If you’re just starting out in photography, the amount and type of lighting kits available can be confusing - not to mention the massive variation in prices! Finding the right starter lighting kits to suit you and your budget is one of the most important steps to take when you are learning your craft.
This article aims to help you find the best starter photography lighting kits for beginner photographers and covers various types of photography, including newborn and baby, product, food, and fashion.
Spectrum DIY Newborn and Baby Photography Lighting ‘TWINKLE’ Kit
If you are into newborn and baby photography, then the Spectrum Newborn and Baby Photography Lighting 'TWINKLE' Kit is an ideal choice.
This affordable starter kit is ideal for portrait-type photography and will give you professional, even lighting on your subjects. The kit contains:
- 4 x umbrella light modifiers - 2 soft diffuser umbrellas (for soft and even lighting), and 2 silver reflective umbrellas (for more defined, contrasty lighting)
- 2 x energy saving 125W spiral light bulbs. The bulbs have a colour temperature of 5400K, which mimics natural daylight for great colour reproduction.
- 2 x light bulb holders, which have been designed to act as light stand adaptors and umbrella holders too.
- The kit can be collapsed to fit in the included carry case - great for visiting clients homes
RESULT
Hypop 50cm x 70cm Quad Head Double Rectangle Softbox Lighting Set
The Hypop 50cm x 70cm Quad Head Double Rectangle Softbox Lighting Set is a professional-grade lighting kit that can be used by everyone from hobbyist to professional photographers and videographers.
This kit has many uses, including fashion, portrait, food, and product/e-commerce photography. It’s a powerful lighting setup as it has more than double the lighting strength of our standard double softbox lighting kit. This versatile lighting kit includes:
- 2 x 50x70cm four-head rectangular softboxes with adjustable light stands
- 8 x 55w energy-saving fluorescent bulbs, daylight-balanced at 5400K
- 1 x carry case for safely transporting your kit
Hypop Photography Lighting ‘LITTLE FASHION LOOKBOOK KIT’
For those wanting an adaptable lighting set that includes a boom arm as well as a sturdy backdrop stand, the Hypop Photography Lighting 'LITTLE FASHION LOOKBOOK' Kit will suit you perfectly.
This clever kit contains 3 softboxes and bulbs, stands, and backdrop stand, as well as a boom arm which allows you to get creative with your lighting. You can use the 3rd softbox on the boom arm as a hair light, which makes it ideal for fashion and portrait lighting. This kit is also great for product/e-commerce photography.
This kit comes with:
- 3 x large Hypop 50cm x 70cm rectangular softboxes, which are great for covering large areas with light
- 3 x Hypop 125W 5500k daylight-balanced bulbs for natural-looking light
- 3 x Hypop adjustable 180cm light stands for quick setup and takedown
- 1 x Hypop boom arm with a sandbag for stability and safety
- 1 x Hypop heavy-duty backdrop stand (8kg load) for paper rolls or fabric backdrops
Hypop DIY Photography Lighting ‘CAKE SMASH’ Kit
The Hypop Photography Lighting 'CAKE SMASH' Kit is a versatile triple lighting kit that is perfect for product/e-commerce photography, model, glamour, and provides fabulous lighting for cake smash photography!
The large rectangular softboxes are collapsible, which makes transporting and storage a breeze, and the adjustable light stands go from 71cm - 223cm to allow you to place your lights at a perfect height for your subject.
The lighting kit also comes with a handy boom arm that allows you to use the third softbox as a hair or accent light.
The package includes:
- 3 x large Hypop 50cm x 70cm rectangular softboxes to give you many creative lighting options
- 3 x Hypop 125W 5500k daylight-balanced bulbs
- 3 x Hypop adjustable light stands to perfectly illuminate your subject
- 1 x Hypop boom arm with a sandbag for stability and safety
- 1 x Hypop heavy-duty 3m x 3.1m backdrop stand (8kg load) for paper rolls or fabric backdrops
Spectrum ‘Illuminate Mate’ Double Rectangle Softbox Lighting Kit
The value-for-money Spectrum "Illuminate Mate" Double Rectangle Softbox Lighting Kit is a great double lighting kit for product/e-commerce, glamour, model, portrait, food, and any other kind of professional studio photos and videos.
