From Strobe Dreams to Studio Mastery: A Camera Studio Retrospective for Creators
While my past equipment concerns were primarily limited to camera bodies and individual lenses, the Excel sheets of the last few years have been filled with gear for my studio environment. After going through countless lenses, I arrived at a crucial realization: “Photography is ultimately all about the lighting.” If you can’t control the light hitting your subject, you’re essentially relying on luck, aren’t you?
Part 3 is a record of evolution, detailing how I refined my environment to produce content with consistent quality. As Professor Kang Jung-won said, “The ‘Everyone’s Retrospective’ project connects the past and future in the present to create a sustainable future.” This chapter contains the trajectory of how I built my own small but sturdy stage, using the regrets of the past as a stepping stone.
At the end of gear acquisition syndrome, a focus on perspective. A 20-year retrospective of cameras, lenses, and the studio.
Part 1. From Point-and-Shoot to Studio: A Camera Body Retrospective Tracing 20 Years of Perspective
Part 3. From Strobe Dreams to Studio Mastery: A Camera Studio Retrospective for Creators
HorusBennu FC100 Ring Flash (2012)
I picked this up to attach to the front of my lens, hoping to resolve the issue where the lens would block light and cast shadows during close-up macro shots. Though it was a basic light without TTL sync, it made me seriously consider the angle of light and subject shadows for the first time.
007 LED Studio Box LPB-III(S) (2012)
Back when I wasn’t even familiar with bounce techniques, this was my choice for taking minimalist product shots. It used a white fabric to hide cluttered backgrounds, but it played a one-dimensional role of simply “erasing” the surroundings rather than softening the quality of light. Unfortunately.
HorusBennu Tripod 747T + Ball Head LX-1T (2012)
Known as the “people’s tripod,” this was my first mount that silently endured the weight of my cameras. It not only taught me the joy of long-exposure night photography but also gifted me the leisure of locking the frame so I could focus entirely on the composition of my subject. I used this tripod for over a decade.
Slik SPRINT PRO 47 (2013)
I moved away from heavy, drab equipment to this ultralight tripod, prioritizing design and portability. The refreshing color made handling the gear feel lighter, and its weight—which didn’t bother me even when strapped to a backpack—provided excellent mobility for daily outings. While it was a bit too light for a full-frame body, it marks the history of my attempt to reduce gear bulk.
AP Traveler Tripod TMK-194 (2013)
I chose this travel-friendly, foldable tripod to reduce the bulky weight of my previous “people’s tripod.” Thanks to its signature traveler-style legs that fold 180 degrees, it offered great portability by fitting right into my backpack. It was a grateful piece of gear that stably supported my 6D full-frame body despite its light weight, significantly lowering the burden of night and long-exposure photography during my travels.
Benro Monopod A48TD (2014)
I bought this monopod with a three-legged base to overcome situations in narrow spaces where setting up a tripod was difficult. Looking back, I really tried everything. The minimal self-standing ability from the bottom base and the fast angle switching characteristic of a monopod were incredibly useful for capturing split-second moments.
Mountration Mago Speedlite (2014)
This was the external flash that realized the dream of speedlighting I had cherished since the early days of my blog. A guide number of 65 for only 100,000 KRW! Through bounce shooting—reflecting light off ceilings or walls—I finally learned the steering technique of scattering sharp, harsh shadows into soft, diffused light.
DPL-0402 Continuous Light + Bulb (2015)
I brought in this incandescent continuous light to escape the frustration of not knowing the results until the flash fired. Since I could see the light constantly, I could arrange my subjects here and there, making it perfect for learning the static pace of studio photography.
Godox MS300 + AD-R6 + Xpro (2023)
A 300Ws studio strobe I introduced to properly control the properties of light. By quantifying and precisely adjusting the light output with a wireless trigger, it became a reliable foundation for producing results with consistent brightness, regardless of the weather. It is my favorite light.
Godox SL-100D (2025)
A high-performance 100W continuous light that maintains consistent brightness during tech vlog recordings. It emits a color temperature similar to sunlight, keeping the video’s white balance solid, and currently serves as the main light in my studio.
Daehan Gemball Softbox (2025)
A magical diffuser that puffs up strong, direct light like cotton candy to softly wrap around the entire desk. When attached in front of a light, it reduces the glare on metallic gadgets and spreads even light across the entire desk space without harsh contrast—a must-have item.
K&F CONCEPT 087V4 Tripod (2026)
A high-angle specialized mount that allows the center column to be tilted horizontally, locking in a top-down view of the desk. It provided me with the psychological ease of keeping the camera fixed while making micro-adjustments to the positions of lights or gadgets.
Rode VideoMic GO II (2026)
A high-quality shotgun microphone that added clear auditory detail to content that previously relied only on visuals. It suppresses background noise and allows viewers to focus only on my voice and keyboard typing sounds, pleasantly boosting the persuasiveness of my video reviews.
Ulanzi VL-120Bi 120W Light (2026)
A bi-color light added to better highlight the unique textures of cold aluminum keyboards. By using it to shoot from the opposite side of the main light with a different color temperature, the surface boundaries become sharper, capturing the unique “warmth” of objects within the frame.
Rode VideoMicro (2026)
An ultra-compact microphone with excellent portability (no battery required) that I’ve placed around various spots on my desk. It collects sound from multiple angles to fill the audio with depth, and its mobility—being able to plug into the camera and start vlogging immediately—is fantastic.
Godox BD-04 Barndoor Kit (2026)
A steering device that prevents light from spilling where it’s not needed and concentrates it only where I intend. By darkening the background and highlighting only a part of the subject with a spotlight effect, it is a useful tool for adding a touch of drama to ordinary photos.
AMBITFUL PS30 softbox & grid (2026)
A cylindrical structure with a honey-comb grid that forces light to travel straight rather than spreading to the sides. I mainly use it when I want to sharply define the edge lines of a subject rather than illuminating the whole desk. It’s the final puzzle piece that elevates the perfection of my lighting setup.
The journey that broadened my perspective with the camera bodies in Part 1 and explored depth with the lenses in Part 2 has finally culminated in the controlled environment of the “Desk Studio” in Part 3. This is not just a list of gear. It is a record of intense growth, aimed at fully embodying the essence of my subjects without being swayed by external variables by controlling the direction of light and eliminating vibration.
The camera, the lenses, and the perfect stage to control light are all ready. All that’s left is to beautifully capture the “deskterior gadgets” on the desk—my current focus and the ultimate destination of my gaze.
EveryonesRetrospective
📸 Behind the scenes
Check out more behind-the-scenes shots on my Naver blog (Korean):
스트로보를 꿈꾸던 초보가 조명을 다루기까지, 창작을 위한 카메라 스튜디오 회고
👉 https://blog.naver.com/PostView.naver?blogId=k5kun&logNo=224331176863