Setting up a lil home photo studio.... Need suggestions.

[~myStical~]

I want to set up a photo studio , for portraits. Nothing to fancy just simple but yet good. I need suggestions on what kind of soft box and umbrella to get. Again nothing too fancy...i'm not looking to shoot anything very professional. Just some nice portraits. Something I can start of learning with. Not high budget equipments. I don't want to take up too much space setting up the studio either. I don't know if what i'm asking for is possible. But I'm hoping you guys can help out.

 

[ToddLange]

I want to set up a photo studio , for portraits. Nothing to fancy just simple but yet good. I need suggestions on what kind of soft box and umbrella to get. Again nothing too fancy...i'm not looking to shoot anything very professional. Just some nice portraits. Something I can start of learning with. Not high budget equipments. I don't want to take up too much space setting up the studio either. I don't know if what i'm asking for is possible. But I'm hoping you guys can help out.

check amazon for some lighting kits, im gonna go look now too, cause i want to do the same thing as you! lol.

what is your budget? that would help. lol.

 

[inTempus]

This is what I built.

I spent about $1800 on lights, light modifiers, stands, radio poppers, etc. You could do it for about $1k if you went with two lights, umbrellas, no poppers and a few other incidentals.

I HIGHLY recommend Alien Bee lights for the novice home studio photographer. Trust me, you will be VERY happy with the quality of the produce, the service of the company and the price.

 

[inTempus]

If $1k is too much, do your strobe work with two speedlites and some simple/cheap light modifers. You don't need studio moonlights like the ones pictured above to get good quality studio results.

 

[Samanax]

I want to set up a photo studio , for portraits. Nothing to fancy just simple but yet good. I need suggestions on what kind of soft box and umbrella to get. Again nothing too fancy...i'm not looking to shoot anything very professional. Just some nice portraits. Something I can start of learning with. Not high budget equipments. I don't want to take up too much space setting up the studio either. I don't know if what i'm asking for is possible. But I'm hoping you guys can help out.

You might find this web site helpful.

Studio Photography

 

[Derrel]

Best deal is this FP320K Flashpoint II 320A Monolight Kit, 150 Watt Second, One Monolight Kit with Stand and Umbrella.
Flashpoint II 320A Monolight kit, with 150 watt-second, GN 118, with 10 foot air-cushioned light stand and an umbrella for $129.95 with free shipping. Buy TWO of these kits.

36374 Adorama Four Piece Honeycomb Grid Set for Many 7" Reflectors in 10°, 20°, 40° & 60°
10,20,40, and 60 degree grid set for 7 inch reflectors $64.95 with free shipping

FP2BD Flashpoint II Four Leaf Barndoor for all Model II Monolights.
Flashpoint 4-way barn door set for 7 inch reflector $29.95 with free shipping

FPHCBD Flashpoint II 40° Honeycomb Grid for the Barndoor of Model II Monolights. Requires FP2 Barndoor.
A 40 degree grid with gel holder system for the SP2 barndoor set, only $9.95

Adorama's Flashpoint 8-channel transmitter/receiver $33.95 with free shipping

L3050A2 Adorama "Set-of-2" Pro 10' Air Cushioned Light Stand -5/8" top stud with 1/4-20" screw thread
Adorama set of TWO, 10-foot, air-cushioned lightstands $73.95 with free shipping

SB2436 Flashpoint II 24" x 36", 60cm x 91cm, Softbox for all Model II Monolights.
Adorama 24x36 inch softbox for all Flashpoint II series monolights $59.95,with free shipping I would buy two of these

U33S Adorama 33" Silver Interior Umbrella.
Adorama 33 inch silver interior umbrella $13.95,with free shipping-buy two of these

$620.45, with almost no shipping costs.

I would be tempted to buy two,additional 320A monolights at $99.95 each with free shipping, for a four-monolight system,with four light stands.

I would MAKE my own 48x72 inch tall PVC pipe reflector and buy a rolling, castor-based laundry hanger stand from Target or K-Mart or someplace that sells housewares,and mount the 42x78 inch tall reflector with white rip-stop nylon fabric using two Home Depot A-clamps at $5.99 each. Cost of this reflector fabric,PVS pipe, total is $40 or so.

So, for $660, you have adequate lights and modifiers for 2-light, one reflector home portraiture. I would strongly consider adding another $99.95 320A-II monolight, or even two, to have a four-light setup.

Backgrounds? Seamless paper or muslin fabric....cross bar can be pipe or wood doweling. Bogen makes simple wall-mount holders of simple sheet steel that can hold three crossbars. Very low-cost way to hang backdrops. If you need setup/teardown, I would buy a Bogen Autopole system and two crossbars and two seamless paper rolls-one white, one black.

 

[ToddLange]

for $200 on amazon <--link!

i dont know much about it, but i think it might be worth it. im thinkin bout gettin it and tryin it out. might have to add some more lights though.

its fluorescent, i dont know much about fluorescent other than its like 90% cooler than halogen. lol.

this one is $389.00

i think these might be good for a beginner