Lighting? Dude said I need a....

[Ihaveaquestion]

The guy at the store I went to said that regular lighting wont be good enough for shooting people.

I need to buy a strobe set up.

Because the light setups don't get enough wattage with out putting out way too much heat.

And that you'd get too much motion with them.

What do you guys think?

 

[Michael Humle]

I tend to agree with the sales guy...I have tried it both ways and I have had the best results with strobes. You don't have to go out and spend a fortune. There are many ways very little equipment will get the desired effect. Just make sure to use indirect and/or disffused light.

 

[Digital Matt]

There's been a few threads recently on this exact topic. Using continous output lighting is very tedious for portraiture, both because of the low output of light, and the heat.

 

[mysteryscribe]

Yes there have been a ton of lighting questions on this subject. The concensus is that you need strobes the minority opinion is that if you are not shooting moving figures the lower light output isnt a problem and you get to see exactly what your lighting looks like before the shot is made.

As you can probably tell I like continuous lighting. For one thing I don't believe the light is as harsh, but then im pretty much out of the portrait thing these days. I do one now and then and don't find bulbs to be an insurmountable obsticle.


Also a lot has to do with what you are used to I think.. I think most people who have used strobes mostly (with the exception of me) seem to think that bulb light is inferior in all respects. I used stobes most of my photo career and find bulbs now suit my more laid back style. However that said, bulbs and strobe are tools the same size hammer does not fit all.

 

[fightheheathens]

i find that both are useful. i do like continous lighting for still life, but if you are gona shoot people, continous lighting gets hot as hell and there is no concer of motion blur

 

[Ihaveaquestion]

Thanks

 

[kilgtfish]

My 2 cents.
Start off with the hot lights. You learn a lot about lighting ratios, positioning, background materials, umbrellas, softboxes, and floor and ceiling supports for all the lights that you will add to the studio setup. You can always set up the lights and adjust them, shoot a non living subject, and make sure all is good.....then sit the person down and flick on the lights and get done quickly before her makeup melts.