Studio Portrait Photography

[AlexD70s]

I've been using my DSLR for a couple of years now shooting family, friends, etc and last year I went on cruise vacation and there were studio stations for everyone for everyone to take their formal pictures before dinner.

Is it hard to learn studio portrait photography?

Where/How can I learn?

What equipment / brand names should i buy?

What range in price does the equipment cost (lights, umbrellas, reflectors etc)? I don't want the cheapy stuff...i want the equipment to be durable and last for years.

What lens' are mostly used for studio portrait photography?

If I get good, maybe i'll start a home business....just an idea.

Thanks for reading,

Alex

 

[Applefanboy]

The 85mm 1.8 is an excellent portrait lens. A good starting place would be to read Strobist.com. It talks mostly about studio lighting, but that is a very important aspect of portraits. One more SB-800 or an alien bee would be good.

 

[Big Mike]

Strobist talks about using hot-shoe type flashes, off camera. Which is certainly a possibility for something like this.

Another possibility would be 'studio' strobes...that run on AC power. They are typically more powerful than hot-shot flashes but you need to plug them in, where as flash units run on batteries which makes them much more portable.

One brand of studio lights that a lot of 'entry level' studio photographers are using is Alienbee. There are, of course, other good brands and several that are more 'high end' but I use them and recommend them.

There are plenty of ways to learn about studio lighting. There are many books on the subject, and you might be able to find a course at a community college for example.

Some will suggest that you start with one light and learn how to use it effectively before you start adding more lights and confusing things. When I set up a studio in a home, I like to use three or sometimes 4 lights. You can use more or less, depending on your style and creativity. In many cases, you can substitute a simple reflector for a light.

 

[bigalbest]

Lighting equipment is not cheap and studio portraiture is an art. Last year I took a job with a local studio to learn some of this stuff and it was a great experience. I shot school dances, yearbook and elementary schools. The work is seasonal for most so finding a job like this shouldn't be too hard.
The price range for equipment like this can range from $2,000-$20,000 just for the lights and learning how to use them is not self explanatory. Not only that but while I had fun doing this work, it was also pretty repetitive and boring at times. I have also been on a couple Carnival cruises and their photographers really impressed me with their professionalism and excellent work, real pros.
Take a job like I described and see if this is really for you, maybe you'll love it.

 

[AlexD70s]

Thanks everyone for the great info!

Looks like I have a lot of research/reading/learning ahead of me before I decide what is best for me.

-Alex

 

[MelodySoul]

Have you considered taking a part time job in a portrait studio? I have been working at one for almost a year now and I have learned a lot.

 

[JerryPH]

Pick up "Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers" from Amazon, and 90% of your questions will be answered. The last 10% come with time, good equipment and practice.

 

[Alpha]

A "Strobist" setup is not ideal for actual studio work.

For studio lights, there are two types of configurations. First, there are monolights, which are self-contained units with their own controls that plug straight into the wall. Then there are power pack systems, which use a power pack about the size of a car battery that plugs into the wall, and then individual light heads, which plug into the power pack and all settings are controlled from the pack.

Pros and Cons:

Monolights- Very simple to learn on. Lights being totally independent of each other offers some measure of safety because if a light fails, you simply replace it. On the downside, they're bulkier units themselves, often requiring very sturdy light stands or boom setups if you want to use larger modifiers because the light itself is a bit heavy.

Pack systems- A little trickier to learn on, but offer a wider range of configurations. The lights themselves are lighter. All settings can be controlled via a central unit instead of adjusting settings on each separate head. Another big plus is that if you plan to trigger wirelessly, you'll only need one receiver on the AC pack, which will trigger all the lights simultaneously, as opposed to having a receiver on each of your monolights. One downside is that if your pack fails, all of your lights fail. Another is that you have more cords lying around, as each of the heads has to have a cord running to the pack.

Monolights to look into (in no particular order):
Affordable: Bowens/Calumet Travelite/Gemini. Dynalite. Balcar. Hensel. Visatec. Many will recommend Alien Bees/White Lightning. I dislike them for a variety of reasons, primarily because of problems with with light temperature inconstancy across their power range, and I think other companies offer better modifiers. I also don't trust them because their company uses shady marketing terms like "effective watt-seconds," which is a completely bull**** way of pretending that they're more powerful than they are.
Expensive/Pro-Level: Profoto, Broncolor.

Pack Systems to Look into:
Dyna-Lite. Norman. Profoto. Broncolor. Speedotron Black Line and Brown Line.

Brands to stay away from:
Anything made in China. Interfit. Photogenic. Smith-Victor. Sunpak. Other off-name brands.

I personally don't like Elinchrom very much because most of their units aren't fan-cooled, which I feel is an absolute necessity even if you aren't shooting rapidly.

Here is an example of what a pack system setup might look like. This particular setup uses a VERY expensive Profoto D4 system. I selected the hardware and designed the configuration for another member's upcoming gig (she's a mentoring student of mine on here). Bear in mind this setup is rented. To buy it would costs a few thousand bucks easy. The diagram is not really to scale, but more of a ballpark configuration.

Hope that helps.

 

[AdrianBetti]

http://books.google.com/books?id=dd...=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPT26,M1

 

[JerryPH]

A "Strobist" setup is not ideal for actual studio work.

Don't tell David Hobby that... he's had many incredible results with those little battery powered wonders for years... lol

 

[Bifurcator]

Yeah, but Alpha is right. You can use prosumer/consumer equipment and take 20 to 100 test images trying to get it right or you can get a PSU (power pack) 2 heads, a meter, and some fabrics and get in right in one or two right off the bat.

That's my experience anyway and every time I watch a video it all comes rushing back.