The Spectrum rectangular softboxes are different from octagon softboxes in that they give off light in a longer pattern - great for covering areas from top to bottom, as well as model shots. This lighting kit comes with:
- 2 x 50x70cm Rectangular Soft Boxes with E27 Mount
- 2 x 135W 5500k Studio Daylight Bulbs to give you accurate colours
- 2 x 180cm Adjustable Light Stands
Hypop DIY Corporate Headshots Photography Lighting ‘LINKEDIN’ Kit
If you are looking for a lighting kit suitable for corporate headshots, LinkedIn profile shots, team photos or social media images, then the Hypop Corporate Headshots Photography Lighting 'LINKEDIN' Kit is perfect for your needs.
The kit features quad heads for great lighting and gives out more than double the light of our standard double softbox lighting. It also comes with a handy carry case for safe and simple transportation.
This kit contains:
- 8 x 55W 5500k Energy Saving Fluorescent Daylight Bulbs for accurate colour representation
- 2 x Quad-Head e27 Bulb Holders
- 2 x 50x70cm Rectangular Softboxes for large and even spread of light
- 2 x 1.8m adjustable Light Stands
- 1 x Aluminium Backdrop Adjustable Stand (3m x 3.1)
- 1 x Carry Case for travelling and storage
Hypop 23" Product & Food Photography Lighting 'Work Hustle' Table Kit
If you’re looking for a great value product and food photography or video lighting kit, then the Hypop 23" Product & Food Photography Lighting 'Work Hustle' Table Kit will do the job with ease.
Suitable for both amateurs and professionals, the table lighting kit contains a professional-spec photo table that is adjustable between 90 and 180 degrees to cover all shooting situations. The table is 60cm wide, and 130cm long, which makes it perfect for shooting small to medium-sized objects.
This kit will suit online retailers, eBay or Amazon sellers, business owners, product photographers, or anyone who enjoys studio still-life photography.
The kit comes with:
- 60 x 130cm product table, ideal for small to medium product photography
- 2 x 125W lights providing even light coverage over the table area
- 2 x softboxes to diffuse the light and reduce shadows around the product
- 2 x light stands fully adjustable between 71 x 223cm
Hypop 31" Product Photography Lighting Tent 'KONTENT KUBE' Kit
The Hypop 31" Product Photography Lighting Tent 'KONTENT KUBE' Kit is ideal for photographers who prefer lighting tents to product tables.
Lighting tents like this are great for a range of product photography, and allow you to change out the backdrop colour - the kit has 4 different backdrops (red, white, blue, and black) that allow you to quickly change the background to suit the product.
The tent and backdrops are lightweight and fold away into a carry case for easy transportation. Perfect for the photographer or videographer on the go!
This kit comes with:
- 1 x 31" lighting tent 'KONTENT KUBE' kit
- 3 x 50x70cm Softboxes
- 2 x 60cm Light Stands
- 4 x Backdrop Colours (Red, White, Black and Blue)
- 3 x 135W 5500k Studio Daylight Bulbs
- 1 x Photography Tent Carry Case
Conclusion
All the beginner lighting kits mentioned here are suitable for a wide range of photographers and cater to all budgets. You will get great results with either of these kits - it really comes down to what type of photography you wish to use them for.
You can also use these lighting kits for video production. As they are continuous lights, they are perfect for shooting YouTube or other videos, because you can see immediately where the light is falling on your subject.
It’s also up to you whether you prefer to use softboxes or umbrellas as your lighting modifiers - each one shapes the light in a different way. Softboxes contain and diffuse the light, and also direct it towards your subject. Umbrellas give a wider spread of light, but because they are open, the lighting output is not as strong.
Hopefully, we’ve given you some ideas for choosing the best starter studio photography lighting kits for beginner photographers and videographers. Happy shooting!
