Studio Lighting and stuff like that.

[Jaszek]

So me and my friend decided to make a studio and I'm wondering what lighting we should use. Would you prefer AC Strobes or wireless flashes? Also what are your opinions on Umbrellas vs. Softboxes? I saw a kit on the B&H site last week but its gone now.

 

[chrisburke]

it really depends on how much you want to spend... i mean you can do an ok job with some cheap wireless flashes and umbrellas, but if your looking to open the studio as a legit business, your going to want softboxes and ac strobes..

 

[Jaszek]

yea forgot to mention that. Want to spend about $500 more if necessary. I was thinking about ac strobes and will probably get a softbox and will get umbrellas since they're like 15-20 $ at B&H

 

[chrisburke]

yea, if you've got the money, do it... i was watching a presentation by Chase Jarvis last night, and he said the biggest thing he regretted when he started photography is that he didn't spend the money to get the right gear.... he started small, with wireless strobes and stuff like that... but said he would have gotten to where he is now faster if he had of just spent the money right away.

if your not familiar with Chase, be sure to check him out Chase Jarvis Photography he does a lot of commercial work, he's amazing... started out with snowboard photography, some magazines saw his work, hired him for ads, now he does a lot of major work for nikon, apple, reebok, windows vista (hurts to say that one), kung fu network, mc donalds... and the list goes on and on

 

[Jaszek]

I need to get to know him personally lol. I decided to start spending a lot about a month ago (6 months into photography) when my 70-300 wasn't enough for me so I got the 70-200 2.8 IS

 

[chrisburke]

I need to get to know him personally

he's a great guy.. i havent met him in person yet, but we email back and forth, and chat via Twitter a lot.. he's just plain down to earth cool guy who loves life and loves photography

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Try getting a cheap norman pack or something, AC strobes are much easier to work with because you don't have to fight with changing batteries all the time and slow recycle times, not to mention the power.

 

[Jaszek]

what do you think of this kit? Smith-Victor | KF-2U Thrifty 2 Flash Kit | 401455 | B&H Photo . If I buy this that will leave me some money for backdrops etc. Is it a good kit? And what do you use?

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Smith Victor's suck, the SB-900 has more power then those heads and it runs on 4AA's.

make an ad on craigslist and see if you can get an older kit with more power. At least 400W/S per head. Take a look at alienbees, they're pretty cheap and pretty good.

Don't expect Profoto's, but 45W/S won't do anything but make it look like you know what you're doing.

Depending on where i'm at, I'm either using my SB-600's, 2400W/S speedotrons, my buddies old Norman kit from the 70's, or Profoto's.

 

[chrisburke]

yea, i would agree with switch.. alienbees seem to be a decent buy.

 

[Village Idiot]

Alien Bees are OK. The best selling points for them are price and portability.

If you want consistent power output, consistent color cast across the power range, and accurate power settings, you're going to spend money.

My next purchase:
Elinchrom | Digital Style Combo 600RX Two Monolight | EL 20728.2

That's just two lights and transmitter. I already have stands and umbrellas.

The only reason I'm debating on keeping the bee is that for about $1100 I can get another one, a ring flash, and a portable battery pack. I'm going to wait on that though. Paul Buff is working on the Einsteins, when may solve my problems about portable lighting with power.

And the comment "you can do an ok job with some cheap wireless flashes and umbrellas, but if your looking to open the studio as a legit business, your going to want softboxes and ac strobesyou can do an ok job with some cheap wireless flashes and umbrellas, but if your looking to open the studio as a legit business, your going to want softboxes and ac strobes" is completely false.

www.strobist.com
www.lighting-essentials.com
www.zarias.com
launch Joe McNally

 

[Jaszek]

i guess I have to start saving up even more

 

[Sw1tchFX]

And the comment "you can do an ok job with some cheap wireless flashes and umbrellas, but if your looking to open the studio as a legit business, your going to want softboxes and ac strobesyou can do an ok job with some cheap wireless flashes and umbrellas, but if your looking to open the studio as a legit business, your going to want softboxes and ac strobes" is completely false.

I don't know how you work in the studio, but when I get a rhythm with my subject, I sure as hell don't want to have to stop everything just to swap out batteries, and fussing with recycle times, not to mention the lack of power with speedlights, they're just not fast or powerful enough.

I've tried using speedlights in the studio instead of AC strobes, and it's a disaster by comparison. an SB-800 for a hairlight or something like that is fine, but as the whole set up? no way, it sucks.

Speedlights are amazing for working on location, you can fit them in your pocket, no wires, clamp then anywhere, but they have hardly no buisness in the studio when shooting people or even product compared to AC strobes.

Anyone on here who shoots in a studio for a living and not "just to sort of dink around" will agree, speedlights in a studio are a waste of time, money, and batteries.

 

[Village Idiot]

I don't know how you work in the studio, but when I get a rhythm with my subject, I sure as hell don't want to have to stop everything just to swap out batteries, and fussing with recycle times, not to mention the lack of power with speedlights, they're just not fast or powerful enough.

I've tried using speedlights in the studio instead of AC strobes, and it's a disaster by comparison. an SB-800 for a hairlight or something like that is fine, but as the whole set up? no way, it sucks.

Speedlights are amazing for working on location, you can fit them in your pocket, no wires, clamp then anywhere, but they have hardly no buisness in the studio when shooting people or even product compared to AC strobes.

Anyone on here who shoots in a studio for a living and not "just to sort of dink around" will agree, speedlights in a studio are a waste of time, money, and batteries.

Just pointing out that you can do it and do better than "just ok". There are some photographers that do some amazing work with speed lights. They can be a primary source or they can compliment other equipment.

 

[chrisburke]

Just pointing out that you can do it and do better than "just ok". There are some photographers that do some amazing work with speed lights. They can be a primary source or they can compliment other equipment.

100% agree with this.. I only use speed lights, and they work just great.. however, the OP is looking to start a studio, a legitimate business if you will, and I truly believe that you should do things like this with excellence, and if you've got the money to get the right gear in the beginning, then you should...

if i walked into a studio and was pay 50, 70 100 bucks per sitting, plus the cost of prints, and they had 3 or 4 speed lights set up, i would think it was a joke... however, when you see softboxes and studio lights, its much easier to not worry about paying so much money