50$ to buy some lighting gear on amazon

[DevC]

What to do?....got a free 50$ amazon giftcard from work! wewt! I've got a yongnuo 560ii, a set of trancievers and a will to learn more about lighting. I'm looking to start shooting more basic products at home (eggs, peanut butter jars, anything) so i can experiment with different lighting and angles. Then i'm planning on possibly moving outside and testing my knowledge of strobe lighting with a single off camera flash to the outdoor world.
I'm considering just buying a varying amount of umbrellas, or maybe should i just use this and invest in a more controlled softer light such as a softbox. There is also always a strong sturdy beauty dish and those could be quite cheap (or even handmade!).
Any suggestions for a complete lighting newbie?

 

[tirediron]

Buy the Bible! That is, hands down, the BEST money you will ever spend on lighting!

 

[JoeW]

With umbrellas you need stands and clamps for the speed light. That (even for something cheap like Cowboy Studio) will likely exceed $50.

My tip would be to get yourself a reflector, ideally a 5-in-1. Also get a copy of "Light Science and Magic." Then maybe some gels that attach to the speed light. Those 3 items should run you about $50, maybe a bit less.

Or, if you want to order lighting gear from Amazon that isn't from the electronics (i.e.: photo) store, than....Home Depot sells a pair of halogen work lights with stands for something like $20. I bet you can find them on Amazon. Buy a cloth you can use as a scrim (a sheet would work well). Then buy a couple of pieces of white foam core (instant reflectors). Total will be under $50.

 

[Derrel]

Yeah, the book above is really good! I checked it out from the library and read it.

I'm not very sold on the idea of beauty dishes for speedlights, but they are trendy these days, but so many of them are just so small that they really are worse than a 32-inch umbrella if you want soft light. Also, you want to have a grid, and a diffuser for a beauty dish, so you end up needing a factory-made one.

For shooting glassware, the flat plane of a softbox front is an advantage, as is the way a softbox contains the light and directs ALL the light forward, and keeps it form scattering all over the shooting area. Many times you'll probably be in a small, confined shooting area, so a softbox will keep the spill light to a minimum.

 

[Scatterbrained]

If you want to understand light, Light, Science and Magic is where to start. It will get you farther than any single modifier purchase. Since you already have a flash, you could pick up a copy of Neil Van Nekerks "On Camera Flash Techniques", which will show you how to get the most out of a camera mounted speedlight; something a lot of people never quite get their heads around.

 

[DevC]

If you want to understand light, Light, Science and Magic is where to start. It will get you farther than any single modifier purchase. Since you already have a flash, you could pick up a copy of Neil Van Nekerks "On Camera Flash Techniques", which will show you how to get the most out of a camera mounted speedlight; something a lot of people never quite get their heads around.

Ooh. I indeed have this book (was referred to it earlier)! It is an excellent book and i've been reading it slowly. Its taking a while to learn some of the jargon, but its getting there.


The second book may be worthwhile although! May be worthwhile to understand a bit more "on" vs "off" at this time aswell.

 

[Village Idiot]

Best speed light gel holder & gels IMO:
Amazon.com : Rosco The Strobist Collection, Strobist 55 Piece Cinegel Filter Kit with Lumiquest Gel Filter Holder, 1.5 x 3.25 inches to fit most Shoe Mount Strobes : Photographic Lighting Filters : Camera & Photo

 

[KmH]

It's Neil van Niekerk, and Neil has 2 other good books:
Direction & Quality of Light: Your Key to Better Portrait Photography Anywhere
On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography
Off-Camera Flash: Techniques for Digital Photographers