Welcome to the wonderful world of artificial light for food photography! Perhaps you landed here after watching my lighting videos on YouTube. I do recommend my Artificial Lighting Playlist to help you get familiar with what this gear is and which might be best for your unique needs.
Below you’ll find a variety of packages based on the budget and kind of work you do. They have all of the parts and pieces that you will need to get started immediately including mounting brackets and light stands.…because nothing is more frustrating than all of your gear showing up and then realizing you need to buy one more thing! (D‘oh!)
You’ll see I have outlined below packages for LEDs, speedlights, and strobes all at various price points and for your specific camera brand.
Happy shopping!
FLASH LIGHTING
I’M LOOKING FOR THE BEST QUALITY BUDGET OPTION FOR A CANON CAMERA
Approx $300 USD For Total Package
***Some of Canon’s entry level cameras are NOT compatible with 3rd party flashes. Double check the specs to confirm if your camera is compatible
- 1 Godox / Flashpoint Speedlight
- Godox XT2 trigger for Canon
- 1 Mounting Bracket
- 1 Light Stand
- 1 Modifier – this softbox is easy to assemble, is portable and creates soft natural-looking light
- AA batteries (if you want rechargeable, I recommend Enloop)
I’M LOOKING FOR THE BEST BUDGET OPTION FOR A NIKON CAMERA
Approx $300 USD For Total Package
- 1 Godox / Flashpoint Speedlight
- Godox XT2 trigger for Nikon
- 1 Mounting Bracket
- 1 Light Stand
- 1 Modifier – this softbox is easy to assemble, is portable and creates soft natural-looking light
- AA batteries (if you want rechargeable, I recommend Enloop)
I’M LOOKING FOR THE BEST BUDGET OPTION FOR A SONY CAMERA
Approx $300 USD For Total Package
- 1 Godox / Flashpoint Speedlight
- Godox XT2 trigger for Sony
- 1 Mounting Bracket
- 1 Light Stand
- 1 Modifier – this softbox is easy to assemble, is portable and creates soft natural-looking light
- AA batteries (if you want rechargeable, I recommend Enloop)
I’M LOOKING FOR THE BEST BUDGET OPTION FOR A FUJI CAMERA
Approx $300 USD For Total Package
- 1 Godox / Flashpoint speedlight
- Godox X2T trigger for Fuji cameras
- 1 Mounting Bracket
- 1 Light Stand
- 1 Modifier – this softbox is easy to assemble, is portable and creates soft natural-looking light
- AA batteries (if you want rechargeable, I recommend Enloop)
I WANT A STROBE THAT WILL SERVE ME WELL FOR A LONG TIME BUT AM A LITTLE BUDGET CONSCIOUS
Approx $680 Total Package
- Godox / Flashpoint AD400 Pro Monolight and Godox trigger (choose the trigger specifically for your camera) or 1 Westcott FJ400 monolight and Westcott trigger (trigger is universal and works with all brands though there is a special Sony mount)
- 1 Light Stand
- A modifier (see the other modifiers below)
I WANT EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE, JOANIE, AND SOMETHING I WON’T OUTGROW FOR MOST FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY WORK
Approx $971 Total Package
- 1 Godox / Flashpoint Xplor AD600 Pro Monolight Strobe and Godox trigger (choose the trigger for your camera) – *the Flashpoint option linked from Adorama is a non-TTL model and is significantly less expensive. It’s exclusive to Adorama and not available elsewhere. We never use TTL so it’s a great way to save while still getting our favorite light.
- A modifier (see the other modifiers below)
- 1 Light Stand
OTHER MODIFIERS
If you are seeking a very specific look to your lighting, the magic is all in the modifier. Here are recommendations below for options that are different from the modifier I recommend in the packages above.
- Multipurpose & Great for Drinks / Product work The rectangle shape of this one creates nice clean reflections in glassware and is a large enough modifier for soft, window-like lighting. Also easy to setup and a personal favorite for general use.
- Dark and Dramatic Style – This little modifier creates a dramatic sliver of light and is easy to assemble thanks to the Rapid Box technology, opens just like an umbrella. Use the grid to help limit the light even further and bring on some major mood.
- Shoot Thru Umbrella for on-location – Dasy to assemble, store and transport, a shoot thru umbrella is a nice general purpose modifier that creates soft light.
- Soft & Light – for those who want the white, bright, feeling with soft shadows. Also easy to setup.
- Diffuser or Scrim – This is what I refer to as freestyling since you can move the light around different heights and distances behind a scrim or diffuser for a unique look. This does require some patience and experimentation compared to softboxes that are built to create a specific lighting. If you work with natural light, a big diffuser or scrim can help there, too. There are lots of options in scrims and diffusers. I like this giant pop-up diffuser which can hang from a c-stand or prop up against a window or table. For something more formal, the 4’ x 4’ Westcott Scrim Jim has the option for different diffusion material thicknesses depending on how hard or soft you want your light. You can mount the scrim to a c-stand with the clamp accessory. Or for something super soft, you can get a roll of Rosco diffusion and make your own frame or hang the paper from a c-stand.
CONTINUOUS LIGHTING
The LEDs I recommend below have a Bowens mount so that the same softboxes that I use with my flashes can be used with my LEDs. I love versatility! Most of them come with a built in bracket that can attach to a standard light stand.
Similar to the strobes and flashes we recommend, Godox makes excellent LED lights.
They have a variety of options at different price points and with different features. We primarily recommend the SL, VL and UL series of Godox LED lights. They are all comparable, though price points vary, but the main differences between these lights are:
VL (Video Light) Series
These series of lights have a completely silent fan, so if you’re recording video the sound from the cooling system won’t interfere with audio recording. it’s also set up in such a way that you can add a battery accessory to the adapter on the unit so that it can work in locations where you don’t have access to AC power. However, the drawback to this is that it’s a bit more cumbersome with an external battery component compared to the SL Series.
SL (Studio Light) Series
The newer models of this series of lights also have a very quiet fan, just not completely silent like the VL series. Joanie uses an SL-150W to film her YouTube videos and hasn’t found it problematic. The AC power and controls on this unit are all in the body of the light, so there aren’t additional adapters and this is a more compact design compared to the VL and UL. These do require access to AC power through and outlet for them to work. That’s why they’re great for being in “Studio”.
UL Series
Lights in this series are very comparable to the VL series. They’re extremely quiet and also have the additional adapter for adding a battery if you’re planning to film in locations without access to an outlet for power.
How Many Watts?
Once you decide if you want VL, SL or UL, the next choice is how many Watts. The Watts isn’t directly tied to the brightness of the light, but in this case, the higher the watts the brighter the light. We get more into detail about the actual brightness of a given light and understanding LUX ratings inside Artificial Academy. But for our purposes here, I recommend purchasing the light with the highest watts number you can afford. Because in the world of continuous light and video, more light is always better.
Do I Want Daylight or Bi-Color Lights?
The color temperature of the lights we link above is 5600K, also referred to as daylight balanced. Some LED lights are bi-color, meaning they have adjustable color temperature. Often this means they can go from daylight to tungsten color temperature. If you’re often working in mixed lighting environments with warm lights that need to stay on, you can adjust your LED light to roughly match the room lights. But, if you’re working in a space where you can shut off overhead lights and are only relying on the light of your LED, then daylight is going to be all you need.
Continuous Light Modifiers
All of these lights work well with any bowens mount softboxes or shoot thru umbrellas like this shoot thru umbrella. We like these lights because you can use the same modifiers with your flashes and your LED lights. They’re interchangable!
