4 ways that using grids will take your images up a notch

Do you use grids on your light modifiers? Well, if you don’t, you might be missing out. In this video from Adorama fashion and beauty photographer, Lindsay Adler walks us through a few different ways that using grids can take your images from good to great.

“Grids will change your photographic life,” says Lindsay, “I don’t feel hyperbolic saying that!” So how exactly will using a grid help?

So first of all, what is a grid? It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a grid of either metal or material that fits onto the front of the light modifier and controls the spread of the light. The light becomes much more directional and gives you far better control over where you want it to go, rather than having it bouncing all over the scene. It’s particularly useful if you just want to light a small area of your subject such as in product or tabletop photography.

So how else do grids help? They can help reduce lens flare, always a good thing! They can also be extremely helpful if you’re shooting in a small space, particularly if all the walls are painted white. Using a grid will help prevent the light from reflecting off all the surfaces and then you can add reflectors where you want them.

Lindsay further adds that using one light to shoot is certainly not wrong, however, layering light and using grids to make the light do specific things is a little more sophisticated because you can shape the lighting to exactly how you want it. It’s the difference between having an additive mindset (starting with zero lights and adding them one by one) when it comes to lighting as opposed to an elimination mindset (taking away light).

The video contains some brilliant demonstrations and will give you some great ideas about how to creatively craft your lighting to do exactly what you want it to do.