There are many walls, not just the physical ones when trying to capture the perfect photo indoors.
Problems like frustrating colors, little or crummy light, the inability to have consistent lighting, and more consistently show up when photographing indoors.
The best artificial light indoors will not only give you more light; it will help you capture photos with expressive details more easily.
A consistent and reliable lighting source indoors, especially in portraits, will improve the ability to nail your focus while adding depth to your images and make them more attractive.
In addition to exploring image depth, the best indoor photography lighting will allow you to eliminate the colors you don’t want and create the colors you desire for every shot.
What is the best lighting for indoor photography that will unlock your creativity?
Here are the top flashes, lights, and kits that will quickly improve every photo you take indoors.
Let’s dive in.
In This Article
- Best Light for Indoor Photography: Profoto B10 AirTTL
- Best Bang for the Buck Indoor Light: Godox AD600Pro
- Best Cheap Indoor Photography Light: Neewer 500W
- Best Indoor Photography Lighting Kit: Godox 1800W 3X DP600II
- Best Budget Indoor Photography Lighting Kit: Neewer 1200W Studio Strobe Flash Photography Lighting Kit
- Best Flash for Indoor Photography: Nikon SB-5000 AF
- Best Indoor Photography Light for Beginners: Flashpoint Budget Studio Monolight Flash
- Best Light Bulb for Indoor Photography: Emart Professional Photography Remote Control LED Light Bulb
7 Best Lights for Indoor Photography
| Editor’s Pick | Brand |
| Best Light for Indoor Photography | Profoto B10 AirTTL |
| Best Bang for the Buck Indoor Light | Godox AD600Pro |
| Best Cheap Indoor Photography Light | Neewer 500W |
| Best Indoor Photography Lighting Kit | Godox 1800W 3X DP600II |
| Best Budget Indoor Photography Lighting Kit | Neewer 1200W Studio Strobe Flash Photography Lighting Kit |
| Best Flash for Indoor Photography | Nikon SB-5000 AF |
| Best Indoor Photography Light for Beginners | Flashpoint Budget Studio Monolight Flash |
| Best Light Bulb for Indoor Photography | Emart Professional Photography Remote Control LED Light Bulb |
Best Light for Indoor Photography: Profoto B10 AirTTL
Wish powerful strobes could adjust their color temperature? Increase or decrease the brightness levels? And not just have a modeling light, but a modeling light that changed its colors as well?
You get all of this and more with the Profoto B10 Air TTL.
You want quality, power, and control?
With 400 flashes on a full charge, a .05 to 2 seconds recycle time, this speedy flash is waiting on you instead of the other way around.
Because of its fully adjustable color temperatures, a modeling that matches the flash color, and adjustable dimness that on it’s highest setting delivers over 5x the light of typical strobes, the Profoto B10 Air TTL is the best light for indoor photography.
In addition to studio use, this flash is perfect for a photographer on the go: light, portable and is fully recharged after only 90 minutes.
You can also use the Profoto B10 while it is charging, and change the light settings with an app from your phone.
Key Features of the Profoto B10:
- LCD display
- 150 LED modeling light
- 400 flashes full power
Best Bang for the Buck Indoor Light: Godox AD600Pro
With the important bells and whistles, the AD600Pro may be the best option if you are trying to maximize your indoor photography budget!
Its color accurate mode ensures that the 5600K will stay within 75K of accuracy, no matter what what variation of brightness level you are using.
So if you are dealing with fluorescent, or large windows that will bring variable situations to your indoor shoot, the color will remain consistent with this flash.
And your speed and quantity won’t hurt because of all these features.
The flash recycle time ranges from .01 to .9 seconds, so it’ll be ready for the next flash when you are.
Its battery life will get you through a whole shoot, lasting for up to 360 flashes on a full charge!
It won’t slow down as its battery goes down either, making sure you can get your lighting right for as long as possible.
This best bang for the buck flash also includes a 38W LED modeling light, you can check to see how the flash lands too!
That and its 3 ⅓ stop increments allow you optimum control of your flash, so you can fine-tune it as much as you want.
Usability, speed, control, and accuracy are what you get with the AD600Pro from Godox.
