ashhat's blog post - My photo/video expierements with lighting

Hey NN'rs

As a former photographer, I am starting to be more conscious of our photos and videos composition and quality. If you have any questions about lighting and suggested camera settings, I will do my best to answer them. I'm not abreast of the latest and greatest in photo/video cameras, so I won't be able to suggest gear. However, I know of some great sites that give honest reviews of equipment that can help you make that decisions.

We have been trying out some new lighting ideas to create more interesting photos and videos. Soft boxes can be a great way to get the best out of your camera.

Our photos are mostly shot with a Nikon D300 with a 50mm lens. Using the Live View feature along with a 25' HDMI cable connected to any of our three HD TV's really help with the composition and also allows both of us to review the photo instantly. In addition, We have built a soft box to eliminate the shadows created with flash. I've also invested in a small powerful LED flash light to use as a ring light with the help of a couple of paper plates and tooth pics.

A simple search of Pinterest for DIY soft box, ring light, or diffuser will give you some cheap ways to improve you lighting. After building the soft box, I've concluded it is much simpler to order a couple lights/soft boxes from Amazon for $50. And save on the headaches some DIY projects can cause for a variety of reasons.
Reflectors and mirrors can also help you direct light where you want it to improve your photos. Many local bargain stores cary car window shades with the foil backing for a few bucks. We've salvage a few mirrors from recent home improvement projects. We're going to get creative and not only use the mirrors to reflect light, but also use the reflection for an interesting angle.