When you’re a small business owner, you are invariably a jack-of-all-trades. We know the deal. You do your own accounts; you do your own marketing; and you’re probably your own cleaner and odd-job-person. You perform all of these tasks with varying degrees of enthusiasm and proficiency, and that includes creating your own social media posts and doing your own product photography. However much you love or loathe it, you know and we know that it’s become a vital element of anyone’s operation.
Standing out from the crowd
It’s your images and videos that catch people’s attention on Instagram and Facebook, on Twitter and TikTok. It’s this content that drives your sales. But the problem is, you’re competing in a very crowded space where everyone is jostling for eyeballs on imagery. It’s not even as if your challengers are direct competitors: the sheer volume of social media traffic means that you’re fighting for attention at any level.
How do you make yourself stand out from the crowd? What can you do to ensure that anyone scrolling through social media takes note of your posts and your products, and not those of any other business? You make sure that your photography and video content is sparkling. How do you do that? With light! And specifically, with the KYU-6.
Perfect light for product photography with the KYU-6
Photography, and by extension filmmaking, is all about light. (It literally means painting or drawing with light.) By getting your light right in your photos and videos you will instantly elevate it to something special. If adding ‘mastering lighting’ to your small business to-do list feels daunting, the KYU-6 is the perfect slimline, lightweight, flexible, powerful lighting solution for you.
The KYU-6 light wrap is available in two versions: an RGB one that gives you red, green, and blue light, and 15 colors in between; and bi-color one that provides ‘white light’. Whichever type of KYU-6 you prefer, they are magnetic and wrappable, which makes them easy to secure. They weigh 45 grams and measure 23 by 2.5 by 1cm, they are splash-proof, and they run off a USB charge but still throw out lots of light, which makes them simple but effective to store and use. Whatever type of content you want to create, the KYU-6 can make an enormous difference to your output.
KYU-6 product photography lighting ideas
These suggestions will help you to make your product photography that bit different using KYU-6 light wraps.
1. Background interest
You can use the RGB light wraps to add color and interest to your background. As well as this setting the tone for your content, and making it interesting for your viewers, it can make it distinctive, too. In turn, this will help you to build and cement brand recognition so that you stand out from the crowd.
As well as traditional background lighting, you can also use the KYU-6 to light paint your backgrounds, which brings a special kind of look to your shots.
2. Light for close-ups
If you want to take close-up product shots, you’ll need plenty of light to get a good exposure. The bi-color KYU-6 puts this right at your fingertips, and its size and wrappability means that it won’t impede on your ability to get your camera in close to your products.
3. Three-point lighting
Using three KYU-6 light wraps in combination allows you to create a classic three-point lighting setup, which is perfect for anything from product shots to pieces-to-camera. You can even throw in a fourth light wrap, perhaps an RGB one, to add a colored highlight or accent light.
To create a three-point lighting setup, take your three KYU-6 light wraps. Set one to its brightest setting. This is your key light. Set the other two to about 50% brightness. One of these is your fill light and the other is your backlight. Put your key light in front and to the side of your subject. It can be left or right, but aim to have it at around 45º from the camera. Place the fill light on the other side of the camera to the key light. The idea is for it to balance the key light by filling in the shadows that it casts. Your backlight goes behind your subject, usually on the same side as your key light, facing toward the camera.
4. Backlighting
Being small and discreet makes the KYU-6 ideal for backlighting, which is important for adding depth and interest to your images or footage. The separation that backlighting provides between your subject and the background really helps to provide definition and makes your content stand out.
For a dramatic backlighting effect, try rim or halo lighting. This is when you position a light directly behind your subject so it produces a halo-like glow around whatever it is, whether that’s a person, animal, or object. You can do this with either a bi-color or an RGB KYU-6. Experiment to find the effect that works for you.
KYU-6 lighting tips for product photography
Bi-color KYU-6 light wraps have a temperature range of 2,700K to 6,500K, which means that they can mimic daylight or golden sunrise or sunset light easily. You just need to remember to set all of your bi-color light wraps to the same temperature if you’re using them in the same scene. If you don’t, the colors in your photos or footage will look a bit off.
You don’t have to use an RGB light wrap if you don’t want to, but it is a great way to add a splash of color–maybe from your branding–to your content to help it stand out.
Wrapping up
KYU-6 light wraps are simple to use but oh-so-effective. Their size and weight means that you don’t have to worry about them taking up too much space in your office and because they are magnetic and wrappable, there’s no stress about where and how to use them. They pack a mighty punch that can make all the difference to the visibility and impact of your content.
About Mark Duffy
We’re very grateful to Mark Duffy for sharing some of his product shots, created using the KYU-6, with us. Mark is a commercial photographer based in Dundalk, Ireland. You can see the kinds of work he does and the companies he works with on his website: markduffyphotography.com. You can also follow him on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.