lighting needs for a first time studio set up.

[mcguire717]

What lighting equipment is needed for a small home studio set up for portrait taking of families, kids and babies? I'm new to this and any info would be appreciated for future knowledge.

 

[Big Mike]

That's a loaded question. There are many things that you may want, and technically speaking....all you really need is a camera and a light source (could be natural light via a window). Also, what is your experience/knowledge level and what is your budget?

If you're going to be buying lights for a studio, first you must decide if you want continuous lighting or flash/strobe lighting. For shooting people, strobes are going to be the best choice, but they do come with a steeper learning curve.
So if you choose flash/strobe type lighting, you should consider whether you will always be shooting in your studio or if you will want more portable lighting that will allow you to shoot in other locations or outdoors, without too much trouble.
For example, plenty of people shoot with 'hot shoe' flashes on stands. They run on AA batteries so they are very portable.
If you are just going to shoot in your studio, then you'll probably be better off with 'studio strobes'. Either monolights or a pack & head system.

As for the number of lights, if you have no experience, I'd suggest starting with one light, learning how to use it effectively, then add more when you need them. A typical studio kit is probably 4 lights.

Once you have chosen your lighting type, then the picked the units that you want. You will have to decide on modifiers. Umbrellas are a cheap & easy way to soften your lights, but many studio photographers prefer to work with soft boxes. You may also want things like barn doors, snoots, grids etc.

Most studio lights will come with a cord to attach to the camera (may require an adapter if your camera doesn't have a PC socket). But a better way is to use some sort of wireless remote system. These range in price from $40 to several hundred.

You will need light stands for your lights. If you're going to have kids running around, especially in a smaller area, you'll likely want very sturdy stands...and that may be an issue if you have a really small space. A high end option would be some sort of ceiling mounted rail system...but that's probably not what you're looking for.

You may also want backdrops and some sort of hanging system. It might be a bed sheet and a curtain rod...or something better & more complex.

So what is your budget? :er:

 

[KmH]

This would be a decent start:

http://www.calumetphoto.com/eng/product/calumet_genesis_200_2_light_kit/cf0502k1

OR

Flashpoint Budget Studio Monolight Flash Basic Kit with 2 160 Watt Second Flashes, Light Stands, 33" White Umbrellas & Softex Carrying Case

Flashpoint is Adorama's house brand. You would need Adorama's speedring if you want to add softboxes to your light modifiers. Umbrellas larger than 33" would be needed too for adults and more than 1 person in a photo, like shooting families. The Genesis lights use Elinchrom speedrings.

Westcott 2016 45in. Optical White Satin with Removable Black Cover Westcott 60" Optical White Satin Umbrella with Removable Black Cover

Instead of softboxes you could use a brolly box: Photek Softlighter 46" Umbrella & Diffuser with a 7mm Shaft

Having one of these around would be a plus; Westcott Photo Basics 304 5-in-1 Reflector Kit

Or you could start off with a hot shoe flash unit and something like; Westcott 2331 28-Inch Apollo Flash Kit

 

[Jan Matis]

lightenupandshoot.com 1 flash with light stand and ~28 inch softbox, some wireless flash triggers ( basically Backpacker's Studio | lightenupandshoot.com : Entertaining Photography Tutorials. Strobist style! ), + maybe backdrop

camera on full manual, and spend 20 bucks on their vbook ( The Lightenupandshoot V-Book | lightenupandshoot.com : Entertaining Photography Tutorials. Strobist style! ) - im roughly in the middle and love it.

 

[Derrel]

You need one Main light, one fill light, one background light, and one hair/separation light. That means four lights minimum. The most-economical way to get four lights is to buy a pack-and-head system of 800 to 1200 watt-seconds, on average. It's REALLY important to have one light head that can be used bare-bulb, meaning without a reflector attached. To me, that is a critical accessory--a bare-bulb background light as an option. You need four backgrounds for studio work: white, black, old Master's Brown, and a swirled blue. Plus, some gels: blue, pink, yellow,red,purple. A very dark gray background is also very nice to have.

For light stands: two heavy-duty rolling stands for main and fill light; a boom stand for hair/separation light, and a short background light stand that will go very low, to up to about 48 inches tall. For studio portraiture, Speedotron and Photogenic Machine Company have the required types of lights and light heads to do classic studio work with the least hassle and at reasonable costs for lifetime-grade shooting. Having two, or three 16 to 20-inch parabolic 60 degree reflectors with mylar snap-on diffusers, barn doors, and a grid or two for each light would allow you to light entire groups in most any room or studio area.

It's easy to spend $5,000 on studio lighting gear. The only way to save much money on it is to buy the used,low-cost stuff available on e-Bay or Craigslist. NEW lighting gear costs a lot; used lighting gear is worth about 25%-50% of new price. AND it is a BUYER'S MARKET these days!!! ....make lowball offers!

 

[dots]

Any chance you could take a snap of all this gear, set-up, sometime Derrel? and post it on the forum?

You need one Main light, one fill light, one background light, and one hair/separation light. That means four lights minimum. The most-economical way to get four lights is to buy a pack-and-head system of 800 to 1200 watt-seconds, on average. It's REALLY important to have one light head that can be used bare-bulb, meaning without a reflector attached. To me, that is a critical accessory--a bare-bulb background light as an option. You need four backgrounds for studio work: white, black, old Master's Brown, and a swirled blue. Plus, some gels: blue, pink, yellow,red,purple. A very dark gray background is also very nice to have.

For light stands: two heavy-duty rolling stands for main and fill light; a boom stand for hair/separation light, and a short background light stand that will go very low, to up to about 48 inches tall. For studio portraiture, Speedotron and Photogenic Machine Company have the required types of lights and light heads to do classic studio work with the least hassle and at reasonable costs for lifetime-grade shooting. Having two, or three 16 to 20-inch parabolic 60 degree reflectors with mylar snap-on diffusers, barn doors, and a grid or two for each light would allow you to light entire groups in most any room or studio area.

It's easy to spend $5,000 on studio lighting gear. The only way to save much money on it is to buy the used,low-cost stuff available on e-Bay or Craigslist. NEW lighting gear costs a lot; used lighting gear is worth about 25%-50% of new price. AND it is a BUYER'S MARKET these days!!! ....make lowball offers!