With so many types of lights and the infinite number of setup combinations, studio lighting could be the subject of a book. And in fact, there are several books dedicated to this specific topic. If you are interested in purchasing studio lighting equipment, here are some basics that every photographer needs to know. A good set of lighting tools will allow you to photograph in all kinds of situations. Here's a list of the most popular types of studio lighting.

Continuous Lighting

These are the sorts of lights you may associate with movie production. Continuous light refers to light that is constantly on compared to a flash that goes on and off. This method is great for subtle lighting situations, even though it can produce a lot of heat and use more power. A simple kit for continuous lighting can be purchased online at a very affordable price. You should look for flash kits that include light stands, light fixtures and bulbs. You can get continuous light from halogen, fluorescent, and tungsten lightbulbs. 

Studio Flash

This bracket is for studio lighting equipment that uses a flash, as you might have guessed. It's often used in fashion shoots. Flash setups are very efficient and produce little heat. They also require less power, making them the best choice for long exposures of human subjects. Flashes are available in either moonlights or flash systems – moonlights require only syncing to the camera while power-pack based flash systems will have a central power point to which all the flash heads connect.