Good question. Maybe you shoot photos in daylight most of the time or your cell phone flashlight seems to be a better option so far. So, you need not cost some extra bulks unless an LED ring light offers you some special benefits.
Ring light of 2021 is not just a circle light. Now it’s getting so affluently decorated that everyone knows how to use a ring light for better portrait photography. Let alone the question – what is a ring light?
The interesting part of an LED ring light or circle light is that you can name it a photography light, tripod stand, phone holder, and remote shutter altogether!
What Makes a Ring Light Mandatory?
You may have faced the problem of lights to capture photos or videos instantly when you found a very nice background. And maybe once or twice your photos had not been as beautiful as you expected, only because of a ring light. That is why photogenic people usually put a ring light in their bag. Especially, when they go for a trip, a ring light for phone becomes mandatory.
Phone Holder for Photography
That’s not a bonus. If your lighting device for selfie does not contain an adjustable phone holder, it might be a ring but not a selfie light at all.
It will surely make a difference to capture selfies when your phone is stabilized with a holder than to hold it with your hands. And your phone needs supreme movement-free stability.
Adjustable Tripod Stand
You don’t need to buy it separately. Today’s selfie ring lights contain an adjustable tripod stand which allows the user to regulate the height. It helps the user to access the correct focus level. A tripod breaks the barrier of sides from where you are posing. You can rotate to any angles according to your demand.
Different Brightness Levels
Without different brightness levels, your selfie ring light is similar to your phone flashlight. Most of the ring lights provide 6 to 10 levels of brightness. So, it simply matches the environment and amplifies the glow. You need it more for indoor photography or filming.
Multiple Colour Modes
Your phone camera has a different color mode button, that’s cool. But even the kids of these days will name it artificial. Yeah, artificial light colors are the most awkward part of photography.
Note: Don’t buy an LED circle light from ‘here and there’, it will never provide you natural color modes.
Bluetooth Remote Shutter
Carrying a camera all the time in hands to capture photos was the tale of 19th century, not even of 20th! Now we are smarter so the technology dived in modern aspects. Even Bluetooth has been very normal, and has no use than connecting devices with phone.
If your ring light doesn’t have a Bluetooth remote shutter, throw it. Don’t regret. Because, you will not be able to capture photos from the distance of even 1 metre, where the remote shutter accesses 5 to 10 metres.
Focus on Perfect Area
Ring light with tripod stand would be sold as the alternative of tube lights if it could not focus genuinely.
Scattered illumination is more than a nonsense thing, specifically in portrait photography. The closer you keep the selfie light ring, the more focused your face will be.
Note: Don’t waste money in ring lights if you need scattered lighting. Any light will be OK then.
Portable Lighting Device
Nonsense ring lights are not portable, anyways. You need to choose the one which is easy and less spacious to carry but serves the purpose like a big one. And more importantly, you need to make sure that it’s foldable or somehow adjustable.
Note: Tripod stands of some ring lights are bigger in size even after folding. Avoid them.
Purpose of a Ring Light: The jack of All Trades
You can use a ring light for any tasks that need focused and stable lighting with different brightness levels and color modes. Again, people have opinions about the specific purposes of ring lights.
Video Content
No matter whether it’s YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram, you just have the beginning 10 seconds to engage people in your content. That is why you need attractive lights, colour, and pose. So, whoever tells you lights don’t matter, surely is a liar.
Your personal studio is more likely not to have all the equipment as much as a professional studio has. But you can never deprive your creative workspace from owning proper light support. Appear delightfully which makes your online presence remarkable.
Note: Nobody clicks in a video that has even little darkness.
Attractive Selfies
Taking attractive selfies has been very challenging. And social media like insta or FB show us thousands of selfies every day. So, if you also can make nice poses, you know how a LED selfie light can help you.
Selfies are good without focus lights sometimes. Read again: ‘sometimes”, not always.
Portrait Photography
Portraits need more focus lights than other types of photos. If you are an emerging model or model photographer, this useful device can illuminate your photographic practice. Practise using the natural color modes and brightness levels. It’s a gadget in budget for beginner and intermediate levels.
Online Teaching or Presentation
Participate in these anytime with a ring light. It makes your look better. You can place a circle light on your desk or floor closer to you. Make sure that you have adjusted the brightness level.
Note: Never use a ring light (for long session) which is not UV-free.
Makeup
Inadequate lights kill the actual assessment of makeup. Imperfect lights will indicate you to be less bright when you might look brighter in real. This is the reason you need to put a ring light on your makeup table to make sure your efforts are not ruined.
Hair Designing
While designing the hair of your dear ones with complete measurement, you can place this next to you. It extends the level of concentration and restricts the lack of proper measurement.
Note: It’s an option, not mandatory. Don’t waste power on it by overlapping daylight.
Quick Interview
Interviewers can also use ring lights to make it more professional. A drawing room can be turned into an alternative studio if you have a standard background as well.