Lighting kits and places for portraits?

[Majin TCZ]

I'm looking to set up a "studio" in my home but I know I'm going to need some lighting.

What are some inexpensive kits or something that performs well. Perferably no more than 300 bucks.


Also I have someone that wants to do portraits for them. I'm doing them for free to build my portfolio. Where are some general good places to shoot since I dont have lighting in my home yet and its cold outside?

Any ideas/links will be greatly appreciated.

This is my first post. W000t!!

 

[DRoberts]

Most photo stores will rent lighting equipment. You might check your local retailers and rent a set up to do your shoot with and that will also give you a chance to try some out.

 

[Village Idiot]

Sorry, $19.99 over budget, but a great starter kit regardless.
http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/item/CF0502K1/

 

[DavidSR]

1. Vivitar 285HV ($80 Shipped)
2. Cybersyncs. ($140 Shipped)
3. Light Stand ($29.90 Shipped on Amazon)
4. Umbrella Swivel Adapter ($15-$30 Shipped)
5. Cord To Connect To Cybersyncs. ($14 + shipping)
http://www.flashzebra.com/wizardcables/vivitar.shtml
6. Cheap Ebay Umbrellas ($10-$20 Shipped)

This might come up to a little over $300, but I think this will make a great starter kit. This is the same thing I plan on doing with a little more funds.

 

[JerryPH]

That pretty much covers the hardware... now go visit www.strobist.com and find the links to Lighting 101 and 102 for the knowledge on how to use these things!

 

[DavidSR]

That pretty much covers the hardware... now go visit www.strobist.com and find the links to Lighting 101 and 102 for the knowledge on how to use these things!

I don't even have half the stuff I listed, but I have been reading plenty of articles on strobist

 

[JerryPH]

Good head start, but it is best used if you can learn one concept, practice it... move to the next concept, practice that, and so on. Then things fall into place so much faster.

As soon as you can trigger a flash off camera, start getting some hands on time... there is a lot to learn!

 

[Majin TCZ]

Thank you everyone for the responses so far about the lighting kits.

Anyone wanna take a stab at my second question about where to shoot in the meantime til I get my kit.

 

[DRoberts]

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1437523&postcount=2

 

[chrisburke]

Sorry, $19.99 over budget, but a great starter kit regardless.
http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/item/CF0502K1/

hmm me likes this kit... pretty good price too... adding it to the "some day soon" list

 

[Village Idiot]

1. Vivitar 285HV ($80 Shipped)
2. Cybersyncs. ($140 Shipped)
3. Light Stand ($29.90 Shipped on Amazon)
4. Umbrella Swivel Adapter ($15-$30 Shipped)
5. Cord To Connect To Cybersyncs. ($14 + shipping)
http://www.flashzebra.com/wizardcables/vivitar.shtml
6. Cheap Ebay Umbrellas ($10-$20 Shipped)

This might come up to a little over $300, but I think this will make a great starter kit. This is the same thing I plan on doing with a little more funds.

This would be good for a portable on location kit, but for a studio where you don't have to worry about portability, a set of monolights can be a better solution.

 

[Village Idiot]

hmm me likes this kit... pretty good price too... adding it to the "some day soon" list

And it accepts Elinchrom modifiers.

Plus Alien Bees are making an adapter that will allow you to use AB gear on Elinchrom lights.

 

[DavidSR]

This would be good for a portable on location kit, but for a studio where you don't have to worry about portability, a set of monolights can be a better solution.

That's my shopping list..since I would like something that I can just pack up and go to another location without lugging around heavy equipment...I have seen many in studio shots with Speedlights and I bet they come out better than most people would think.

 

[JerryPH]

Where to shoot? Well, without lighting equipment, it is difficult, and at the budget level you are at, even renting will cut into your purchase money.

However, a few things to consider:

- See if there is a local strobist club and attend any meets they make. I joined the local Montreal meet and in the last 4 weeks there were 2 meets with a 3rd coming up this Sunday and plans for maybe 1 more before Christmas and another soon after.

- This brings me to the second point... in our December meet, it is going to be indoors in a nice warm... STUDIO. There is a place here in Montreal that rents studio space to pro photographers and they are willing to let us use the entire facilities for free as a promotional thingie. We provide our own lighting, but they have the studio layout space, power (110v and 220v if needed), huge building sound system and even a projection screen system to preview our pics on a huge screen. You could look around your area and see if they do that (studios that rent space to photographers). As another example, in January (or late december, date not yet set), our club is going out to the country a nice hour (or so) long ride to a winter resort (one of our strobist members works there during this low client time). We will have access to a chalet with huge stone fireplace, old barns, hundred plus year old houses, wooden covered bridges and all the snow, mountains and pine tree forests a group could use for wonderful winter shoots as well as access to a town that was recently completely renovated into a wonderful rustic feel.

- If a strobist group doesn't exist where you are, build it and they will come.

- KISS. If none of the above is possible, keep it simple and stupid. Use ambient light from a window, use curtains as diffusers, learn all the corners of your house where natural light comes and and work on how to best take advantage of it. Use family members and pets to practice on.

The trick to knowledge is not just reading, its applying all that you learn and converting it to practical hands on experience and expertise... makeing that "trick" all your own and part of your repertoire.

 

[Village Idiot]

That's my shopping list..since I would like something that I can just pack up and go to another location without lugging around heavy equipment...I have seen many in studio shots with Speedlights and I bet they come out better than most people would think.

Yes, but the OP was asking on advice on what to get for a studio setup.

Two good 200w/s monolights vs. one vivitar with radio slave and the rest of the required gear for about the same price is something that the OP should think hard about and base their decision on what they need, portability or power.

I mix speedlights with monolights, but the problem is, the monolights have to be set to about 1/4 power to be able to properly use the speed lights at 1/2 - full power. I have shots where I've used one 580EX II and an umbrella for a single light setup on a subject then went and shot the same subject in a different pose and a different angle with a 1600w/s strobe and an octobox. Both work, but both have pros and cons that need to be weighed before deciding on what you should shoot with.

And spending $300 on a single light setup kind of sucks if you're not trying to add onto it. It's not that you can't take amazing shots with one light, it's that if/when you do need extra lights, you're going to have to spend more money to extra lights and triggers when you weren't wanting to in the first place.

It's not a big deal for me because I have 5 assorted monolights and speed lights. I use what I need to when I need to.