You Don’t Know How Many Lights You Need Until You Need Them
Why Two 300-Watt Lights, Some Gaffer Tape, Makeup Sponges, and a Mirror Handle Most of My Product Photography One of the most common questions photographers ask about product photography is, “How many lights do I need?” The honest answer is that you don’t know how many lights you need until you need them. That may sound like I am avoiding the question, but I am not. After more than four decades of making photographs, I have learned that lighting is not about reaching a certain number. It is about solving the problems sitting in front of your camera. Some products need one light. Some need two. Occasionally, a product needs four, six, or even more. But I can complete about 90 percent of my paying product shoots with two 300-watt lights, some gaffer tape, a few of my wife’s makeup sponges, and a mirror. I am not saying that as a stunt. I am saying it because it is true. Photographers can become so interested in equipment that we forget what lighting is supposed to accomplish. Clien...
