looking for suggestions...

[dukeboy1977]

I have always shot my photos outside but now it's getting cold out, so I need to move it indoors. I know nothing about lighting so I'm looking for average suggestions. I'm working with a smaller room with angled ceilings so I don't have much room for tall lights. Should I have reflectors too? what size would be best? I have seen camera flash softbox attachments, are they worth it and any good? I use a Nikon SB600 w/ diffuser currently, but I'm looking to find out what else I need to have to get good exposures along with my Nikkor 50mm 1.8. Thanks in advance, Jeff

 

[KmH]

You need to get use the SB-600 off the camera.

You need to make the SB-600 appear to be a light source whose light emitting area is measured in square feet, not square inches. The larger the light source appears to be, the softer the light and the less harsh/sharp the shadows are.

You could aim the SB-600 up and bounce the light off the ceiling, but that gobbles up flash power and has the light coming from an extremely high angle often resulting in 'racoon eyes' unless some of the light is redirected forward for fill robbing even more flash power.

Flash power is lost because the light has so far to travel: from the speedlight up top the ceiling and back down again (inverse square law of light).
Often portraits are made is such a way the light source is just outside the image frame and mere inches from the subject, certainly not a 10's of feet light travel path.

Before you start getting equipment, start learning about lighting.
To many people do it backwards, buying equipment before they have any clue what they need.

 

[dukeboy1977]

You need to get use the SB-600 off the camera.

You need to make the SB-600 appear to be a light source whose light emitting area is measured in square feet, not square inches. The larger the light source appears to be, the softer the light and the less harsh/sharp the shadows are.

You could aim the SB-600 up and bounce the light off the ceiling, but that gobbles up flash power and has the light coming from an extremely high angle often resulting in 'racoon eyes' unless some of the light is redirected forward for fill robbing even more flash power.

Flash power is lost because the light has so far to travel: from the speedlight up top the ceiling and back down again (inverse square law of light).
Often portraits are made is such a way the light source is just outside the image frame and mere inches from the subject, certainly not a 10's of feet light travel path.

Before you start getting equipment, start learning about lighting.
To many people do it backwards, buying equipment before they have any clue what they need.

Thank you, I intend to do just that. I was looking for suggestions before buying anything, as I know my SB600 is a good flash...I figured a softbox would be best, but I'm not sure of the best way to get use of it off-camera yet. I'll learn all winter long I'm sure! lol Thanks again sir...but I'd still love more ideas guys!

 

[Vinny]

There are a couple of options that you have but none are going to give you studio looks until you have a few flashes. As KmH said you need to learn about flash photography.

They sell hot shoe cords that can be used to take the flash off camera; you have a tripod. You mentioned the softbox ... there are various sizes - the larger the better as KmH mentioned; look at Lumiqust - they make a few. They make bounce deflectors as well. You could even tape a (a few) large sheet(s) of white oaktag to bounce the light off of. I don't know if the D40 can control the SB600 the way a D90 does or if the SB600 can be controlled to fire when it "sees" a flash but you might be able to use the on camera flash to fill in for the shot as the SB600 fires the main light. Don't know if the D40 uses TTL metering for flash exposure or not but you would probably need to have the SB600 closer to the subject using a softbox and out of the field of view with the camera and its flash further away.

I haven't used a real flash in years but having the light bounced really helps to soften the shadows.

 

[orb9220]

Yep unfortunately the D40 doesn't do wireless off camera.
The SB-800 would if put in SU-4 mode as a simple optical trigger mode.

Yep adding more specialized bigger Diffusers,Bounce Card and one of those
fold up 5-in-one reflector and a SC-28 TTL sync cable and Softbox would expand options.

Or DiY with additional general lights,sheets,clamps,etc... Make your own Bounce,reflectors,Softboxes,etc..
.