Studio Setup Recommendation and Advice

[afliegs]

I know similar questions have been asked and answered, but I wanted to give a background of my experience, equipment, what I have to work with and what I'm looking to accomplish... for more personalized recommendations. I have been scouring a lot of the posts and have a ton of good info, but still don't know specifically what may be best for my experience level and position.

My experience: I've been shooting for about 10 years, learning as I go in ebbs and flows. About 3 years ago, my daughter was born and I really got into photography more seriously (and started gathering better equipment and learning more). Just a short time after that, I started doing some paid photoshoots. I've maybe done about 20 paid photoshoots over the last 3 years, mainly to help me pay for my equipment. I usually get really great feedback, but I'm not quite as consistent as I'd like.

Gear I'm working with: Canon 6D, Canon T3i (which I never use anymore), Canon EOS M with EF-M 22mm STM lens and adaptor (which is my carry around camera when I don't want to bring my 6D), Canon 50mm 1.8, Canon 85mm 1.8, Canon 100mm 2.8L macro, Canon 135mm 2L, Tamron SP 24-70mm Di VC (which I've never been able to get consistent results with so I mainly use my primes), 2 600ex-RT's, the st-e3-RT transmitter, some other random stuff. FYI, despite having the 2 600ex-rt's, I am not 100% comfortable with using flash. For about 90% of my pictures, I use natural light (especially since getting the 6D since it works so awesome in low light). So, I know delving into a studio is going to be a learning experience.

My main advantage is my access to a possible studio space that's in a great location and won't cost me much. It's currently in the first floor of a building I own (in a partly commercial area) where the other units pay for the building itself. The rent I've been getting from the unit has been extra $ for me, but the tenant is moving out. I completely gutted the place about 5 years ago and it's a large studio style apartment with basically a 20 foot by 35 foot (ish) large, open room with 3 columns down the middle.

I'm a stay at home dad so I'm in a pretty unique position with all of this. Photography isn't something I can do completely full time yet, but maybe in the future. But I can dedicate my weekends and certain days of the week to this. And really, I'd only have to do 4 to 6 photoshoots per month to make the same as the rent I was receiving (not counting prints ordered).

What I'm looking to accomplish: My wife and I have another baby on the way. Besides wanting to get more consistent with my photoshoots, I want to delve into creating a nice "home" studio. I say "home" because even though I want to use this open apartment as the studio, I don't want to have a storefront and make it completely commercial just yet. I want to be able to use the unit maybe for guests, maybe for watching my kids (at times) and maybe for my other creative endeavors. Or maybe even to rent it out to other photographers as well. And to, of course, take great shots of the baby

At first, if I don't make as much money as the rent I was receiving, I'm completely fine with that because I'd be able to use the space for other things. But eventually, I'd like it to turn somewhat of a profit.

OK, now for the simple questions from all that long information. My budget for new equipment would be max $6000. Ideally, though, I'd like to start smaller as I learn. Can I combine my 600ex-rt's with strobes for a setup? Or just use flashes? Or start anew with a separate strobe setup? I am completely open to suggestions, ranging from using my existing equipment (with adding some kind of backdrop system for my space) to using my entire budget. I'd love some recommendations for lighting, backdrops and anything else I may be missing. I love my 85mm, 100mm and 135mm the most, so I'm hoping they're not too long for the studio.

I could add a picture of the floorplan and some pics of the possible studio space later, if that would help.

One thing that I'd like to add is that I completely understand the problems of a photographer doing paid gigs with a lack of experience. But I've kind of learned as I go with the outdoor portrait shoots and want to do the same with a studio. And I'm always completely honest with my clients about my experience and portfolio. They know what they're getting and I charge accordingly. And it's actually been going pretty good so far.

Thanks for any advice!!! (if you've made it this far)

 

[afliegs]

I am also interested in resources to learn more about studio photography... books, websites, etc. Thanks!

 

[tirediron]

Those are great portraiture lengths; I'm not a Canonite, so I can't speak to specific performance, but my 85mm is what I use 90% of the time with the other 10% split between my 105 and my 70-200. As far as lighting goes, I love my Speedotron gear; it's built like a tank, and the Brownline gear is cheap like borscht when bought used on eBay. $750 should get you a 6 or 800 w/s power pack and four lights. Pick up a couple of big soft boxes, a beauty dish and maybe a strip-box and you're in business. A nice used Minolta Flash V will set you back around $100 - 150, and a pair of Pocket Wizards another $100 - 150. Spend money on GOOD light stands, Manfrotto or proper C-stands if you can afford it, and a 3 roll Manfrotto backdrop system, along with black, white and 9' gray seamless paper. All of that should come in under $2500 and will give you a very respectable and professional-level equipment set-up.

