Would TWO 300 w/s strobes be enough

[texassand]

for me to get started taking portrait pictures? I know some of you "seasoned" photographers use 1000 w/s, but would two 300 w/s create some good pictures for me? How close are they going to have to be to my subject? I would prefer not to have them right of in their faces.

Thanks

 

[Digital Matt]

If you have a small studio space, they'll be fine. Keep in mind, you light when you start to diffuse the light with umbrellas and soft boxes. You should easily be able to have the lights several feet and get good results though, with 300 ws lights.

 

[benhasajeep]

It's a good start. Get yourself a couple reflectors or make some if you can. If you are doing traditional portraits. Maybe a lower powered unit for a back light (spending your money again for you, sorry). And keep the 300's for your front lights. Back light / hair light really brings the people out from the background. Don't get me wrong you can do it with 2 lights (even 1). But since a backlight is so close to subject it can be a lower powered unit. I have 2 110w/s for it (sometimes 1 sometimes 2 for high and low height).

 

[benhasajeep]

Another note. When looking for lights, especially budget ones. Make sure they have replaceable flash tubes. Some of the really cheap ones don't and their life is about 1/10th of the better units. Even the cheap ones are "supposed" to have about a 10,000 flash life. Its good to be able to change the tube if for some reason it fails or maybe gets dropped and breaks. If you can't change it, any money saved on buying it goes out the window.