stripboxes on the sides and slightly behind the model.

To prevent the lights from affecting the background, we installed white panels between the background and the lights. The panels cut off excess light from the background and redirected it to the model, making the backlight more voluminous, and the background itself was illuminated only by the main key light.

The intensity of the background illumination in this scheme is easily controlled by the position of the key light. If you raise the lamp with an umbrella higher and tilt it more steeply towards the model, then the main light falls on the model, and on the background - only the light from the upper peripheral part of the octobox, the background in this case becomes darker.

If you lower the drawing lower and turn it more frontally, then in this case quite a lot of light from the main source will fall on the background, it will become whiter, but a shadow from the model may appear on the background.

Scheme 2

Bright, saturated colors of clothes look great on a completely white background.

At maximum background illumination, there is a danger that the light reflected from the background will be so powerful that it will flood the entire scene with light.

As a result, the side light from the background lights, without falling on the model, went directly to the background, illuminating it and reflecting, making the background absolutely white, without a shadow from the model, and the white panels acted as a backlight, reflecting the incident light from the key light.

The picture turned out to be contrasting with an excellent study of the details of clothing.

Scheme 3

A very simple circuit. As a key light, we used an octobox lamp.

The model was filmed in full height, and for the backlight we used a 30x180 cm height stripbox, which was installed to the left of the model. This stripbox is convenient for shooting models in full growth.

As a result, we got a brightly lit model that stands out against a dark gray background.

Scheme 4

Scheme with one light source. Key light from our favorite - monolight with octobox. On the sides of the model are two wide reflective panels to fill with light.

This turned out to be quite enough to get an interesting photo.

As you can see, the background is evenly lit.

Why did I call the octobox a favorite? I always liked it - quite soft, almost like from an umbrella, but easily controlled light. And in the pupils of the model there is no square glare, unlike a regular softbox.

Scheme 5

In this scheme, the painter is an octobox, a backing stripbox, separated from the background by a reflector so that it has less effect on the background.

To get a gradient on the background, we put a monoblock with a reflector and honeycombs.

A light spot on a gray background brought the image to life.

With enough imagination, color filters installed on the background lamp will add the desired effect to the image and turn the soft gray background into a color one. The spot size can be easily adjusted by installing a honeycomb grid of various degrees.

Scheme 6

In the previous frame, we got a uniform dark gray background.

By adding the background light we already used with a standard reflector and honeycombs to the frame, we illuminated the background and changed the mood in the frame.

This example best shows how any schema can be modified and enhanced to achieve a specific goal.

Scheme 7

Photographing a fairly tall model in full growth required uniform lighting from the top to the bottom of the frame. This is easily achieved by using a long stripbox illuminator as a key light.

A stripbox was also used as a backlight. Black light-absorbing panels were installed on the sides of the model. The light from the sources fell on the model, the light-absorbing panels excluded its uncontrolled reflection in the frame.

Scheme 8

As a key light, we used an octobox lamp.

A back light with a stripbox was installed behind the model on the left and high enough to highlight the hairstyle.

Such a staging scheme allowed us to slightly dim the background lighting and outline the model with backlight.

Scheme 9

The umbrella is rarely used in the studio, but on the road it is very popular due to its compactness and quick readiness for work.

We used a silver umbrella as key light, which gives off a soft, enveloping light that is extremely difficult to control.

Light travels from a source in a continuous light wave, illuminating almost everything in its path. In our case, a large parabolic umbrella was used, the light beam from which was still controlled, it expanded or contracted by simply moving the light source on the axis of the umbrella (closer to the umbrella or farther away).

The umbrella was placed almost above the head of the photographer, a little to the right, and directed it steeply down.

Scheme 10

We used a beauty dish as the key light. To get a more directed beam of light, put on a honeycomb grid.

Light-absorbing panels, the so-called French flags, were installed on both sides of the model. A model in a black leather jacket, illuminated by a narrow beam of light, turned out against a completely black background.

To prevent the jacket from blending into the background, we illuminated the latter with a standard reflector.

Results

Concluding this review, I want to say that good shots can be taken with one or two light sources, combining them in accordance with your imagination. The use of three light sources when shooting makes your possibilities practically limitless. It is not for nothing that many well-known companies, including Hensel, which manufacture and sell lighting equipment, complete sets of three illuminators and light-shaping nozzles, packed in a convenient branded case.

Backstage

Thanks

We thank hensel-studio.ru, the exclusive distributor of Hensel products in Russia, for technical assistance in organizing the shooting.

