There’s so many things to take into consideration when it comes to studio lighting. I remember being SO overwhelmed in the beginning. There were so many things to remember to do. However, today’s post is about the #1 type of studio light you should AVOID!

I believe that knowledge is power. When you know what you’re trying to avoid, you will be more aware when you see it.

That being said…the #1 type of studio lighting to avoid is what is known as Ghoul Lighting. It’s basically what you get when you hold a flashlight up to your chin and uplight your face to tell ghost stories. That’s where the name comes from.

This is what ghoul lighting looks like:

This session I did a little over a year ago for a college friend who I hadn’t seen in a while. We were chatting and catching up about life and once I looked at the back of my camera, I immediately realized what I had done and was able to fix it.

This is what your studio lighting SHOULD look like:

In this image, you can see my studio light is coming from 90 degrees camera right. Therefore, it’s giving depth+shadows to the image!

I hope this helps you recognize the type of light you’re shooting in (and when you need to adjust your light)! You can find more resources for your newborn photography biz here!

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