Strobist Lighting Cookbook

The Strobist lighting Cookbook is a collection of posts organized by the lighting gear required for the technique. Which means you'll be able to find a solution set for yourself if, for example, you just own one light.


For SLC, we will assume you have read Lighting 101 through Lighting 103. (If not, please start here.)



The examples are mostly speedlight-based, and grouped by the equipment it takes to make them. This way you can learn what you can do with your present gear, and/or make a more informed decision as to whether to add another light to your bag.



The categories are:





No Lights (0L)



Having a better understanding of ambient light will make you a better lighting photographer. Ideally, you want to get to a point where ambient and strobe are seen as virtually interchangeable. If you don't own any lights, 0L is for you.



0L-01: Flash or Continuous, Light is Light

0L-02: Shiny Object, iPhone and the Sun

0L-03: Joker Cinematographer on Light and Color

0L-04: Red State, Blue State

0L-05: Lighting's Gateway Drug





One Light (1L)



Combined with a good grasp on ambient light (and how to balance it) even just one light gives you some cool options. But you have to work within some creative restrictions. Shooting with one light is usually compromise between what you'd like to do, and what you're equipped to do.



1L-01: One Light Outdoors—Find Shade

1L-02: One Light, Inside the Frame

1L-03: Use The Edge of Your Box for Better Light

1L-04: Useful Hack for Manual Flash at Sunset

1L-05: Living in the In-Between

1L-06: How to Look Great on Your Passport

1L-07: Small, Light and Powerful

1L-08: Pencil-Lit Senior Portrait

1L-09: Compressing Tonal Range w/Specular Highlights

1L-10: [COVID Diaries] Shoot the Kids

1L-11: Planting Rice at Sunrise

1L-12: A Garden of Ideas

1L-13: Conservancy Critters




Two or More Lights (2L)



Adding a second light is the sweet spot for most photographers. A second light lets you add separation, either on your subject or on your background. Or it can let you control the shadows created by your first light. And if you want to add a third light (or more) we'll explore that here, too.



2L-01: Owning The Sun With Two Speedlights

2L-02: Two-Speedlight Daylight Group Shot

2L-03: Use Your Second Light to Hide Your First Light

2L-04: Use a Tight Grid to Create Color

2L-05: Thank you | BTS 360

2L-06: How to Light Indoor Sports

2L-07: Journalist Hope Kahn

2L-08: Mexican Sodas | BTS 360

2L-09: Google Maps as a Visa | BTS 360

2L-10: Left Brain / Right Brain

2L-11: The "Magic" of Medium Format

2L-12: Two-light Bike for the Bucks

2L-13: Shooting Through the Sunset

2L-14: Fill in the Blanks

2L-15: Cross-Pollination




Odds and Ends (OE)



If it doesn't fit well anywhere above, it goes here: DIY, cool hacks, connective tissue for the gaps above, and the like.



OE-01: $20 DIY Portable Doorway Diffuser

OE-02: Off-Label Compact Lighting Bag, for $23 Shipped

OE-03: How to Choose a Softbox for your Speedlights

OE-04: Cheap, Portable Outdoor Light Source

OE-05: Light Your Home Like a Photographer

OE-06: Chocolate Box Studio

OE-07: A Baker's Dozen Key Ideas for Lighting Photographers

OE-08: Turning the Corner