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A good tattoo light provides even, shadow-free illumination for your tattooing process and also ensures that colors are accurately rendered during the process, improving quality and efficiency. To help you shop for a high-quality tattoo light, this post picks 4 of the best tattoo lights and shares tips for selecting one that will benefit you.
How to Photograph Tattoos Without Glare?
Photographing tattoos without glare is all about controlling your lighting and positioning. Glare usually happens when light reflects off oily or shiny skin, especially right after a fresh tattoo. Here’s how to avoid it and get clean, sharp shots that truly show off the ink.
1. Avoid Using Direct Flash
Flash photography will almost always cause glare that points straight at the tattoo. Therefore, use soft, diffused lighting instead. A softbox or ring light with a diffuser works wonderfully. For tattoo lights, make sure they feature adjustable brightness control and soft white tone (around 5500K), then position them at 45 degrees from your skin so as to highlight texture and color without creating harsh reflections.
2. Check For Skin Shine
Immediately following tattooing, the skin is often extremely shiny from applying ink or lotions to it. Gently blot the area or wait a bit before taking photos; you could also use a polarizing filter on your camera lens--this cuts down reflections and brings out details more clearly.
3. Keep An Eye On Your Environment
Natural light from a window can provide ideal lighting, especially if the illumination is soft and indirect. When using artificial lights, reflect them off a wall or reflector to further soften their brightness. In summary, the key to successful tattoo photography lies in soft lighting, good angles, and matte surfaces - that is the essence of glare-free photography!
Best Lights for Tattooing
1. NEEWER BH40B Esthetician Light
The NEEWER BH40B Esthetician Light is ideal for lighting tattoos and eyelash extensions. It is equipped with 210 high-quality LED beads with a color rendering index of 98+, which ensures the accuracy of your colors when tattooing. What's more, this tattoo light has a very flexible head that can be rotated and wrapped freely, allowing you to position the light more precisely where you need it.
The white touch panel of the NEEWER BH40B Tattoo Light is equipped with a high-definition display and larger knobs that make it easy for you to adjust settings such as brightness and color temperature. It supports one-touch switching between single and dual light modes, so you can choose according to the situation.
Pros:
- Featuring Flexible Light Heads
- Touch Control Panel with USB Charging Port
- Support Individual Control of Two Light Heads
2. NEEWER BH40C RGB Esthetician Light
The NEEWER BH40C RGB Esthetician Light's two heads are also bendable and capable of shadow-free wrap-around lighting, so it's also a great choice for use as a tattoo light. This tattoo light has 528 LED beads, and the CRI98+ allows for accurate color rendering during the tattooing process.
The two heads of the NEEWER BH40C RGB Tattoo Light can be controlled independently or at the same time, and it features a wide range of lighting modes, as well as a colorful touch bar, so you can easily adjust the color temperature and brightness, enabling you to customize the light to the natural skin tone of your clients.
Pros:
- For Wrap Around Illumination Without Shadows
- Color Touch Bar & USB Charging Output
- Versatile CCT + HSI + SCENE Light Modes
3. NEEWER RH12B Bi-Color LED Ring Light
Many tattoo artists will choose the NEEWER RH12B Bi-Color LED Ring Light as a tattoo light, which is equipped with 180 LEDs to provide a bright, even light source, and the CRI97+ ensures sufficient color accuracy. What's more, its CCT mode provides 2900K-7000K warm and cool color illumination, which can help highlight tattoo patterns and fine lines.
If you buy the NEEWER RH12B Bi-Color LED Ring Light, the kit will include a 360° ball head and a light stand, which will provide you with flexible angle adjustments and allow you to easily position the light. Best of all, this tattoo light is great value for money.
Pros:
- CCT & FX Scene Effect Modes
- Great Value For The Price
- Reversible Metal Light Stand
4. NEEWER RL45B Slim Edge Lit Ring Light
If you want a larger ring light as a tattoo light, the NEEWER RL45B Slim Edge Lit Ring Light is an option that will meet your needs. It is 18 inches and features 288 high-quality LED beads with a CRI of 97+, which can render accurate color reproduction and significantly improve the quality and accuracy of your tattoo work.
The NEEWER RL45B Slim Edge Lit Ring Light is large enough in size to provide a rounded light shape that is soft and even enough that it will allow you to work comfortably for long periods of time without shadows interfering with your tattooing process, allowing you to focus more on your art. In addition, this tattoo light comes with a 2-in-1 magnetic remote control that enables you to adjust the brightness and color temperature more conveniently and easily!
Pros:
- With A Slim & Stylish Design
- Featuring 2 Light Modes
- 2 In 1 Magnetic Remote Controller
How to Choose Good Tattoo Lights?
1. Pick 5000K–5500K for Accurate Colors
Find lights with a color temperature between 5000K-5500K, which closely resembles natural daylight and allows you to see true ink tones. Too warm of lights (such as 3000K ) may give the tattoo a yellowish tint, while too cool of lights (over 6500K+) could leave skin looking pale or washed out.
2. Choose Dimmable Brightness
Tattooing and photography both require strong yet variable lighting. LED dimmable lights allow for precise control over brightness according to the environment and subject, with cool-touch LEDs being especially ideal. LEDs also conserve energy.
3. Look for Flexible Positioning
The light that can be moved is essential when photographing. A flexible gooseneck arm or swivel head allows you to quickly angle the light where needed most - this helps minimize glare while creating natural-looking shadows for depth in photography.
4. Get a Light with a Diffuser
Harsh light can reflect off of skin and ruin a photo. A built-in diffuser helps spread the light more evenly, softening shadows and eliminating glare, crucially important when taking professional tattoo photos.
5. Prioritize Stability and Quality
High-quality lighting should be sturdy and long-lasting, from floor lamps with weighted bases to clamp-on models whose clamp holds tightly without wobbling or wobbling over time. A flimsy light stand can become frustrating or even hazardous during prolonged sessions.