Team

• Photographer and style: Ira Bachinskaya, @irabachinskaya_photographer
• Author and Technician:

In the work of probably every portrait photographer, there comes a moment when there is a desire (and it’s good when it coincides with the opportunity) to shoot in the studio. However, studio shooting is not such an easy task. The main task of studio lighting is to convey the mood of the picture, to create and emphasize volume, using the main tool of the photographer - light.

If you're new to the studio, it's easy to get confused by the variety of softboxes, umbrellas, stripboxes, and studio flashes when there are so many of them. As in any business, to successfully shoot in the studio, you need to know the basics of studio lighting. The more light sources you use, the more difficult and interesting it is to manage them. We have already discussed the differences between soft light and hard light, and now we will analyze the types of studio lighting. A video from the famous photographer Georgy Rozov will help us with this.

Let's take a closer look at the light sources presented in the video.

Key light

Key light is the main source of lighting in studio photography. With the help of key light, a cut-off pattern is formed, it is necessary to emphasize the shape and details of the subject. Usually it is set brighter than other sources of the lighting scheme by 1-1.5 stops (stop - the difference between adjacent aperture values).

Fill light

The fill light is used to soften the shadows that come from the key light. It illuminates shadow areas, softening the image and making it less contrasty. Typically, a softbox or reflector (reflective panel) is used for fill light.

Back light (Back Light)

Backlight is designed to create light accents, emphasize texture, highlight hair, separate the subject from the background. Typically, a backlight is a hard point light source that is placed behind the subject.

Background light

As you might guess from the name, it serves to illuminate and create various lighting effects on the background, for example, using special nozzles (gabo), you can simulate the light from a window or blinds.

And now let's move from theory to practice and consider how the listed types of light are involved in creating a photograph.

To create this photo, 4 light sources were used: drawing, filling, backlight (highlighting the hair) and background. Let's start in order

The key light, as seen in the photo, gives harsh contrasting shadows and illuminates only one half of the face.

A fill light was used to soften the shadows and highlight the other half of the face.

Background light was used to separate the model from the background, and backlight was used to highlight the hair.

At first, working with so many sources is quite problematic, and in order to understand the nuances of setting the light well, you can limit yourself to two - drawing and filling.

A reflector was used as fill light in this case (fill light photo not shown), try to match the light sources in the diagram with the result yourself.

The light sources we have discussed above: drawing, filling, background and backlight form the basis of all studio schemes. To successfully shoot in a studio, you need to understand the purpose of each light source and know the specifics of the setup, depending on the result you want to achieve. This book will help you master studio photography, it contains many studio photos with a detailed description of how they were taken, I recommend reading it!

Good luck with your shots!

Next >

Today, studio photography is very popular. With the development of digital technology, anyone can buy a modern camera and take high-quality pictures. At the same time, they still cannot be compared with those photographs that can be obtained in a photo studio.

In order for photography to be good, it is necessary to properly organize the scheme of artificial lighting in the room. Otherwise, in poor light, the photo may turn out to be of poor quality. You can organize a photo studio in almost any room, including at home. How to organize photography in artificial light, as well as what schemes for organizing light supply are applicable here, our article will tell.

Studio features

Photos taken indoors under artificial lighting will be better than those taken outdoors. This is due to the advantages of a photo studio. Here you can:

• create an optimal level of illumination with the help of lighting fixtures;
• recreate, using different schemes for artificial lighting, any conditions for obtaining an excellent photo;
• for studio lighting, you can use additional lighting fixtures to design a specific composition.

Note! All these moments are easily embodied in any room of the house.

Photo studio design

But in order to make high-quality lighting in a photo studio, it is necessary to take into account a number of nuances associated with the arrangement of additional lamps. If this is not done, then with a poor level of lighting, the photos will not turn out as we would like. This is especially important in a situation where you are doing studio shooting at home.

studio lighting

Any photographer, even a beginner, knows how important it is to organize the right lighting for high-quality photography. With the help of light, you can emphasize the beauty of photographs or, conversely, completely spoil them. Therefore, when organizing an artificial type of lighting for such premises, you should know what types of lighting are applicable here.
In the photo studio, you can organize five types of lighting, which differ in purpose:

• drawing. This is the most important view. Often it is located at the required angle in front of the object being photographed. It is placed slightly above the person's head;

key light

• background. It is used to separate the model from the existing background. With its help, the effect of having space behind a person is created;

background light

• filling. It is located frontally or near the camera. Allows you to soften the chiaroscuro pattern, and also makes the shadows deeper. A soft box is used to create a fill light;

fill light

• accent or back. Allows you to emphasize a certain area of ​​the photograph (the silhouette of a person, his clothes or hairstyle, etc.). It is often used in advertising photography.
• modeling. With its help, special highlights are created in the photo.

