Is Ring Flash a good idea for portraits?

[cloze]

Hi Guys,

I see a lot of youtubers using ring flash to do their video recordings these days. I'm just wondering for portraits, is it a good idea to only use a ring flash for direct or fill flash purposes? That is, I dont plan to carry an external flash other than the ring flash.

Thanks!

 

[one eye jack]

Hi Guys,

I see a lot of youtubers using ring flash to do their video recordings these days. I'm just wondering for portraits, is it a good idea to only use a ring flash for direct or fill flash purposes? That is, I dont plan to carry an external flash other than the ring flash.

Thanks!

As a photographer only you can make the artistic judgement call, that is what kind of lighting effect you want knowing about the various types of lighting methods that can be used to achieve the look you want.Most importantly artificial lighting is used to simulate the natural lighting effect of sunlight where humans will naturally accept as normal.

 

[cloze]

Hi thanks for the reply. But I guess there's also the advantage of popular opinions and rule of thumbs? If it flat out wouldn't work then I shouldn't invest in the gear in the first place right. That would help me make some decisions.

 

[one eye jack]

Hi thanks for the reply. But I guess there's also the advantage of popular opinions and rule of thumbs? If it flat out wouldn't work then I shouldn't invest in the gear in the first place right. That would help me make some decisions.

Nobody said that "it flat out would'nt work"., just that you should read up (online) on ring flash lighting and what it is good for. I'm sure this will benefit you in the long run. Hint...apart from macro photography/close up where is ring lighting predominantly used for/in and on which subjects? You've got to know why people use this light because you make the photograph..you are the boss/creator so to speak. I'm sure you don't want people to dictate what you should or should not do?

 

[thoongeng]

If you like the look from the videos and believe the "popular opinions", go ahead and get a ring flash. There's no harm emulating other's work, there are reasons why it is popular.

As pointed out most importantly after experimenting you find out why it works, what kind of light it creates, in what situations it does not work. As you advance in lighting for photography or videography it is likely you will accumulate different lights and lighting modifiers for different situations.

Don't stop experimenting and enjoying

 

[daredevil123]

Actually ring lights are very good at giving you very nice catchlights in the eyes. Sometimes they are used to create just that, and the actual light does not contribute to the exposure much.

 

[kandinsky]

Hi Guys,

I see a lot of youtubers using ring flash to do their video recordings these days. I'm just wondering for portraits, is it a good idea to only use a ring flash for direct or fill flash purposes? That is, I dont plan to carry an external flash other than the ring flash.

Thanks!

What kind of portraits? Indoors? Outdoors? What genre? It seems very popular with the cosplay crowd cos the catchlights compliments some of the sci-fi looks, so if that's all you're taking, why not.

Personally, while the look is interesting, I find that it's one of those gimmicky/specialized things that I might get bored of after awhile. Again, this depends on your application. If you're going for a specific look, and you know that's what you want, sure it's a good idea. For me, I might like it for a few portraits, but if it's going to be the only flash I use for portraits for the next 2 years, no thanks.

Do you own any other flashes? If it's going to be your only flash, you might want something more versatile like a standard speedlight which gives you more options in terms of shaping/control. Just some thoughts. All the best.