Decent beginner portrait set up?

[blowjustinup]

Ok, to start off, I've got a Nikon D70 currently. I plan on picking up the nifty fifty as I'd like to start doing a bit of portraiture. Cars are my number one hobby and with that and work I don't have TOO much time for photography, but I am very interested in it and it does excite me, so I really enjoy dabbling.

What I'd like to know is what kind of lighting set up I should get to start out? I don't have a ton of disposable income (And most of what I do have goes into my car anyway), so keep that in mind. I have a decent sized bedroom and I'm planning to devote a small corner to a portrait area. I plan on covering the walls, ceiling, and floor with a couple white sheets (Let me know if this isn't exactly "ideal". I'm not going to go crazy here, I'm going to be practicing with shots of my girlfriend, and maybe 3 year old niece and 1.5 year old nephew.. So it doesn't exactly need to be pro-quality.. Just needs to work well.

On to the lighting. I've been looking real hard into getting a flash for my camera, but I haven't been able to choose exactly what I should get, so this is where you come in.

I need to know what sort of lighting would be ideal and cheap. The area will be pretty small, so keep that in mind.. But also keep in mind that the subjects are small (A couple of kids.. And my girlfriend who is 4' 8"..)

 

[tirediron]

I think you need to give some idea of your budget; I'd say at the very least an SB600 (800 if you can), umbrella, and reflectors. The reflectors can be home-made. Large pieces of white or light-yellow posterboard work well, as do the reflective heat-shields used in automobile windows.

 

[blowjustinup]

To be honest - I'm really not sure of the budget. As I said, it's really just a hobby. I don't NEED any of it immediately.

That said, I don't have a set budget I can spend. I know my "Not a lot" and someone else's will mean totally different things. I'll leave it at this - I'll spend what I need to. If I can't spend it now, I'll wait until I can and buy it piece by piece. I'm not really one to half ass things. I'd just like ideas of what to get, what brands to get, and why to get that particular one over the others.

Thanks for the speedy reply, though. I'd planned on an SB-600.. What are the advantages of the 800 vs. the 600?

 

[tirediron]

To be honest - I'm really not sure of the budget. As I said, it's really just a hobby. I don't NEED any of it immediately.

That said, I don't have a set budget I can spend. I know my "Not a lot" and someone else's will mean totally different things. I'll leave it at this - I'll spend what I need to. If I can't spend it now, I'll wait until I can and buy it piece by piece. I'm not really one to half ass things. I'd just like ideas of what to get, what brands to get, and why to get that particular one over the others.

Thanks for the speedy reply, though. I'd planned on an SB-600.. What are the advantages of the 800 vs. the 600?

A slightly higher guide number/power output, and the ability to function as a commander as well as remote.