I receive a lot of e-mails asking about how do I work with a ring-light and what is the one I use. The ring light I use now is one which is battery operated shown here, the ring light as you can see has a large strobe light inside the front part of the product.
The strobe light is behind a plastic window which in my opinion is a good thing as it’s protected if you happen to knock it. Also, inside are some LED’s which you can switch on to use as a modeling light this will help to see your subject, and the LEDs have 3 different brightness. This will not affect the strobe light exposure as that has a lot more power than the LEDs.
On the back, we have the power on and a way to control the amount of intensity by moving the ring dial around it works in third stop incremental to adjustable the power. The total power output is 400ws. There is also a test button to make sure that the light is working. There is a big battery on the bottom which you charge up with a transformer. Having a battery makes this strobe portable so it’s great to take on location as well as in the studio.
On the side, you have a way ’s to plug into the strobe to sink it with your camera one is a PC cord and one is a USB socket for a remote control. Now this is what you will see when you shoot, note that in these images have a very soft shadow around the model that is hitting the backdrop, but the light on the subject is shadow less it’s also nice and direct flat bright light.
Sometimes I will use the light with another strobe which are my fill light inside a room or studio so that the ring light is the main light ior my shots. It is fixed to the camera and when you move about its always directed at what you are looking at this keep ’s the light on the subject at all the time’s. You only have to adjust the flash out-put if you move in or out away from your subject with a fixed focal lens. That is why it’s good to use a zoom lens that way the distance to the light to subject is always the same. In this images you can see how it worked out great for shooting with Playmate Barbara Moore.