With many of us unable to work or even practice right now, it can be both difficult and frustrating trying to keep our skills sharp and the creative juices flowing. Would you practice lighting within a virtual studio? This fantastic video shows you how you can learn about lighting and create setups you can use in the future without ever touching a light.
Coming to you from Lindsay Adler Photography, this neat video takes a look at set.a.light 3D. If you have not seen it before, set.a.light 3D is an impressive application that is designed to simulate different lighting setups in custom studio spaces, complete with different subjects, variable flash power, different types of light, adjustable color temperature, different poses, different cameras and lenses, color gels, and more. Obviously, it is an incredibly customizable piece of software that offers you a ton of options for exploring different lighting setups, making it a very intriguing option for working on your creativity and technical skills during this downtime. And one of the best parts is that you can export your lighting setups, making it easy to replicate them in real life. Check out the video above for Adler's full thoughts.
$ 154.00 for software or just spend $72 and buy a whole mannequin and light it.
Assuming you have a studio space, or somewhere with enough room for the setup you want to try out. And assuming you have all your gear with you. For someone like me with all the gear but no permanent space this is perfect. I don't like the price but I've paid more for less.
Mannequins are creepy. I have a male mannequin head/bust - cost $60 and looks like Handsome Squidward - that when not in use remains in a box against a wall, facing away from the room. However, I admit the figures are beneficial for practice no matter the size of your space.
You can also purchase cinetracer.