A ring light is a simple lighting tool often used for portraits, beauty shots, and macro photography. It has a circle-shaped group of small bulbs or a single circular fluorescent bulb. When used in photography, it gives a subject’s eyes a nice catch light. At the same time, it gives off light that is even and spread out, like a softbox, which helps eliminate shadows. You can put this light in front of the subject and the camera in the middle of the circle.
You can also put a smaller ring light selfie on the camera lens for photography.
How Does a Ring Light Work?
In photography and videography, ring lights can be used for many different things. They also give off a lot of light for other work-related uses. Here are some of the most common ways to use a ring light and some things to keep in mind.
Portrait Photography
Photographers who do portraits love these lights so much. They give the subject more diffused, soft light while making shadows look less harsh. This light is often used for close-up portraits just because of these features. These lights are the best choice for portraits and self-portraits.
If a model faces a ring light, circular catch lights (also called eye lights) will appear in the eyes of the subject. These fantastic details make the portrait more appealing and exciting because they catch the eye of the viewer.
Macro Photography
These lights give a little more front-focused light for macro photography than a lightbox. At the same time, they spread light well enough around a small subject to hide shadows and bring out more details. If the ring light is the right color temperature, it can blend in with natural light. Kits are often used to take pictures of flowers and bugs.
Video and Social Media Content Creators
Since ring light kits are often very cheap, they are a great choice for people who make videos for YouTube or live stream on TikTok, Twitch, or other platforms. If you’ve ever wondered how someone can use a webcam and still look well-lit, it’s probably because they have a ring light. Most people agree that the best ring lights are the best way to light YouTube videos.
Clip-on selfie light rings can be used even when recording with a cell phone or tablet, which makes them a great, cheap, and portable option.
Makeup Artists
Makeup artists on YouTube do makeup tutorials with a ring light kit. These lights make your face look better right away and help you see the real colors of your skin and the products. Artists just put their makeup ring lights in front of their cameras (or phone cameras) and start taking pictures. Makeup artists also use ring lights to prepare models and brides for photo shoots.
Which Is Better: An LED Light or a Ring Light
Lighting is important for people who make content and those who work from home and have meetings. If you’re going to be in front of your computer’s webcam, you’ll need a light to make yourself more visible. The shape is the main difference between an LED light and a ring light. LED lights are usually in the shape of a rectangle, while Ring lights look like rings.
Also, LED lights are made more for videography and showing off products. LED lights are usually a bit more costly than ring lights as well. The ring light has a place for your camera so you can shoot through it. The shape of a ring light selfie makes it better for taking pictures of faces. Get a ring light if you plan to have a lot of meetings and interviews at home or if you want to start your TikTok account. But an LED light might be better if you want a wider light source or want to start a YouTube or Twitch channel.
