Special purpose lamps used in photography are designed to meet the specific needs of lighting in various photographic scenarios. Here’s a detailed list of some common types:
### 1. **Flash Lamps**
- **Hot Shoe Flashes**: These are mounted on the camera’s hot shoe and provide a burst of light to illuminate the subject. They are often used for general photography.
- **Speedlights**: A type of hot shoe flash that offers more control and features, such as TTL (Through The Lens) metering and adjustable power settings.
### 2. **Continuous Lighting**
- **Tungsten Lamps**: These are incandescent lights that produce a warm, continuous light. They are often used for their color temperature, which can be adjusted with filters.
- **Fluorescent Lights**: These provide a cooler, more even light than tungsten and are often used in studio settings. They are energy-efficient and have a longer lifespan.
- **LED Lights**: Modern continuous lights that are energy-efficient and offer adjustable color temperatures and brightness levels. They are popular due to their versatility and low heat output.
### 3. **Studio Strobes**
- **Monolights**: Self-contained units that combine a flash head and power pack into a single unit. They are popular in professional studios for their power and consistency.
- **Power Packs with Flash Heads**: These separate units where the power pack connects to one or more flash heads. They offer greater power and flexibility, often used for large-scale or high-intensity photography.
### 4. **Specialty Photography Lamps**
- **Modeling Lights**: These are continuous lights used in conjunction with studio strobes. They help photographers visualize the lighting setup before taking a shot.
- **Ring Lights**: Circular lights that produce even, shadow-free illumination around the lens. They are commonly used in beauty and macro photography.
- **Umbrella Lights**: These use umbrellas to diffuse light, reducing shadows and creating a soft, even illumination. They can be combined with flash or continuous lights.
- **Softboxes**: These are light modifiers that diffuse and soften the light from a flash or continuous light source. They create a more natural look and reduce harsh shadows.
### 5. **Color Temperature Adjustment Lamps**
- **Gel Filters**: These are used with lights to change the color temperature or add special effects. They are often used in combination with studio lights to create specific moods or effects.
- **Gelled LED Lights**: Some LED lights come with adjustable color temperatures or can use gel filters to alter their color output.
### 6. **Background and Hair Lights**
- **Background Lights**: These are used to illuminate the background of a scene separately from the subject, adding depth and interest.
- **Hair Lights**: Positioned above and behind the subject to highlight and separate the subject’s hair from the background, creating a more three-dimensional effect.
Each type of lamp has specific applications depending on the needs of the photographer, such as the desired lighting effect, color temperature, and the type of subject being photographed.