If I told you that my two must-have lights fit into the palm of my hand, would you believe me? One of those lights alone was used to light my face in the image below. Would believe me that?

Lume Cube

The first light I like to pack in my camera bag is the Lume Cube 2.0 Daylight-Balanced Portable LED Light. It is a rechargeable, 1-inch by 1-inch square cube that has a 5600K color temperature. The unit’s output is dimmable from 0 to 750 lux. The low light mode is also accessible and you are able to dim the light from 10 to 1%.

Another feature that is important to note about the Lume Cube is it is waterproof down to 30 feet. This allows you to comfortably use the Lume Cube in wet weather as well as dry or when submerged. The coolest part of this light is the fact that it can be controlled either manually or via Bluetooth using the Lume-X app, which is available for iOS and Android.

These lights come with a wide range of accessories like honeycomb grids, diffusers and gels. The light has four magnets on the front of each corner which is how each accessory attaches. This lets you stack them on top of each other, allowing you to create any combination you want.

Godox Round Mini

Next, I always have Godox Round Mini RGB LED Magnetic Light (B&H | Amazon) in my bag. This compact, lightweight and versatile LED light feature two different lighting modes and 14 special effects, ranging from RGB Cycle, flash, candle, firework and lightning.

You can also adjust the R1 from tungsten to balanced daylight (2500 to 8500K). This light also includes a magnetic dome diffuser. You can mount it to a tripod, the back of a phone or magnetically to a metal surface. One full charge will give you up to 1.5 hours of light.

Three ways I use these lights

With each of these lights being so compact it is super easy for me to use them when shooting self portraits. I can easily hold one or two lights in one hand, allowing me the option to create different lighting patterns in a matter of minutes.

The second way I use these lights is when shooting product photography. I don’t have a lot of space to work within my little office and these lights together or separate carry enough punch to light up products. Allowing me to quickly change their positions without and hassle.

The third and final way I love using theses lights is when I am light painting. At the click of a button, I have multiple color options and speeds. These make light painting incredibly easy and fun.

I have used both these lights as the main light, fill and the kicker. They are both incredibly versatile and compact. You can’t go wrong with either … so you might as well get both. :)