I want to add to my collection.

[gsgary]

Get your focus nailed first, or you will have fancy new kit and still have soft images, if your not sure what you need you don't need it because OCF is much harder than getting focus

 

[Geaux]

What Gary said...

 

[tevo]

I have a Nikon D3100, an 18-55mm kit lens, and a 50mm 1.8 lens. I want to be able to shoot pics of people/children indoors or outdoors. Any favorite lenses/equipment and why? I'm almost positive that I want to purchase a speedlight. Also, I'm looking to spend no more than a 1,000. I tend to like to move around when I'm shooting so anything that is not very portable is not optimal.

If you want your 'pics' to look better than average you need the knowledge and skill necessary for using lighting effectively, like off-camera-flash (OCF).

Many photographers are taking a light-weight, minimalist, 'Strobist' approach to both indoor, and location photography. A couple of great online resource are the Lighting 101 archives at Strobist and http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/

I also highly recommend the imexpensive books; Light Science and Magic, Fourth Edition: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Location Photography

Equipment I have recommend to the those I have mentored over the last few years includes:
Impact Digital Flash Umbrella Mount Kit

StudioHut 4 channel Wireless Radio Hot Shoe Flash Trigger Kit for Canon EOS, Nikon, Olympus & Pentax Flashes with 2 Receivers

Vivitar DF383 Digital TTL Shoe Mount Power Zoom /Swivel /Bounce Auto-Focus Flash for Nikon TTL, Guide Number 45m (147')

Vivitar 285HV Auto Professional Flash

Nikon SB-700 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Nikon SB-900 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

It's to bad you elected to get a 'baby' Nikon. There are some really nice mid-range priced lenses available that won't AF on your D3100.

Thanks for helping me figure out what I want for christmas (;

 

[cgipson1]

Tevo get bag of Coal! (Santa man said so!) (but hey.. apply enough pressure and heat, and they will be worth something!) lol!

 

[tevo]

Tevo get bag of Coal! (Santa man said so!) (but hey.. apply enough pressure and heat, and they will be worth something!) lol!

Yes! Finally I can use that train that's been sitting in my back yard >_>

 

[mrpink]

Setting up OCF and other lighting modifiers will not make you very mobile. A nice speed light (on camera, possibly a bracket and cable) will keep you moving. I have found the 70-300 lens on a crop body to be very unuseful when photographing children, especially indoors. The tameron 17-50 VC is a very good choice if you are determined to get some new glass.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Setting up OCF and other lighting modifiers will not make you very mobile. A nice speed light (on camera, possibly a bracket and cable) will keep you moving. I have found the 70-300 lens on a crop body to be very unuseful when photographing children, especially indoors. The tameron 17-50 VC is a very good choice if you are determined to get some new glass.

Thats odd, I use my pocketwizards OCF all the time with my flash, even if its to hold the flash to the side at arms length, or even better to set it 5-10 feet away or so and bounce the light off something. Seems about any scenario in any room beats having it attached to the camera itself.

 

[mrpink]

Setting up OCF and other lighting modifiers will not make you very mobile. A nice speed light (on camera, possibly a bracket and cable) will keep you moving. I have found the 70-300 lens on a crop body to be very unuseful when photographing children, especially indoors. The tameron 17-50 VC is a very good choice if you are determined to get some new glass.

Thats odd, I use my pocketwizards OCF all the time with my flash, even if its to hold the flash to the side at arms length, or even better to set it 5-10 feet away or so and bounce the light off something. Seems about any scenario in any room beats having it attached to the camera itself.

My toddler leaves the room. How about that scenario? A flash bracket and cord will do the same thing as your pocket wizards and arm. Also, the flash head swivels and tilts, I can bounce it off almost anything I choose. For beginners, I follow the KISS methodology.