ring light

plural ring lights · alternative ringlight · alternative ring-light

1. artsA continuous circular strip of light around a camera lens (either directly on the rim or as a standalone item) for the purpose of evenly illuminating the subject.

   Ring lights have long been used by photographers and, more recently, social media stars to improve their appearance. They reduce shadows and offer a more uniform glow.

   2020 May 18, Jordan Novet, “How the ring light became a must-have for recording videos under quarantine”, in CNBC

   4 more examples

   So-called selfie ring lights have been big business. “A small ring light will help to lift the complexion and bring radiance to counteract any shadows that may appear,” says Hayley Hall, a beauty influencer who has a YouTube channel and more than 27,000 Instagram followers.

   2020 April 24, Ellie Violet Bramley, quoting Hayley Hall, “Let there be light: the new must-have for celebrities in lockdown”, in The Guardian

   In person, Huff looks exactly as she does on her massively popular Instagram account, her sheer foundation and subtle bronze eyeshadow catching the spotlight just like they do the ring light.

   2022 November 8, Allison Theresa, “Sadie Robertson Huff Preaches Submissive Womanhood. Her Message Is Uncomfortably Compelling.”, in Cosmopolitan

   [Emma Jane] Unsworth describes how “late at night, after video calls with the East Coast of America, she often stayed on as a host, alone, in those abandoned Zoom rooms, her own face staring back at her, the glow of the ring-light as hygge as any wood-burning stove, sipping a glass of something moderately alcoholic, feeling a dystopian peace …”

   2025 May 12, Shahidha Bari, quoting Emma Jane Unsworth, “Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth review – a riotous roadtrip”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   You could argue that the content-creator model has democratized entertainment and broken down conventional gatekeeping, enabling anyone with a ring light, a front-facing camera, and a compelling personality to find their following.

   2026 September 10, Sophie Gilbert, “Jackie Collins Wrote Her Own Revolution”, in Jeffrey Goldberg, editor, The Atlantic, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC

   Synonyms: ring lamp