And you won’t be flipping through complex manuals or suffering through settings! It’s easy to use and from the get-go.
Key Features of the AD600Pro:
- 5600K (±75K)
- ⅓ stop increments
- Recycle Time: 0.01 to 0.9 Sec
Best Cheap Indoor Photography Light: Neewer 500W
With wireless remote triggering, two extremely bright strobes, softboxes, and umbrellas for light modification, the Neewer 500W delivers the best cheap indoor photography lighting.
You can’t help where you shoot sometimes, and the softboxes with the included as well umbrellas, give you tons of light-diffusing variations for indoor shooting on a budget.
These inexpensive strobes also have a 75W modeling lamp adjustable at 3 levels.
That way you can see how the flash interacts with the light and lands on your subject, reducing the need for trial and error.
The flash recycle time is also excellent, .3 to 1.7 seconds.
When you’re searching for a flash with a few extras thrown in but won’t cost you the farm, the Newer 500W strobe flash kit is currently the cheapest way to crush your indoor photography.
Key Features of the Neewer 500W:
- .3 to 1.7 second recycle time
- 75W modeling lamp
- Comes with two flashes, a softbox, and an umbrella
Best Indoor Photography Lighting Kit: Godox 1800W 3X DP600II
The word “kit” is thrown around these days, sometimes it means just a flash and a cable in a nice box.
Not so with the Godox 1800W. This is a real kit.
Complete with 3 flashes, 3 softboxes, a light stand, studio boom arm, and 4 color filters.
The DP600II flash is ideal for shooting indoors because of the powerful 150W modeling light, letting you set it to a percentage of your flash to accurately predict your final shot!
The built-in wireless system lets you trigger your flash from afar, so you can adjust your flash and your subjects and then FLASH!
The recycle time on this baby is impressive too, from .3 to 1 second.
That way you can keep your shoot moving at your pace, not waiting on your flash to keep up with you.
And with 6 levels of flash output control, you have the perfect tool for changing your flash by barely perceptible units to capture your ideal shot!
The two sturdy light stands are lightweight and easy to maneuver, making them a must-have if you’re angling a light or positioning it so the light falls just so.
The 4 color filters can enhance color hues or let you play with contrast in interesting ways.
Easily placed in the barndoor of the light, these color gels are a great way to spice up your indoor photography if your space has pretty, but bland, natural light.
When seeking a kit that comes with first-rate lights and lots of helpful accessories, look no further.
Key Features of the Godox 1800W Kit:
- 4 color filters
- 6 levels of flash control
- .3 to 1 second recycle time
Best Budget Indoor Photography Lighting Kit: Neewer 1200W Studio Strobe Flash Photography Lighting Kit
This Neewer kit includes: 2 strobe flashes, 2 reflector diffusers, 2 softboxes, and 2 white umbrellas.
And for a great price!
For those of you keeping track at home, that’s two of everything.
Perfect if you’re setting up a remote studio or furnishing some on-the-road gear while keeping your studio intact.
The 2 strobe flashes are equipped with remote triggering, so you can flash the flash from up to 50 m away.
So if you want to trigger another flash while positioning someone, you can!
The umbrellas can be used to either shoot through to add dimension to your flash or as a bounce light to reduce your shadows.
Really helpful to place behind a subject to allow the flash to bounce instead of landing directly on your subject, potentially washing them out.
The color temperature of 5600+/-200Kn is consistent no matter what the charge of the flash.
And that flash has a lightning fast recycle time of .01 to1.2 seconds so you can do anything at any speed.
Go from room to room and it’ll keep up with you!
Always a helpful tool, the 150W modeling light is adjustable in three power levels, so you know what your flash is doing to your model or your room.
Plus, that light is adjustable at 3 power levels, so you can amp it up or tone it down.
The clear LCD panel on the flashes is easy to navigate on the fly too!
So if you’re looking for the whole package on a budget, this is the pick for you.
Key Features of the Neewer 1200W Studio Kit:
- 150W modeling light
- .01 to 2 second recycle time
- Remote trigger from 50m
Best Flash for Indoor Photography: Nikon SB-5000 AF
Man, can this speedlight do a lot!
The Nikon SB-5000 has a cooling system that allows for 100 consecutive shots, letting you go through flashes without worrying about overheating or misfires.
