Starting up

[MandyK]

I've just purchased a nikon D5200 with a twin lens kit and am looking to start a small business taking photographs of children/newborns and maternity/family shoots. I was just wondering if anyone can help me with buying lenses, flash and lighting for a room that I will be setting up as a studio. I am on a little budget, so if you know any cheaper models that do a fab job that would be great too!

Any other suggestions anyone has

 

[chris]

Welcome to the Forum.

You don't give us any clue as to your skill level; do you understand the relationship between shutter speed, aperture and ISO and how each of these can affect your images? Do you know anything about composition, there are various rules and guides available; you don't have to stick to them but it is worth knowing what they are and how they work before 'breaking' them.

As far as lenses go you don't tell us which specific ones you have but if it is the usual pair of lenses sold as a bundle with the camera then you will have coverage from wide angle to moderate telephoto and that will be sufficient for developing your skills. There will be better lenses available but none of them will make you a better photographer if you don't get the basics of exposure and composition right. Use the lenses that came with your camera until they are restricting what you want to do.

You don't tell us what size your studio is or if it will be used exclusively for photography when lights permanently set up. the choices will be one or more speed lights or mains powered studio strobes with stands, umbrellas etc. I would avoid continuous lights which may not give sufficient illumination to freeze motion, especially of babies who seem to delight in not staying still and waving hands and feet. The size of the studio may also affect the photos that you can take; if the room is too small then you may have problems with perspective distortion for full length poses of adults which will require a wide angle to fit them in - with studios the (very) general rule is the bigger the better, you can then get far enough from the subject to get a pleasing perspective and you have much more scope for arranging the lighting and any back drops or props that you are using.

 

[ronlane]

+1 to what Chris has mentioned above. In addition, I will add this. I'm not saying that you can't start a business on a small budget, but keep in mind that you will want to have a business plan together.

Note: these questions are not meant to discourage you but to save you some heart ache. Starting a photography business isn't as easy as just buying a dslr camera and lenses and then lining up people to shoot.

I personally would want to have at least a back up body, and possibly lenses. When it comes to lighting, I wouldn't get the cheap stuff. In most cases, you will have to replace it often enough that it makes more sense to spend the money for better quality right off the bat.

Since you are on a small budget, why do you need a studio just staring out? It's very easy to start out using sunlight and the outdoors, (In this instance, you could most of the time use the equipment you have and add a reflector as a great start) this would save money and space. I realize that this limits you when it is snowing or raining but if you absolutely have to at that point is there a possibility of renting space for that one off. Or if you have a room with a large window, you could use it and the reflector mentioned above.

 

[Designer]

I was just wondering if anyone can help me with buying lenses, flash and lighting for a room that I will be setting up as a studio.

You should use the largest (longest) room you have. Get one or more strobes Flashpoint Budget Monolights Buy Compare Review Adorama and some stands and modifiers. Purchase wide rolls of paper for your backdrop(s). Get a Nikon AF-S 50mm 1.8 G lens. Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f 1.8G Lens

I linked to the "budget" lighting at Adorama, and the lens is one of the best price bargains available for portraiture.

When you are learning portraiture, there are books and videos available, and we invite you to post an occasional example on here for C&C.

 

[The_Traveler]

Do you actually have any experience/skills in photography or editing?