Studio on a Budget?

[Jeatley]

Ok I have a few questions about Studio setups but I will start here!

I am setting up two shooting places at my house. One will be for 3/4 shots and head and shoulders. Other Commercial arts.

I am curious what everyone would start with on a budget.

The portrait side first.
Here is what I have. 3 SB600. Two JTL Lightstands, Two Westcott Umbrellas(34 inches and 43 inches I think?) Also Have a radio transmitter and two recievers.

$500 Budget

$1000 Budget


Thanks

 

[Rosshole]

Backdrops...

 

[JerrfyLube]

Youve got all you need to do basic portraits in a small to medium sized studio already.

Take 200 bucks and buy yourself a nice backdrop stand and a 9' wide roll of white seamless paper and start experimenting. Its such a versatile backdrop that there are limitless possibilites of what you can do with it. If you have the space, white seamless is a pure pleasure to shoot on and my choice of studio setup.

Start here: zarias.com :: The blog of editorial photographer Zack Arias White Seamless Tutorial :: Part 1 :: Gear & Space

Of course, you dont need to go spend a bunch of money on backdrop stuff though. Some of my best portraits have been where I improvised on a backdrop. Get creative...a bed sheet, a stucco wall, remnant pieces of fabric, doors, etc can all make nice backdrops when used properly. Look for interesting textures and colors and work with them.

What do you have in the way of lenses??

 

[Derrel]

A low-cost eBay 24 to 30 inch square softbox with a recessed face AND a fabric egg-crate grid. Some tall V-flats or PVC-tubing flats, to use as giant reflectors and flags (light blockers). By tall I mean the height of a household door, and about the same width, made of poster board pieced affixed to a wooden or PVC pipe frame, and joined together with hinges, clamps, clips, or strong cord, so that two "doors" can be propped into V-shapes, and thus stand upright on their own without the need for light stands or clamps....free-standing V-flats. 2 of those. A roll of 9 foot wide black, white, and dark gray seamless paper. A creative filter effects gel set from Bogen, $25.

Three low-cost 150 watt-second monolights with 7 inch, spill-kill, and larger parabolic reflectors--something between 16 and 22 inches in a "beauty dish" type reflector +white nylon diffuser sock for it, 10,20,and 30 degree grids for at least 2 of the 7" reflectors, three more light stands, some A-clamps from Home Depot, and some PVC or wooden frames with tranluscent white fabric. A heavy-duty boom stand and boom arm with 15 pound counterweight. Plus a book or two on lighting.

 

[DC-Photog]

Definitely a couple sizes of softboxes, plus a reflector. I'd also pick up a reflector. I love the cheap Impact silver/white reflectors from B&H. I think I paid $30-$40 for each one.

I second a boom stand. Get a decent one that will eventually support a monolight. No sense having to buy a better one later on. You want the boom for the hair light.

Equally important: Spill control. It's really hard to control spill in a home studio with low ceilings. Light goes bouncing everywhere you don't want it to go. I have sheets of 1/4 inch plywood with hinges to set up to block light.

 

[Jeatley]

Youve got all you need to do basic portraits in a small to medium sized studio already.


What do you have in the way of lenses??

My lenses are

Nikon 18-105 kit lens which I need to go ahead and sell cause I never use it.
Nikon 50mm 1.8
Sigma 18-50mm 2.8
Sigma 70-200mm 2.8
and getting Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 just cause I really want it for special shots of nature and builds and insides of buildings!


Thanks for the info!!! Very cool....

As of this moment I have picked a Back ground stand and I have one stand to hold reflectors and I have two reflectors already...

So I want to buy one Studio light with a octigon soft box. Which brands should I look at!???