How do you make an LED lighting panel that is much bigger than a strobe, yet super thin
and it has really even light across the front panel… you light it from the edge. That's
want Savage Universal did with these awesome Edge Lit Pro LED Lights. Stay tuned while
I put them to the test in the studio and on location - be right back!
Hey gang! My name is Joe Edelman and my mission is to help photographers like YOU to develop
a solid understanding of the HOWS & WHYS behind great photography so that you can achieve
your goals as a photographer.
The folks at Savage decided to take a different approach to LED lighting and instead of building
a panel with a few hundred LED bulbs facing forward… which means you have a few hundred
point light sources facing forward - they created a panel with LED bulbs that shine
inward from the outer edges of the light and are then redirected through a soft white panel.
This gives you a very even, very soft light. Essentially a small softbox.
The Edge Lit Pro is 12" x 9". And it's super thin. Just 1.5" without batteries
and 2.5" with them. And yes that means that it works on AC power or you can power it with
two Sony batteries which are very common with video gear. It will run for 75 minutes at
full power with fully charged batteries.
This is a bi-color light that is blendable from 3200k to 5500k which makes it very easy
to use these lights mixed in with other ambient light. They have a CRI of 95 which we learned
in this video…. is really good and they have an output of 1,677 Lumens at three feet
which makes it more powerful and a little bigger than some of the units that are getting
big buzz right now. Independent lab tests measure the Edge Lit Pro at an even higher
1,784 lumens when used at 5500k - which is daylight balance.
The Edge Lit Pro emits almost no heat and it's completely silent which makes it great
for video work. It has an all metal design that weighs just 3.5 lbs. The big LCD readout
display makes it easy to see your power level, color temperature and channel information
from a distance. Each Edge Lit Pro ships with a multi-channel remote that can control your
lights individually or in groups just like you do with a radio transmitter for your strobes
I really like these lights. As you have heard me say many times before - they are not going
to be for everyone. There is no such thing as a light that is perfect for every situation.
Why you may ask? Because light is a photographer's best friend. Remember that the word "photography"
was created from Greek roots meaning to "draw with light". So good photographers are always
looking for unique and interesting ways to generate, manipulate, modify and manage light.
The folks at Savage Universal were kind enough to send me four of these units so that I could
really put them to the test and I decided to take it a step further and use them both
in the studio and on location.
I started in the studio with a quick portrait session. In this first setup I used all four
panels - I mean why not? It wouldn't be nice to let one of them get lonely in the
case all by itself while the others are out having fun. Please fellow TOGS - show some
compassion for your gear.
You can see here I have the lovely Monae in front of a Savage Universal #24 Orange Seamless
Paper backdrop.
I have one Edge Lit Pro panel placed on camera left as my main light and it is set at 80%
power and 5500k color temperature. My fill light on camera right is set at 40% power
also at 5500k. Behind my subject is a panel on the floor thai is aimed up at the backdrop.
This one is set at 65% power and 4300k to throw a little more warm light on that orange
and then to camera left I have the last panel also set at 65% and 4300k as a warm rim light.
Please observe that my main light is set above my models eyes and carefully aimed down towards
her face. The fill on camera right is lower but still above her eyes - I want to have
shadows naturally below the nose and jaw - not above.
5500k is considered daylight balance by most equipment manufacturers. You will find temperatures
from 5000k to 6500k referenced as daylight. Basically the way it works - the higher the
number - the whiter the light.
The lower end of the scale at 3200k is like a good old fashioned incandescent light bulb.
This feature is beneficial for adding warmth to things like you saw me do in the last headshot
or for being able to balance your lights to a room where the ambient light is generated
by incandescent or halogen lamps.
Here is a three quarter length shot that I did with Monae and essentially the same lighting
set-up as the portrait. The noticeable difference is that you can see I have turned the panels
sideways so that the light spread will cover more vertical height. My settings on the lights
and camera were the same as they were for the portrait.
Next up I went with a #20 Black seamless from Savage and a three light setup.
I have my key or main light in the same position on camera left. I've taken the panel on camera
right and moved it behind my subject to serve as a rim light. I also removed the background
light from behind her and I am still using the rim light on camera left.
Just to break down this lighting concept for you… You can see that with my main light
on camera left - I have a shadow on the camera right side of Lola's face. By adding that
rim light on camera right - I am able to add some depth to my lighting which makes the
shot more interesting. If I dial the color balance of the Edge Lit Panel down to 3300k
I get a much warmer rim light. If you are using strobes - you can do this with an orange
or better yet amber colored gel. Then if you have a third light - you can add a rim on
the other side which will help separate your subject from the background even more.
One very important tip… always pay close attention to the brightness of your rim lights.
This applies for both flash and LED lighting. Rim lights that are blown out and overexposed
just look sloppy and distracting. This is a perfect scenario where having a handheld
light meter can save you a lot of time and guesswork.
Before we go outside, here is a quick series I shot with a young Instagram blogger that
I am working with. I shot these on a Savage #8 Primary Red seamless. I used four lights
- two on each side on my subject, one above for a hair light and the fourth low and on
the ground for a background light. This very simple balanced arrangement gives me a nice
clean commercial look.
