Our review of Aputure Lighting
Are you tired of scrolling through generic, lackluster fashion photos on social media? Look no further. We invite you to experience the sensational with our unforgettable fashion photoshoot, captured with Aputure lighting equipment.
From the vibrant colors to the intricate details, this photoshoot will leave you breathless. Step into our world as we take you behind the scenes and show you how Aputure equipment elevates the art of fashion photography. Get ready to be inspired and learn how incorporating the right tools can make all the difference in creating show-stopping images.
The Importance of Quality Equipment in Fashion Photography
In fashion photography, equipment is a key component to the overall success of the shoot and results created. Although I have shot in studio and do use lighting, I have not had the opportunity to shoot with the latest colored lighting available. Yet, Saturday night I had the chance to shoot with some of the new equipment Aputure has on the market. If you’re not familiar with Aputure, they are fairly new to the lighting game but have been making a big impact on the film-make industry in the form of music videos and feature film sets. They also are making a big impact with photographers and seem to be a perfect fit for fashion photographers to up their game.
During the shoot we had 4 stations with different lighting we could shoot with and utilize. All of the offerings were continuous lighting and not flash photography. First there was a station with a black backdrop and several of the Aputure Infinibar lights. We were able to move these around easily to make changes to the set-up, plus easily change the colors and color combinations. These lights are bright but still require knowing how to use your camera and lenses in low light.
Next there was a white background with the Aputure 10-piece GOBO Kit that is a modifier that includes several cartridges in various shapes from stripes to a wide, round, spotlight. I expect the main light for that area was the Amaran spotlight. The white background allowed the overall area to be better lit and not as dark, or low light, as the previous set up. I happen to have loved the variations on the cartridges that were switched out throughout the shoot to allow us to try out variations.
The third area had a white background but this time with an RGB light that created a shadow in the 3 RGB colors. The light was the Amaran 300c that according to the Aputure website is “point-source color as its strength…and combines RGBWW full-color control”. This light is that I am interested to dig deeper into because the 3 RGB colors that were a shadow effect with this light was useful in fashion photography because it didn’t take away from the clothing or model but enhanced color behind her. This area was more lit than the initial black background area that was a bit trickier to shoot in. Yet, the colors were phenomenal and showed up so well on the resulting images.
Finally, there was a 4th set up with a white background with a large LED light behind it that was continuous on but gradually changed colors. I believe this area was using the Aputure Amaran F22X or similar in the series for the color-changing effect in the back, also using a soft box in front to light the face. It was easy to shoot with and all my shots in this area were sharp and the color showed up well on the results. In fact, the raw shots from each of these areas were spot on and not much editing required. All these set ups were useful with fashion photography set ups, easy to use, and the Aputure equipment was flawless in rich color showing up on the final shots, which at the end of the day is what really matters.
One obstacle I found with the darker background and the long-thin lights was that I had to have my settings spot on with wide up shutter, and slower speed to capture the scene without a lot of noise on this image. Most of the shoot I used my Sigma 35mm 1.4 lens, but toward the end put on my Canon 70-200 2.8 lens. I tried increasing the speed and lowering the aperture to F11 to see the difference, or to see if I could get lens flares of star bursts of color. I really ended up with noisier shots and the shots I took with my setting with slower speed and wide-open aperture were much sharper and crisp overall.
Behind the scenes the color was fun to use, fun to try variations and see what we could capture. Some set ups I liked better than others, such as the black background was a little harder to shoot with. However, I would buy a few of those long thin lights as they would be easy to take on location, plus I learned they connect and can even be connected various shapes. For those who do light painting, these lights are great for that as well because they can be programed to have blank spaces, or chasing lights, or even rainbow lights that all could have incredible effects in light painting.
Some of the stunning images captured through testing this equipment are now some of my favorites. They are a very different look to my usual shoots as there weren’t any gowns, but even then, it was the addition of Aputure lights that really set this apart. I have already added some of these shots to my portfolio because I love the look and modern feel to these images using Aputure lights. If you have used Aputure lights, we would love to hear your experience and learn of the other products we haven’t had the chance to try out yet. This is a new space for us but would love have our readers share experience you have had with either implementing colored lighting to your shoots, or if you have experience with Aputure lighting and have items to suggest!
In conclusion, our unforgettable fashion photoshoot with Aputure equipment was truly a sensational experience. The use of quality equipment not only enhanced the overall outcome of the photoshoot but also made the process smoother and more efficient. We highly recommend considering Aputure equipment for your own photography projects and we would love to hear about your experiences with it. Invest in quality equipment and experience the sensational results for yourself.
Our thanks to Aputure Lighting and PictureLine for hosting this event and allowing us to try out colored lighting equipment. We are absolutely a fan!
Models:
Alyssa Wood, IG@lyssawood
Kat LaKaye, IG@katrinalakaye
Maria Arbizu, IG@maria_arbizu
Picutureline: pictureline.com
Aputure: shop.aputure.com