Modeling and backlight

Combining different light options, you can create a real photo masterpiece.
At home for a photo studio, two lighting options are created according to “softness”:

• hard. Indoors, with the help of such a backlight, you can make deep shadows, and the photo itself will turn out to be more saturated and bright;
• soft. This type of lighting is characterized by the absence of pronounced shadows. The light here is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the photo.

These two lighting options are basic and mandatory for organizing a photo studio, even at home, even in a rented room. But besides them, other lighting options can be used for studio lighting:

• chiaroscuro. With its help, the texture and shape of the objects that will be present in the picture are distinguished;

Note! Wall lighting is best for taking pictures of inanimate objects.

• tonal. There will be no rough shadows here. A similar effect is achieved through the use of softboxes and photo umbrellas. Used for portrait photography.

With the help of such lighting options, you can easily organize your own photo studio even at home.

Sources of light

Light sources for the studio

To create the desired type of lighting in a photo studio organized at home, you need to use special light sources. With their help, the necessary schemes for shooting in the photo studio will be formed.

By their nature of action, they are all divided into two main varieties:

• impulsive. They look like short bursts. Applicable only during photography. Such a source creates a powerful pulse of light. It is formed from two light bulbs: conventional halogen and pulsed;

Note! When using halogen lamps, a step-down transformer must be used.

• permanent. Used for photography and video filming. They give a constant light, which allows you to evaluate the future image before the start of shooting. Such devices are not used all the time, as they require a large amount of electricity.

As light sources you can use:

• ordinary lamps;
• halogen bulbs;
• LED bulbs. This is the most economical option.

In addition to all this, to create a studio at home, you will need additional camera attachments, umbrellas, octoboxes and softboxes (reflectors), colored curtains, tripods, etc.

We expose the light

Hollywood scheme

The light in the photo studio, to create the luminous flux we need, is exposed in a certain way. For this, special schemes are used. But many photographers believe that there is no perfect universal scheme that would fit most positions.
Today there is a huge variety of different schemes. The photographer, starting from the chosen scheme, must independently adjust the light flux.
The classic schemes that are most often used in studio photography include the following organization options:

• Hollywood scheme. This is the most common scheme for studios. It is used in portrait photography. Organized very quickly and easily. With it, you can create photos without frills. Here the angle between the model, the light source and the camera should be 45 degrees. To create a luminous flux, pulse-type luminaires should be used. They are placed behind the photographer. In this case, the power of the emitted light should be less than the drawing type of lighting. Therefore, it is determined experimentally;

Note! The Hollywood scheme is often used by novice photographers.

• high key scheme. There will be no rough shadows, and the tones are light and gentle. This scheme uses a key light and two illuminators for the background. They are set higher than the previous source in terms of exposure. Illuminators should be placed behind the model, and should be directed only at the background;

Note! Due to the gentle tones, this scheme is suitable for photographing young children, families and animals. In addition, this scheme is great for filming nudity.

High key scheme

• low key scheme. Allows you to create a dramatic atmosphere and add mystery to your photos. In this situation, a dark background should be used. Only two lamps and an accent light installed on the side are taken as a light source.

Schemes "Low key"

These schemes are most often used by both professionals and amateurs. Based on them, you can create other schemes for artificial lighting of the studio.

Assessment of correct exposure

exposure meter

In order for the photo to turn out to be of high quality and beautiful, it is necessary to correctly build the exposure of lighting using a variety of schemes. To do this, use the following special devices:

• exposure meter. This device displays the properties of the aperture, as well as shutter speeds in the presence of pulsed flashes. The exposure meter has recently been used less and less, as it has become irrelevant during the transition to digital technology;
• flash meter. This device reflects the correspondence in the strength of the fill and lead flashes. It works when using pulsed lighting.

Flash meter

In addition, a brightness histogram can be applied. This is a graph that reflects the brightness divided into semitones. Thanks to such a histogram, you can evaluate the possibilities for improving the photo.

Conclusion

As you can see, when creating a lighting scheme for a photo studio at home or in a rented room, many nuances must be taken into account. It is especially important here not only to correctly place the lighting devices, but also to ensure the optimal level of illumination of the model, depending on the requirements facing the photographer.
Having organized a photo studio in accordance with all the rules, you can take masterpiece photos in it, which will be real works of art!