PLEASE HELP IM STUCK!

jacky200 · May 15, 2011

hi im into portrait and full body photography and i just cant decide which lighting equipment to buy..my budget is £300 and would like something portable and a easy to use with all the pros..not many cons..
what would you guys recommend? any links on recommendations would be really appreciated.thanks

i already have a camera and lense etc..just need lighting

Robin Usagani · May 15, 2011

if you want to do it professionally you need a lot more than that because a nice lens alone worth more than 200 pounds.

jacky200 · May 15, 2011

Schwettylens said:
if you want to do it professionally you need a lot more than that because a nice lens alone worth more than 200 pounds.

i know thankyou, i already have a lense and camera.have been taking photos for a while just need to find studio lighting

Propsguy · May 15, 2011

what options have you discovered so far that may work within your budget?... perhaps present a few links to lighting combinations that appeal to you and we can help narrow down your choices....

jands · May 15, 2011

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/search.php?searchid=195135
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/search.php?searchid=195147

jacky200 · May 16, 2011

Propsguy said:
what options have you discovered so far that may work within your budget?... perhaps present a few links to lighting combinations that appeal to you and we can help narrow down your choices....

Twin head continuous lighting kits - Continuous Lighting Kits - Twin Head Continuous - Smick.co.uk

Propsguy · May 16, 2011

Ok... so I see you are looking at continuous lighting... that may work, but it will present some challenges for portraiture.... first and foremost, the output is very low in comparison to strobes, and also, continuous lights produce prodigious amounts of heat, and your subjects or models will sweat when you crank the lights up to full power (which you will need to do to get a reasonable exposure).

One advantage of continuous lights is that you can see very easily what the lights are doing, but this is also possible with strobes that have modelling lamps built into them... there are a variety of strobes on the market, and the reality is that most of them are of reasonable quality if you aren't shooting all day, every day....

I would suggest getting a single strobe and a medium sized softbox (rectangular), and, course, a stand... and then purchase a few sheets of both black and white foamcore.... use the white sheets of foamcore to make reflectors, and the black to make flags... it is very easy to replicate a three light setup with one light and a few pieces of foamcore...

Purchase the smallest amount of lighting equipment that you can get away with.... spend your money and ingenuity on creating modifiers and reflectors that shape and characterize light in a way that pleases you... learn that craft, and then move on to purchase more lighting...

I recommend you visit the paul c buff website (I believe there is still a distributor in the uk) and see if any of the 'alien bees' strobes float your boat... they are widely regarded for their consistency, durability and ease of use, and might suit your needs and budget very well...

Good luck....