“If windowless environments or lack of daylight affect office workers’ sleep quality, there will be subsequent effects not only individually but also on a societal level, leading to more accidents, workplace errors, and decreased productivity.”[4]

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If a photographer could just buy a few zoom lenses to cover a range of focal lengths that might require numerous prime lenses, you might wonder why anyone would ever buy prime lenses at all. Prime lenses and zoom lenses both have their uses and advantages, and you can learn the answer to this question in our Prime vs. Zoom Lens tutorial.

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LEDs are a popular choice for office lighting due to their energy efficiency and long lifespan. They can direct light precisely where needed, minimizing wasted light and offering adjustable color temperatures. However, LEDs may not always render colors accurately, which could be a drawback for those working in color-critical fields.[7] Blue light emissions from LEDs can also disrupt circadian rhythms, potentially affecting sleep.[8]

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Using screen protectors or an app that reduces blue light emissions can help minimize eye fatigue and improve comfort during extended screen time.

A lot of new photographers prefer to use zoom lenses, because they give them the ability to photograph several subjects without needing to buy multiple lenses. In fact, many new DSLR and mirrorless cameras come with a zoom lens included, so that people can begin immediately taking pictures.

When photographers only had the option to shoot film, a lens’s focal length was always the same since a 35mm piece of film never changed sizes. Because digital camera manufacturers produce cameras of all different sizes, there are now numerous sensor sizes, and there is no longer a specific relationship between the focal length of a lens and the angle of view. We’ll go more into all this in an upcoming lesson about crop factors and crop and full frame sensors.

Measured in millimeters when the lens is focused at infinity, focal length is the distance from where light enters at the center of the lens’s front optical element to the camera’s digital sensor or film.

Here, we’ll briefly explain aperture, maximum aperture, and aperture ranges here. Aperture is the exposure variable which controls how wide the opening, also known as the iris diaphragm, of the lens is. As with your own eyes, a bigger iris lets in more light and a smaller iris lets in less light. A higher f-stop number means a smaller aperture such as f/32 which means very little light will pass through the lens iris.

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Telephoto lenses like the Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 have longer focal lengths, while wide angle lenses like the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L have shorter focal lengths. Lenses known as prime lenses have a fixed focal length, meaning they will not zoom and are fixed at that particular angle of view and magnification. An example of a prime lens is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens which can only function as a 50mm lens – if you want your subject to appear closer or farther away in your image, you will have to actually walk closer or farther away.

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The color temperature of your lighting significantly affects both productivity and comfort. For general use, warm lighting around 3000K is ideal for reducing eye strain.[9] For tasks requiring high accuracy, such as color grading, daylight bulbs with a color temperature around 5000K can be beneficial, as they closely mimic natural daylight.[2]

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CRI measures how accurately a light source reveals colors compared to natural light. For work requiring color precision, aim for lights with a CRI rating between 90-100 for the most accurate color representation.

Glare from bright lights can strain your eyes and interfere with tasks like color grading. As the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notes, bright lights reflecting off screens can make images appear washed out and hard to see clearly.[1] Consider anti-glare screens or adjust your light sources to the side of your workspace to reduce direct reflections.

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Natural light exposure can improve mood, sleep quality, and overall health. If your workspace lacks windows, ensure it’s well-lit with warm, soft lighting that mimics daylight. Research has shown that environments with better light exposure can lead to longer sleep duration, improved sleep quality, and increased physical activity for office workers.

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If you spend long hours working at a computer, proper lighting is essential for productivity and maintaining your overall well-being. Poor lighting can lead to eye strain, headaches, and sleep disruptions, negatively impacting your creativity, productivity, and health. Prolonged exposure to inadequate lighting, such as dimly lit rooms, can even contribute to mental health issues like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Working in poorly lit spaces is not a good option, especially if you are sensitive to light. Bright light exposure during work hours can significantly improve your quality of life. Personally, I find bright lights challenging, often needing to wear sunglasses in grocery stores to reduce glare. I prefer working near windows with natural light, adjusting to soft indoor lighting after dark.

To create an ideal, balanced lighting environment, avoid direct and harsh light sources. Utilize indirect lighting or shielded lights that illuminate the workspace without shining directly on your monitor.

You’ll probably hear photographers talk about the terms 35mm equivalent focal length or crop factor when chatting about their interchangeable lens cameras and you might see this terminology mentioned in the specifications for compact digital cameras with fixed lenses as well. 35mm equivalent focal length is a pretty long term, but the definition is luckily not too difficult to make sense of. Essentially, it tells us what the equivalent focal length of a lens is when we use it with a particular size sensor.

Fluorescent lights are less efficient than LEDs but offer a cost-effective alternative. However, their flickering and buzzing can be distracting and may cause eye strain over long periods. Fluorescents are generally not recommended for color-critical work due to their lower color rendering accuracy.

Photography instruction that’s fun and easy to follow with great tricks, tips, and tutorials to improve your digital photography skills.

Other lenses have a focal length which is variable and can be changed within a certain range – these are known as zoom lenses and will have two focal length numbers on them. An example of a zoom lens is the Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6. This means that you can use this lens at any point between these two focal lengths of 80mm and 400mm. With a zoom lens, you can make your subject appear larger in the frame by zooming in on it to the maximum focal length of the lens.

This guide covers the best practices for setting up optimal lighting in your office and explains the health impacts of subpar lighting conditions.

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Creating the right lighting environment in your workspace is more than just a comfort issue—it directly impacts your productivity, creativity, and overall well-being. Whether you’re editing videos, color grading, designing motion graphics, or working on audio, optimal lighting can reduce eye strain, improve sleep quality, and boost your work performance. By prioritizing natural light, positioning your lights correctly, using blue light filters, and choosing the right bulbs, you can build a workspace that enhances your work and supports your health. Invest in a lighting setup that works for you, and you’ll notice the difference in how you feel and function every day.

Maximum aperture is the measurement which tells us just how wide a lens is able to open. The wider the lens iris can open, the more light can pass through the lens and to the sensor. This matters for a few different reasons, the first being that a wider aperture allows photographers to use a faster shutter speed in low light conditions. The second reason is that aperture also affects the depth of field which is the measurement of how much of the scene is in focus.

Position your lights to minimize glare and reflections on your screen. Ideally, the main light source should not be directly in your line of sight, or shining onto your screen. Ambient light should complement your screen brightness to reduce eye strain.

A lens that has an aperture range means that it has a different maximum aperture depending upon what focal length you’re using it at. To use the Pentax 55-300mm f/4-5.8 lens pictured above as an example, when the lens is used at its 55mm focal length, you can use a maximum aperture of f/4. At the 300mm maximum focal length though, your maximum aperture is f/5.8, which means that it lets in about half as much light.