Keeping it constant: Understanding continuous lighting (Part two)

By Anthony McKee | 10 September 2026

This is part two of a two part series on understanding continuous lighting. You can see part one, from last week, here.

Colours for Everyone

LED lights don’t just come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they also come in a range of light options, including daylight, bi-colour and RGB.

Daylight LED lights emit a white light balanced at 5600 Kelvin and they are perfect for anyone who just wants to photograph products or portraits without too much fuss. You can also combine these lights with flash equipment without too many concerns about colour shift.

Bi-colour lights on the other hand can generate a white light across a wide range of colour temperatures, from warm tungsten (2500K) through to cool daylight (7500K).

These lights can be useful if you want to match the ambient lighting in a room or an outdoor setting. Mixing warm light with cool light can also add some mood to your photos.

Some LED lights also have an RGB mode to generate the three primary colours of red, green and blue. With this mode you can dial up any colour of the rainbow to illuminate a background or add a strong colour to wash over your subject.

Some LED lights actually have Bi-colour and RGB mode built in, and the beauty of these lights is that you can dial in any colour you want, from warm or cool whites, or solid cyan or magentas without the need for coloured gels and filters.

This portrait of my friend Sheree was made using cheap LED lights that can be bought online for as little as $10. I attached the LEDs to a mirror and then photographed Sheree in the reflection. Each LED represents a tiny point of light, but because there are dozens of LEDs all approaching the subject from different angles, the effect is a rather soft light. Nikon D810, Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 lens @ 105mm. 1/100s @ f5.6, ISO 6400.

Five Things to try with Continuous Lighting

1. Play with the light

One or two constant lights, a spare room or garage and a couple of friends provide the perfect recipe for learning about lighting. Most professional photographers hone their skills by literally playing with light, and if you are keen to become a better photographer, you should do the same.

Put a subject in place and explore what happens as you move a light left or right, up and down, add in modifiers and play with gobos. Continuous light is perfect for learning about light.

2. Explore movement

Continuous light is perfect for exploring movement and blur. Mount your camera on a tripod, select the shutter speed (1/2 a second is a good starting point) and then adjust the aperture and ISO to suit.

There are numerous ways you can explore movement, from keeping one subject still while another moves about them (think parents static while children run past), to having leaves falling on a subject or a dancer moving through fabrics. Explore different shutter speeds and discover what works best for your subjects.

3. Be safe with the colours

It is possible to create almost any colour of the rainbow using RGB lights. The trick in getting good colour effects though, is not to mix colours with your whites (but I’m guessing your mother has already taught you that). If you use a colour as a background, be sure to keep any key lights on your subject pointed away from the background.

Stop the spill of stray light by using grids on your lights or large gobos to help control the light. This will keep your colours looking strong.

4. Add in some flash

If you are feeling clever, try adding some flash in with continuous light for creating flash and blur effects. There are several ways you can do this, from putting the flash into the same soft-box as a constant light, or by having the flash off to the side while your subject moves through constant light.

And don’t forget that most flash systems will let you choose whether the flash fires at the start or finish of the exposure.

5. Be bold, give anything a go

LED continuous lighting is usually designed for brightness and high colour accuracy, but if you are not concerned about perfection, try exploring some cheaper LED options.

A cheap LED work light from Bunnings is all you need to start exploring light, but you can also try light painting with LED torches or using fairy lights to create some soft light and a little fantasy to a scene. Sometimes the cheapest lighting options are the most fun to explore. Go give it a go!

This portrait of Elle was made using the Amaran 300C in continuous white light mode (5200K); it had a small soft box attached and was placed to the left of the subject. To capture the movement I placed the camera on a tripod and asked Elle to move as she played her violin. Nikon Z6 III, VR 70-200mm f/2.8E lens @ 105mm. 1/4s @ f8, ISO 100

Other Considerations

One description you will often see when researching LED lights is the CRI, or Colour Rendering Index. This refers to how reliably a light emits light across the colour spectrum.

Some older LED lights have weaknesses in their colour spectrum and this can result in poor colour reproduction, particularly with skin tones. For best results look for a light with a CRI of at least 90 to 95.

The brightness of a light is also an important consideration. Low wattage lights (60–100 watts) are useful in small studio situations, but brighter lights in the 300–500 watt range are better for larger spaces, including learning environments.

Most LED lights let you dim the brightness in one percent increments so don’t be scared to buy a bright light, you can always dim it down.

One last consideration is power. Most larger LED lights use a power adapter connected to a 240-volt power supply, but some lights will also work with a battery or even third-party power supplies.

It is worth checking the power options if you are hoping to use lights on location.

This portrait of Elle was made by using an Amaran 300C LED light on a large soft box to create the continuous light blue background. I then positioned a small remotely triggered Speedlight with a grill attached to the right of Elle’s face. The camera was on a tripod and I asked Elle to move through the exposure. Nikon Z6 III, VR 70-200mm f/2.8E lens @ 120mm. 1/10s @ f5, ISO 100.

What to Buy

There are numerous LED lighting brands on the market, and knowing what to buy can be frustrating for many photographers. Here are some of the more reliable options.

Mini Lights

Aputure’s MC Pro RGB LED Light is a pocket sized LED light that emits white light (2000 to 10,000K) and RGB colours. An IP65 rating makes it perfect for outdoor macro photography in dusty conditions, or adding colour to a portrait on a drizzly day. The internal lithium battery provides two hours of life, and it’s rechargeable using a USB-C power. (RRP $270)

Tube Light

Nanlite’s PavoTube II 15C is a 2ft (60cm) RGBWW, 6-watt tube light that can create white light (2700 to 7500K) and RGB colours. The light has an internal lithium battery with a running of 65 minutes. (RRP $219). (This light is also available in a 4ft version that retails for $349).

Flexible Light Mats

Aputure’s Amaran F22 LED Mat Bicolour 2’ x 2’ 200-watt is a flexible mat panel light that is good for attaining a soft light in otherwise confined spaces. The mat can be mounted on walls or ceilings, or can be wrapped around subjects or folded back to light wide spaces. (RRP $1285)

Compact Monolights

Aputure’s Amaran Ray 60c is a slim, compact monolight with a Bowens mount that delivers up to 60 watts of white (1800 to 20,000K) and RGB full colour light. The unit is supplied with an AC adapter but can also be used with battery pack. (RRP $299)

Bright Monolights

Nanlite’s FC500 B is a 500-watt Bicolour (2500 to 6500K) bright monolight with a CRI of 96 that is perfect for lighting larger spaces. A built-in Bowens mount means you can easily add common reflectors and soft-boxes to this monolight. (RRP $740)