Last Updated on 08/14/2019 by Mark Beckenbach
Turns out your smartphone can also double as cheap, portable, and colorful lighting for portrait photography!
Looking for a cheap colored light for your next portrait shoot? Look no further, because your smartphone will work in a pinch! Not everyone can afford professional studio lights with color gels. This lighting hack, recently shared by JT of Run N Gun, could be an option worth trying on your next shoot.
In his quick video, JT shows how a phone’s screen can double as a portable light source for portrait photography, almost like a portable LED light. Of course, you can’t expect it to compare with pro lighting or a dedicated portable light source. But it can still work if you’re in need of a small, soft light source that you can also customize into any color you like.
As JT mentioned, there are two ways you can add color to your smartphone light. You can download an app like Color Screen Unlimited if you’re an iPhone user. It allows you to display your color of choice at your desired brightness. If you’d rather not download anything, you can just use Google Images to search the color you like and save it to your phone.
This hack come in handy for experimenting with lighting for your next photography practice. You can use two phones, for example, to light your subject with different colors. Or, as JT also suggested, you can even use it for light painting and long exposures with cool effects, and as a hair light or accent light.
Need a larger portable light source? You can always try this with your iPad or tablet!
Don’t forget to check out the Run N Gun YouTube channel for more photography tips and tricks like this from JT.
Screenshot image from the video