Best portable, inexpensive (but decent) light kit to use with newborn

[rachelrach11]

My friend is allowing me to come photograph her sweet baby and she is due any day. She doesn't have a room with enough windows ( or natural light). I would like to get something that will provide just enough "soft light" but nothing extremely dramatic or 'contrasty'.

I currently have a rinky dink plastic diffuser that attaches to the hot shoe of my Nikon D7000. Although it makes the flash less harsh, it still gives more of a dramatic look than I would like to use with the baby.

What can I get ( preferably inexpensive and portable) that would be suitable for this type situation?

 

[MLeeK]

I am partial to speedlites. They work very well for newborns and are super portable. I'd prefer to have them off camera, but you could also bounce from the camera as well.
You really need to give us a budget to work within here.

 

[Mach0]

Depends on the budget. I'm a huge fan of the older nikon speedlights. I have the sb24 and 28 that I love. They can be used on and off camera. I also have a couple of vivitar 285hv's that work well.

 

[Village Idiot]

You can get a manual speedlight for about $100, a set of radio triggers for about $30, a stand, umbrella, and bracket for about $50 for all three. That should get you started. That or a 150w/s Adorama Flasphoint II monolight for about $100, and the stand and umbrella for about 35 or so.

 

[Mach0]

If you are interested, pm me. I might be selling a pair of 285hv's.

 

[rachelrach11]

I would like to stay around a $200 budget. I've read that several newborn photographers prefer to use a soft box vs and umbrella.

Is this because the umbrella typically applies more direct light and the soft box has a softer overall light ?

 

[Big Mike]

The main difference between a softbox and an umbrella, is that an umbrella spills more light. If you are shooting in a small space, that spilled light will bounce off the walls/ceiling and affect the lighting of your photo. There are other, more subtle differences, but that's probably not a discussion for now.

My advice would be to get a hotshoe flash...an SB700 or whatever. You can then use that flash to bounce light off of walls and ceilings to create nice soft light, without having to use stands or a big clunky softbox or umbrella etc.

Eventually, you can use that flash off-camera, which will be useful for portraits etc. But with a baby, in a home setting, bouncing is easiest and therefore best.

 

[MLeeK]

Softboxes are easier to control. If you want to feather the light you can. If you use an umbrella there is no side preventing light from spilling out of it for feathering.
I MUCH prefer softboxes to umbrellas too.
Under $200 for a full one light kit Flashpoint II FP320SB2 Monolight Kit, 150 Watt Second FP320SB2
Add a trigger/receiver Flashpoint 4 Channel Radio Remote Control, 65ft Range A22

I am not sure I could come up with a complete kit using a speedlight under your budget. They aren't really portable, but I carry my strobes with me for a LOT of things!

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Vivitar 285's. $90 new, $40 ebay in brand new condition.

 

[JAC526]

I recently saw someone shoot my newborn with two umbrella's through the umbrellas and it came out extremely soft and very even.

Edit: I re-read my idiot post and meant to say she used two monolights with two umbrellas both shot through.

 

[jwbryson1]

EBAY EBAY EBAY!!!

If you want a soft box, forget Adorama and B&H (which I LOVE), but I just bought a pair of 24" x 24" soft boxes from a company in California for $60, all in, and they are excellent quality. Pair those with a couple of YN 560 speedlights and some inexpensive radio triggers, and you are golden.

But, I agree with Big Mike. Get a speedlight like the SB-700 and bounce off the wall or ceiling. Much easier.

 

[KmH]

Soft light is produced by large light sources. The larger the apparent size of the light source, the softer the light.

Window light is soft because of how big the window is, and unless the Sun is directly in the window the sky is an even bigger light source than the window. That's why outdoor portrait photographers put their subjects near the edge of open shade. The big large sky becomes a nice soft light source.

At some point speedlights have difficulty filling large light sources, though the spread of most speedlight's beams can be adjusted between a tight beam and a wide beam.

 

[KmH]

I just bought a pair of 24" x 24" soft boxes from a company in California for $60, all in, and they are excellent quality.

Excellent quality compared to what?

 

[Village Idiot]

I just bought a pair of 24" x 24" soft boxes from a company in California for $60, all in, and they are excellent quality.

Excellent quality compared to what?

Probably not this:
Photoflex Inc. | Essential Lighting Tools for Photography | Photoflex

I use Photo Flex. Easy to set up, decent price, and 6 year warranty.

 

[KmH]

Or Interfit, Photek, Wescott, Chimera.