How much does the really good lighting in celebrity photos differ from ‘flash’ on a regular camera?

Kari: How much does the really good lighting in celebrity photos differ from ‘flash’ on a regular camera?
Like I look at these professional celebrity pictures and their skin looks so bright. But then I find regular pictures of these celebrity with their fans on like fan sites and they look a lot duller. How much brighter are those professional shots of a celeb than, say, flash on a regular camera?

Answers and Views:

Answer by mrselange
A good photographer and everything that he or she can do, can make such a difference. When you pay thousands of dollars for a session, they better make you look good.

Answer by [email protected]
The cameras they use are a faster shutter rate which removes blur even if you see no blur there is always a little. that also use a larger flash which will create the illusion of shadowing. the lighting in the room itself is merely for background not for the subject. our little handheld small flash need near perfect light on the subject is almost impossible to take a perfect picture.

Answer by choloconche
Usually, when you use a built in flash unit, the light that goes to the subject, is a DIRECT one.

Professionals use diffusers and reduce the flash power, and lower speeds, too.

In the studio, professionals use umbrellas to soften the light even more.

There are some home studio flash systems for under 400 dollars and you’ll get the same effect as professionals.

Answer by this_girl_is_lost
Using on camera flash usually looks like crap. Studio lights can do amazing things. It all depends on how the photographer is shooting and what type of lighting equipment. Different diffusion materials are used to avoid harsh light, also umbrellas, ring flash, and reflectors are used. You can use a combination of flash,available, and tungsten light depending on what look you’re going for. As for how bright they are- think 2400 watts. They are bright, hot, and dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Also, models look different after retouching is done. A lot of models will have a whole body part removed by digital retouching. For exampe, there was a sports illustrated model who had her foot replaced because it was too big for a swimsuit issue. I am a professional retoucher/photographer, so I know the kinds of tricks that are used to make people look much better than they actually are. One problem with simple straight on camera flash is that it creats harsh shadows, blown out highlights, and just overall ugliness.