Help Buying Camera Equipment for Food Photos for wife for Christmas?

[Zrab11]

All right.

My Wife has a Cannon Rebel T3 camera and she has been Food Blogging for a 1 and 1/2 years. She has got to the point where she really enjoys it and has quite a few followers. So now she wants to get some upgrades to take better pictures. Here are a few things on her "Want" List.

Macro F/2.8 Lense
Photo Shop Program
Studio Lighting kit

Well I only have a Budget of about 200$ right now so i know i can't begin to get her everything but i think the Lighting Kit is a big want so I want to take care of that. Ive done some research on lighting for FOOD and i see a lot of people using both Softbox's and umbrellas and just want your opinion on what I should get here. Which will help her take better pictures at this time for my budget.

Also is a Tripod and Reflector important at this time as well.

Here is a few products I came up with in my price range? Are this good or should my money be spent somewhere else?

Reflector - Amazon.com: Westcott 301 Photo Basics 40-Inch 5-in-1 Reflector: Camera & Photo
Tripod- Amazon.com: Professional 72-inch TRIPOD FOR All Canon Sony, Nikon, Samsung, Panasonic, Olympus, Kodak, Fuji, Cameras And Camcorders + BP MicroFiber Cleaning Cloth: Camera & Photo
Softbox- Flashpoint Softbox VL5070, 70Watt Fluorescent Light VL5070

She takes pictures of her meals 3 times a day(breakfast,Lunch and Dinner) so that is 21 posts a week and 19 posts are all taken at home so some good equipment that can be used around the house would be great. She will have access to power outlets and be shooting in basically the same area all the time. Except when she is out at restaurants.

So please help me get the best stuff for my wife this christmas! Thanks Please let me know if you need any other info.

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome aboard.

The reflector is a good one, those are always handy.
The tripod looks like a pretty cheap one...not something I'd recommend. In that price range, check this one out instead Amazon.com: Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball Head: Electronics
The softbox with florescent light looks OK...probably not enough light for portraits etc. but for shooting food (especially with a tripod) it should be fine. You'll need a light stand to put it on.

 

[texkam]

Are you familiar with GIMP?
GIMP - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If you are handy you can make a softbox. Search softbox diy on YouTube.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Light Science and Magic, Fourth Edition:
An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

 

[Zrab11]

Welcome aboard.

The reflector is a good one, those are always handy.
The tripod looks like a pretty cheap one...not something I'd recommend. In that price range, check this one out instead Amazon.com: Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball Head: Electronics
The softbox with florescent light looks OK...probably not enough light for portraits etc. but for shooting food (especially with a tripod) it should be fine. You'll need a light stand to put it on.

Is there a good soft box you would recommend?

 

[tirediron]

I would recommend NOT cross-posting in an effort to solicit more responses. Since you indicate that lighting is of primary interest, I have left your thread open in the Lighting Forum.