What lights do you expect in a photo studio?

[studioduplateau]

Hi


We're in the process of renting our photo studio. We're Montreal-based, and it's primarily aimed at amateurs and semi-pro photographers. Sometimes students as well. Sometimes others come in to film a video.


At the beginning, we didn't offer flash heads / lights since we expected photogs to come with their own gear, but it looks like every photo shoot needs lights.


Here's what we are adding currently:


- 1 400W studio strobe light with 80 x 140cm softbox (with grid). The rectangular softbox can be replaced by an Octogon softbox (roughly same size)



- 1 400W studio strobe light with 22" beauty dish with honey comb


The strobes are optically triggered so that means anyone with a flash on their camera could use the setup.


What do you think of this as a basic kit? If you rent a photo studio, what would you need, as a minimum? We are discussing if we need a third light as a hair light, or other gliths. What about reflectors or blockers?


Thanks for your input,


Heri from StudioDuPlateau

 

[Derrel]

I would expect FIVE lights, easily. Two is not enough. Needs to have at LEAST, the very bare minimum, ONE light for the background with several different reflector options, and better yet, a PAIR of matched lights with 50-dgree reflectors to illuminate backgrounds fully, or to use as matched rim lights/accent lights.

Main. Fill. Background (2). Separation/accent. Hair light. That's six lights. That's why FIVE lights is what I expect.

At a BARE, bare minimum, I would expect absolutely nothing less than three lights, and a good set of LARGE reflectors, including a pair of V-flats, and also some good, big black flags and stands and plenty of grip equipment to position my reflectors. And at least one or two BIG scrims of doorway size, or bigger.

I would expect there to be at least three 7-inch reflectors with grid sets, and mylar diffusers, and a matched pair of 50 degree reflectors with grids and mylar diffusers, plus a couple barn doors sets.

A softbox, and octa, and a beauty dish are fine, but comprise only about 10% of what is really needed to do studio lighting.

 

[pixmedic]

I would expect FIVE lights, easily. Two is not enough. Needs to have at LEAST, the very bare minimum, ONE light for the background with several different reflector options, and better yet, a PAIR of matched lights with 50-dgree reflectors to illuminate backgrounds fully, or to use as matched rim lights/accent lights.

Main. Fill. Background (2). Separation/accent. Hair light. That's six lights. That's why FIVE lights is what I expect.

At a BARE, bare minimum, I would expect absolutely nothing less than three lights, and a good set of LARGE reflectors, including a pair of V-flats, and also some good, big black flags and stands and plenty of grip equipment to position my reflectors. And at least one or two BIG scrims of doorway size, or bigger.

I would expect there to be at least three 7-inch reflectors with grid sets, and mylar diffusers, and a matched pair of 50 degree reflectors with grids and mylar diffusers, plus a couple barn doors sets.

A softbox, and octa, and a beauty dish are fine, but comprise only about 10% of what is really needed to do studio lighting.

^^^this!

and a soda/snack machine.

 

[Derrel]

Here are some of the absolutely essential accessories for real studio lighting. Pay special attention to the reflectors options.

Speedotron Products Accessories


Speedotron Products Accessories


Speedotron Products Accessories


Speedotron Products Accessories

One of the reasons Speedotron Black Line is still in business is that they have a wide range of really NEEDED accessories for what many people call light-shaping. Here is just ONE example of what a lot of the cheap, new monolight makers do not offer:im_50773.jpg This type of reflector is what I call a "clamshell", or a "background light shroud". It allows the photographer to put a flash head behind the subject, and keep all of the light going BACKWARDS, and 100% killing any forward-direction spill. This eliminates the need to flag-off a background light, and eliminates the need for another stand, and flag, and grip accessory. It's also very SMALL, so it allows you to use bare-tube flash to fill a large area with just ONE flash head, not two. Speedotron and Photogenic both have this accessory in their lineups and have for decades.

The mylar snap-on diffusers are some of the absolutely most-essentail accessories I have ever used.

Adding a grid to say a 7-inch reflector equipped light is one thing: using that same light with the grid AND a mylar diffuser AND a barn door set elevates the tool to an entirely new level. The Speedotron mylar diffusers can be stacked, one on top of the other; I have used up to three of them at one time, but normally use one, or two at a time.

 

[Scatterbrained]

Hi


We're in the process of renting our photo studio. We're Montreal-based, and it's primarily aimed at amateurs and semi-pro photographers. Sometimes students as well. Sometimes others come in to film a video.


At the beginning, we didn't offer flash heads / lights since we expected photogs to come with their own gear, but it looks like every photo shoot needs lights.


Here's what we are adding currently:


- 1 400W studio strobe light with 80 x 140cm softbox (with grid). The rectangular softbox can be replaced by an Octogon softbox (roughly same size)



- 1 400W studio strobe light with 22" beauty dish with honey comb


The strobes are optically triggered so that means anyone with a flash on their camera could use the setup.


What do you think of this as a basic kit? If you rent a photo studio, what would you need, as a minimum? We are discussing if we need a third light as a hair light, or other gliths. What about reflectors or blockers?


Thanks for your input,


Heri from StudioDuPlateau

Well, if for some reason I was in your town and needed to rent a studio (this all being hypothetical) I would want 6 lights, a variety of modifiers; parabolics, strip boxes, beauty dishes, octoboxes, softboxes, snoots, barndoors, gels, grids, standard reflectors, scrims, flags, possibly a pattern projector, and a light meter (not something I carry with me when I'm on the road ). Then there's the C-stands, grip heads, grip arms, reflector panels, sandbags, justin clamps, super clamps, magic arms, dots, fingers, shooting table, etc. You get the idea. Basically, if I found myself away from home needing to rent a studio set up, I'd need more than two lights and a softbox.

 

[JerryVenz]

in ADDITION to the the list Derrel cited you should have at least a couple BOOMS with their own stands and boom weights for overhead lighting and/or for a MICROPHONE for doing video. And since you mentioned video you'll need some contiuous lights--fluorescent or LED would be better than hot lights for safety and keeping things cool on the set.

This is getting expensive, maybe you should reconsider the video part!

 

[davisphotos]

These guys have the gear list covered, I would also want a good selection of grip-super clamps, extension arms, light stands of various sizes, A clamps, plenty of foam board for reflectors, gaff tape, screwdrivers, utility knives, black foam board, large pieces of black cloth.
Honeycomb grids, some scrims and diffusers....
A studio built for one purpose, like portraits or product could get away with a smaller gear list, but if you're going to have all different kinds of shoots, it ups the requirements quite a bit.