This will come in handy when shooting indoor events from weddings to holiday parties!
Think about it, if you’re taking group pictures, people are moving or blinking no matter how many times you say “cheese!” so quantity definitely helps your editing process!
Its flash recycle time is a slick 1.8-2.6 seconds, giving you barely a second to breathe before it’s ready to go again!
And with 150+ flashes a full charge (AA batteries, easy!), it will get you through your shoot!
Not to mention it comes with a lot of stuff, too.
Like a speedlight stand, diffusion dome, and fluorescent and incandescent filters to add variety to your indoor spaces and offset the harsh light of your flash.
It comes equipped with Nikon’s excellent wireless flash grouping capabilities too.
You can place up to six groups of remote flashes up to 90 feet away from you and each other and still remotely trigger them to capture the perfect shot from afar.
Even with that distance, this speed light is super easy to use.
With the “info” button, you can breeze through the menus for quick access to your favorite and most-used settings.
Key Features of the Nikon SB-5000:
- Flash trigger up to 6 groups
- 100 consecutive flashes
- 150 flashes on a full charge
Best Indoor Photography Light for Beginners: Flashpoint Budget Studio Monolight Flash
Whether you’re just dabbling or looking to make a career out of indoor photography, it can be hard to commit to some of these price tags.
Enter the Flashpoint Monolight Flash, with a perfectly reasonable price point and some truly helpful features to boot.
It’s not just the dollar figure that makes this light great for beginners, either.
It’s easy to use functionality and helpful interface allows for those starting out to become intuitively aware of the way the flash itself works with you and your camera.
Though the extra buttons, toggles, and sound alerts might be a nuisance to a veteran photographer, those starting out will find them extremely helpful.
Like the flash recycle time (.5-2 seconds) has a friendly chirp that indicates the flash is ready!
The importance of a modeling light can’t be understated, and this one is detachable!
It’s 60W modeling lamp lets you get a sense of your flash and how it interacts with the indoor space. So no surprises!
WIth 8 levels of output control, a novice can truly grasp the effects of a flash and how it can mingle with the nuance of an indoor shoot.
Fluorescent lights, sunlight, and shadows cast can make a world of difference.
So those levels of flash output will allow you a degree of control to combat those variables.
Syncing cables are included to allow for remote flash triggering, a point in its favor when you consider how much time you devote to setting and resetting then returning to the flash.
Key Features of the Flashpoint:
- 8 power output levels
- .5-2 second recycle time
- Removable 60W modelling lamp
Best Light Bulb for Indoor Photography: Emart Professional Photography Remote Control LED Light Bulb
The standard screw base of the Emart can be used in any lighting apparatus from a soft light box to a photography umbrella.
So worry not, you won’t have to swap out any of your equipment!
If there’s one thing to be said about this bulb: adjustable.
The brightness ranges from 1-100% – meaning that if your space is filled with ambient light already, you can turn down the brightness.
Likewise, the color temperature can be adjusted from 3000K to 5500K.
Which can really help since your eyes naturally remove color casts because of the way your brain sees things.
But your camera doesn’t do that!
So adjustable color temperature will go a long way to offsetting for overly warm or cool natural light.
Meaning you can go from the appearance of glaring LED light to a soft yellow easily.
And with a 90+ CRI, the color you do get from your interior subjects will be precise.
Regardless of its low price point, you don’t want to be buying one of these once a month.
So it’s probably a load off your mind that this LED bulb can last up to 8000 hours, maintaining its brightness that whole lifespan.
If you want handy, the remote can control the light, brightness, and color temperature from 7-8 meters, letting you make adjustments from the other side of the room.
Adjustable, easy install in any fixture, this LED light bulb will amp up your game if you let it!
Key Features of the Emart:
- Remote works from 7-8m
- 90+ CRI
- Adjustable brightness & color temperature
Conclusion
From lighting in over-powering natural light to keeping a subject lit through shadows, these flashes are sure to combat these common interior problems!
Shooting indoors presents a legion of technical difficulties. With the help of the right lighting tech, poor-quality shots will be a thing of the past.
So now you know what you need, go get it up and elevate your indoor photography!