 

[Alpha]

Don't tell David Hobby that... he's had many incredible results with those little battery powered wonders for years... lol

Honestly, I could care less about David Hobby's results and the defensive, self-righteous attitude of the "strobist" crop. Let me be clear, once again. The "strobist" setup is not ideal for studio work, for innumerable reasons, and very good ones at that. Those who portend that it is a serviceable substitute for the capabilities of a proper studio setup are the ones in the minority and for good reason. I say that as someone who routinely works with both, and I speak for countless other like-minded professionals who are better published and more accomplished than myself or Mr. Hobby.

 

[Bifurcator]

Just watching someone work with the two is breathtaking. I mean the differences in tinkering around are dramatic. One guys sets up in 10 min. (if it isn't already set up from before), takes a test shot, adjusts once, and is ready for the shoot. Subsequent adjustments in order to get a different look are simple and easy. The other guy sets up in 15 min. (every time), takes a test, runs around twiddling and tweaking every little piece, another test, more tweaking, etc. etc. and an hour or so later he might or might not be ready for a shoot. Then OMG if more than one setup is needed or a second model is added to the set or something. The models can take lunch or something I guess while he's monkeying around.

If all you have is a closet to work in or are limited to a table top or something and everything is in arm's reach then it's a totally different and even opposite story though. At least those have been my observations and experiences. It's also what I hear from other studio people too. But I'm not some super-pro-guy or anything. For the most part all I've shot for "work" are textures and reference shots on movie sets, etc..

 

[JerryPH]

defensive, self-righteous attitude of the "strobist" crop.

I'd like to think of myself as a "strobist", but I was not being defensive nor self-rightous, rather I was being a little light about the topic, hence the "LOL" in the post. I did find it a little insulting on your part to call me so. The strobist concept is very popular and has grown to an amazingly large subculture internationally for some very valid reasons:

- they advocate using affordable (NOT cheap) light sources
- they advocate a lot of ingenouity and DIY
- they advocate using your head more than your wallet

As an amateur, all these concepts are very attractive to me. I am sure many a high-end pro could learn a thing or two from these edicts as well.

Let me be clear, once again. The "strobist" setup is not ideal for studio work, for innumerable reasons, and very good ones at that.

"Ideal" is a relative term and could change drastically with something as minor as location. I am sure than ANY person given enough time and unlimited funds could eventually throw a beam of light on someone's face... lol

But, since you mentioned it... list them, I am sincerely willing to learn (I also want to see the number of reasons you call innumerable :lmao: ), ... because the only two real reasons I can see, are:
A - needing to light an enormous area and/or
B - needing to crank off so many shots in rapid succession in a day, that a battery powered strobe would need battery replacement too often.

It certainly is not quality of light becuase a 5600K light that comes from a lowly strobe at 100WS is identical to a 5600k light from a 500WS Prophoto monollight dialed down to 100WS.

Those who portend that it is a serviceable substitute for the capabilities of a proper studio setup are the ones in the minority and for good reason.

I am saying it is a very serviceable approach to the vast majority of people here who would love to enter the world of portraiture, some even professionally.

Again, list those advantages, because I am sincerely wanting to learn. Saying there are reasons but not being specific about said reasons means nothing to me as someone that wants learn about those reasons, if for nothing else other than my own education. Please, I am interested.

I say that as someone who routinely works with both, and I speak for countless other like-minded professionals who are better published and more accomplished than myself or Mr. Hobby.

I am willing to cede that there may be good reasons (which I hope you will some day share), to use both ends of the spectrum but each has it's place in the studio. Battery and/or AC lighting.

I also have a set of AC strobes. Albeit, not ProPhoto, but I use them in situations where I am at home and stationary. They are more powerful than the SB-800 and SB-600s that I own. However, when I need portability (studios are not just in a photographer's personal studio), those battery powered flashes give me light when the larger and heavier AC powered units cannot (locations where AC power is not easily accessible like a park, beach or outside a subject or client's location), not unless you again, invest in heavy power packs, extra long and thick cables, and have assistance to haul and set them up with you in a reasonable amount of time.

Personally, I would love to own multiple ProPhoto 2500WS lights and all the matching accessories, but I am a man with champagne tastes on a beer budget. I suspect that the vast majority of photographers, amateur or professional, are as well.

 

[JerryPH]

One guys sets up in 10 min. (if it isn't already set up from before), takes a test shot, adjusts once, and is ready for the shoot. Subsequent adjustments in order to get a different look are simple and easy. The other guy sets up in 15 min. (every time), takes a test, runs around twiddling and tweaking every little piece, another test, more tweaking, etc. etc. and an hour or so later he might or might not be ready for a shoot. Then OMG if more than one setup is needed or a second model is added to the set or something. The models can take lunch or something I guess while he's monkeying around.

I can see that more as being an issue with the man holding the camera more than if the lights he is using have batteries in them or are plugged into a wall.

Time to setup or time to change scenarios would obviously be to the benefit of the one not needing to watch out for wires to trip over or to make sure that the AC outlet is close enough... both photographers being of equal experience and intelligence.

I woudl not even dream of placing myself in the same catagory as a professional, but I can with a 3 strobe and 2 studio light setup transition to any of 5 of my favorite and totally different lighting scenarios now almost without thought and I will know in advance what my settings and end result will be before the first test shot is taken. That just comes from experience and practice. If you took a weekend doing nothing but 3 setups and transitioning back and forth, you too could do it easily. I am sure that the pros have dozens of such setups and not only that, they can compensate for variations based on needs.

Alpha as mentioned that there are other innumerable reasons. I am hoping to find out what they area.