Want to start a home studio

[photogchick]

I live in Minnesota and the jobs in the winter are far and few between. As much fun as it is to freeze your tush off in 5 degrees weather I'm thinking it's time to move indoors.
With this being said I do not have the right equipment to do this. I've been looking at National Camera for a few basics and I wanted some advice from all of you!

So far I've been looking at the Promaster 2 Light Advanced Studio Lighting kit which is on sale for $499.99
I was also looking for backgrounds that I can set up.

I have the perfect space in my house to set this up it is just a matter of taking the plunge and spending the money.

I know there is lots to get but what else do you think is a MUST HAVE?

 

[2WheelPhoto]

fairly tall ceiling

 

[photogchick]

I do have that

 

[MLeeK]

at least 20 feet from backdrop to wall. More if you can. Makes life so much easier!!!!
GOOD light stands and weights.
Gaffer tape

The light kit looks decent. I don't know about the quality, personally so I can't really say there. . It's enough light to light up a portait and a small family will be fine using them. Combined with a speedlight and you have a fair amount of light. It's not a LOT of light and you won't be able to use it to light white to blow out AND a subject. BUT you will be able to get good basic portraits from it.
I'd rather have softboxes than umbrellas, personally, but the umbrellas will work.
You'll need a trigger setup for them or you will be shooting wired.

 

[mwcfarms]

I have 8 foot ceilings and can get by, although men who are 6 feet tall definetly present a challenge. In the spring I will be redoing the garage we never use into a studio, it's not as long as the basement but the ceilings are twice as tall.

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

I live in Minnesota and the jobs in the winter are far and few between. As much fun as it is to freeze your tush off in 5 degrees weather I'm thinking it's time to move indoors.
With this being said I do not have the right equipment to do this. I've been looking at National Camera for a few basics and I wanted some advice from all of you!

So far I've been looking at the Promaster 2 Light Advanced Studio Lighting kit which is on sale for $499.99
I was also looking for backgrounds that I can set up.

I have the perfect space in my house to set this up it is just a matter of taking the plunge and spending the money.

I know there is lots to get but what else do you think is a MUST HAVE?

Where abouts in mn? I work in MN and live in WI

 

[tirediron]

Is this a studio just for your own hobby use or a commercial enterprise?

 

[KmH]

...the jobs in the winter are far and few between....

Sounds like it's a business.

 

[tirediron]

...the jobs in the winter are far and few between....

Sounds like it's a business.

I wasn't sure if he meant as way to make money when other jobs are scarce, or as something to do to pass time when jobs are scarce.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

I have 8 foot ceilings and can get by, although men who are 6 feet tall definetly present a challenge. In the spring I will be redoing the garage we never use into a studio, it's not as long as the basement but the ceilings are twice as tall.

Yeah tall ceilings will serve you better, not only because of the men's height but the lighting

 

[thierry]

I have 8 foot ceilings and can get by, although men who are 6 feet tall definetly present a challenge. In the spring I will be redoing the garage we never use into a studio, it's not as long as the basement but the ceilings are twice as tall.

Yeah tall ceilings will serve you better, not only because of the men's height but the lighting

Yes, definetly want tall ceilings. I offer a service where I will take my portable studio equipment on site to businesses and places for events and stuffs... Anyways, I sometimes get stuck dealing with 8ft ceilings and it is a pain in my arse... By the time I get a softbox on a photostand and try to raise, i get about a foot and then im screwed... DEF need high ceilings

 

[mwcfarms]

Oh for sure but there are a lot of people who can do some great stuff out of their basement studios, its about being able to control your light right. Work with what you got is my point. Although I am very excited for April to come so we can get to work on converting the garage.

 

[MLeeK]

As much as we all want tall ceilings, don't let it scare you if it's not possible!

 

[c.cloudwalker]

As much as we all want tall ceilings, don't let it scare you if it's not possible!

Depending on the type of photography, regular ceiling heights can be just fine but if you're going to be shooting full-body type portraits of 6 footers it can be a pain.

That said, I shot my first commercial portfolio in my basement studio with 8 ft ceilings. For those photos where I wanted the model to stand, I just picked shorter people

Umbrellas are more of a problem, imo, in a small home studio. But if the room is dedicated to that purpose, the walls can be painted matte black or dark gray. Even in my present studio which is large, the walls and just about everything else is painted dark gray.

 

[MLeeK]

As much as we all want tall ceilings, don't let it scare you if it's not possible!

Depending on the type of photography, regular ceiling heights can be just fine but if you're going to be shooting full-body type portraits of 6 footers it can be a pain.

That said, I shot my first commercial portfolio in my basement studio with 8 ft ceilings. For those photos where I wanted the model to stand, I just picked shorter people

Umbrellas are more of a problem, imo, in a small home studio. But if the room is dedicated to that purpose, the walls can be painted matte black or dark gray. Even in my present studio which is large, the walls and just about everything else is painted dark gray.

c.cloudwalker-this is kind of opinion and more of a guess, so I am hoping you can point me straight here...
In a small home studio with lights that aren't a LOT of power, wouldn't you want to go a very light to white neutral to give you the reflective power of the walls to magnify the lights?