In this last one, I simply removed the panel on camera right and shot with a three panel
set-up for this version which has more shadow and depth than the others.
Remember - there is no right or wrong here, but understand that light placement and intensity
doesn't just impact shadows and exposure - it helps to set the mood and tone of your
shot.
For my location setup I found a small piece of roadway that's not being used because
it's under construction and took the Edge Lit Pro's and my model Monae out for a short
90 minute mosquito challenged session as the sun went down.
In case you haven't watched my Smartphone series of videos, I use the app called Sun
Surveyor to plan in advance and know exactly when and where the sun will set. I have a
link to the blog article and apps in the description below.
I actually prefer shooting with natural light outdoors, but it if you want to be one of
the cool kids, it seems that you need to gear up and get outside.
So for my first shot, I am still about 30 minutes away from sunset. The sun is starting
to fall below the trees, and the sky is in that phase where it is very bright and almost
white close to the horizon. Here is what I get with no additional lighting or reflectors
- a very soft and natural look.
Now if I go with the same three light setup that I used with the black background in the
studio - main light on camera left - fill light on camera right and rim light on camera
right rear - this is the look that I get. You can see that I have placed my lights at
about the same distance from Monae as I had them placed in the studio.
A little tip - good light placement is no different outdoors than it is indoors. I see
so many new or young photographers practice lighting in a studio and then go outside and
forget everything they learned about light placement. Keep it simple stupid. If you are
learning how to light - take the lighting arrangements that you do inside - outside
and start there. That way you begin by learning how to balance the ambient light with your
strobes or LED lights instead of overwhelming yourself with too many variables.
Just like in the studio - I have my lights placed high to mimic natural lighting and
I have my main or key light placed where my model is looking so that I am not creating
harsh shadows.
As the sun continued to set - I moved to the middle of the road and went for something
a bit more dramatic. So now I am shooting full length with just two lights. My main
light is on camera left and placed well above my model and I have a second panel as a rim
light on camera right. I left the panels in the horizontal position so that I would get
some light fall-off towards the bottom of the frame and you will notice in each of these
last shots, I have Monae's face turned towards my main light so that I don't have harsh
shadows on her face. You can also see that as the sun is getting much lower, color is
starting to return to the sky near the horizon.
Just after the sun has fallen below the horizon is when the sky is going to really start to
pick up the rich colors and with my Edge Lit Pro panels in exactly the same positions,
I was able to create this shot and then this shot.
If you are one of those ZOMBIEtographers who follows the crowd - you might want to skip
ahead to the next part of the video. For the rest of you… let me point out that there
are lots of ways to have your subject brighter than the background that don't require extra
expensive gear that has high speed sync. I have just shown you one of them. In case you
missed it - how did I do it? Planning and patience. Two things that don't cost anything.
I just had to plan ahead for a time where the ambient outdoor light would be dimmer
than the power of my Edge Lit Pro's. It really wasn't that hard.
So indeed if you are that photographer that is determined to find one light that is going
to do everything you will ever need…. LED lights are not going to overpower the sun
at high noon. But like I said earlier, If I am shooting outdoors, I would rather shoot
with natural light. Check out this video that I did a few years ago. It shows examples of
how to find nice light without strobes or reflectors outdoors at midday.
The Edge Lit Pro LED light can be purchased as a single unit and it comes with the AC
power cord, two Sony batteries and two chargers. Also included is the rotating light stand
adapter, a multi-channel remote control and a padded carry bag
Savage also sells the Edge Lit Pro as a lighting kit that comes with two Edge Lit Pros, two
rotating light stand adapters, two power cords, four batteries, four chargers, one multi-channel
remote control, two Savage 7′ easy-open Drop Stands™ and a padded rolling case.
I mentioned the 7' easy-open Drop Stands™… these stands are awesome. The auto-extending
and collapsing legs with air cushioning allow for quick and easy repositioning of your lighting
without having to bend over and lock and unlock the legs. They also have a 1/4 20-3/8 reversible
spigot stud that can be mounted vertically or horizontally, which makes the stand very
versatile.
So if you are looking for a great light that is long lasting - I'm talking 20,000 hours
of use with the installed bulbs and eco friendly and super easy to use - I would encourage
you to check out these Edge Lit Pro's from Savage. I am definitely adding them to my
lighting arsenal.
Next up in the LED lighting series I am going to take a look at four different LED lights
from Smith Victor. From their COOL LED series I will test out the 25 watt, 50 watt and 100
watt models - that's comparable to a 1000watt incandescent light and I am also going to
use the Smith Victor 19" Bi-Color LED Ring Light and I will show you that ring lights
are not just for circle catchlights and making YouTube videos
Until then, I hope you found this useful. Please hit that thumbs up and subscribe so
that you don't miss any videos and until next time go pick up that camera and shoot
something because your BEST shot - it's your NEXT shot, so keep learning, keep thinking,
keep shooting.
Adios!
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