 

[Derrel]

First off: FORGET using speedlights in a studio setting, and forget trying to combine them with real studio flash gear. Speedlights have no modeling lamps, and they can not keep up with "real" studio flash gear. I prefer pack and head flash systems, but the majority of people like monolights these days. I like to have five lights. Once in a while, even six lights; when a background needs TWO lights, and you have a main and a fill light; that's four lights. Add a hair light, that's five; add a kicker, that's SIX lights.

WHat makes six lights affordable? Speedotron pack and head flash; when you need ONE light, but with a lot of power, you can have up to 2,400 Watt-seconds through one head. Used 2400 W-s Speedo packs are available used for $400-$600, with SIX outlets. Used light heads? Also low-cost. You have the option of a lot of power; a lot of flash units' or a mix of those two. To get really high-power, monolights are VERY expensive.

OTOH, brand-new Flashpoint 320M monolights are $99 apiece, and are 150 Watt-seconds, so they have maybe three times the power of a speedlight, at 1/5 the cost of a Canon 600RT.

You need some large reflectors and grip arms and clamps to position them. You need some flags and some large V-flats made of foam board and wood frames.

The biggest issue is ceiling height. You didn't mention that critical aspect of the space.

 

[afliegs]

The biggest issue is ceiling height. You didn't mention that critical aspect of the space.

Thanks for the great info. I don't have the exact ceiling height right now, but it's pretty tall. Probably between 12 and 13 feet tall.

 

[Designer]

So you're a stay-at-home Dad a who shoots babies using natural light. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

The room is 35 feet long, which sounds o.k., but then you say there are columns down the middle? Could be a bummer. How do those lenses look at the optimal length? Do they cover a standing person?

A 12' ceiling is not going to seem so tall after you get started putting up some tall light stands.

Don't forget that you can make some modifiers such as diffusers and reflectors. Also backdrops if you are watching your budget. I think if I were doing this, I would take Derrel's advice and get the pack and head lights and some nice modifiers and stands. Also, depending on the budget, I might tether the camera to a computer.

 

[afliegs]

As far as lighting goes, I love my Speedotron gear; it's built like a tank, and the Brownline gear is cheap like borscht when bought used on eBay. $750 should get you a 6 or 800 w/s power pack and four lights. Pick up a couple of big soft boxes, a beauty dish and maybe a strip-box and you're in business. A nice used Minolta Flash V will set you back around $100 - 150, and a pair of Pocket Wizards another $100 - 150.

Ok when you say a pair of pocket wizards... how do they work on a power pack system? I think I can understand how they would work on a monolight system where you could have a pocket wizard on each monolight to adjust output. But on a power pack system does the pocket wizard attach to the power pack and you adjust the ratios from the power pack? Or do you still put them on the light heads?

Pocket wizards are something I've never had to deal with because of the convenience of the Canon RT system.

Thanks!

 

[tirediron]

On a pack and head system, there's one sync socket on the power pack which triggers all of the head simultaneously. One of the advantages to this is that unlike monolights, you do NOT need a trigger receiver for every light.

 

[tirediron]

The biggest issue is ceiling height. You didn't mention that critical aspect of the space.

Thanks for the great info. I don't have the exact ceiling height right now, but it's pretty tall. Probably between 12 and 13 feet tall.

That's actually not all that all high by studio standards. My studio has a sloped ceiling going from 16' down to 12' and on the low end, I have to be very careful if I want to use a big modifier high up. It's definitely workable however.

 

[afliegs]

OTOH, brand-new Flashpoint 320M monolights are $99 apiece, and are 150 Watt-seconds, so they have maybe three times the power of a speedlight, at 1/5 the cost of a Canon 600RT.

This option seems pretty appealing to me. I guess I'm curious as to what kind of shots I couldn't get with the lower watt-seconds of the Flashpoints. What would I not be able to get without having a single light source more than 150 w/s? Or what would be the difference (of your "worst" case scenario) of using 6 of the Flashpoint 320M's as opposed to the Speedotron black line you mentioned.

 

[tirediron]

For most studio work, 150 w/s per light is more than adequate.