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12/08/2006 10:01:50 PM · #1 |
Is a thousand bucks enough to setup a small home studio suitable for shooting portaits and such? If not, how much? Either way, what would be considered a solid list of lights and other gear (backdrops and such)?
   
These are just a few of the hundreds of shots that I really like the lighting in. My own attempts to get such effects are very frustrating and inevitably failures. Right now I have a 430EX which I never really use and a cheap SV light tent kit with a couple of week halogens that have proven themselves worthless for most anything beyond lighting the tent.
I can tell many people have studios going, I'm assuming some of them are at home. What is your core gear? The must haves.
edit: bah, forgot to stick WARNING: HOT SMOKING NUDES in the title. plz feel free to correct
Message edited by author 2006-12-08 22:02:21. |
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12/08/2006 10:38:23 PM · #2 |
I use my 420EX as a slave flash and get similar effects, so if you get either the 550EX or 580EX or the ST-E2 you could use your 430EX as a slave. The thing is, using a flash that is mounted directly on your camera is flat and boring. If you can get your light off the camera and over to the side so that you can get some side lighting (making your subjects 3-dimensional) then you'll bring your subjects to life.
Alternatives to utilizing your 430EX would be to invest in Studio Strobes. I hear people on this site talk about Alien Bees all the time. You might want to check them out. I use JTL strobes and two of them cost me less than $1000, so yes, a thousand bucks should be enough to get you going.
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12/08/2006 10:47:33 PM · #3 |
3- Strobes - $505
Radio Slave System $120
Background Support + Roll of white paper - $100
Other colors of paper ~$25 each
So, yeah, you can get in under budget.
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12/08/2006 10:57:46 PM · #4 |
Thanks for the tips.
Fotomann, is that your setup? |
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12/08/2006 11:13:04 PM · #5 |
| You may also want to consider some kind of light metre. Your control over exposure is fine-grained, and the results are very satisfying. |
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12/08/2006 11:36:38 PM · #6 |
Strobist
Check this guy out, he has detailed info on creating (and more importantly, using) a flash set-up using Nikon hotshoe flashes. It is targeted a bit more toward a portable, photojournalistic application, but you may still find some of it relevant. I'm following his suggestion and have aquired some older secondhand flashes and sync cords. It's not the fanciest setup, but fairly powerful, robust, and well budgeted.
If nothing else, maybe something to think about.
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12/08/2006 11:39:30 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by routerguy666:
Thanks for the tips.
Fotomann, is that your setup? |
No, not at the moment, I don't have the room for it... I'm studioless for the most part.
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01/03/2007 01:34:13 PM · #8 |
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01/03/2007 01:51:54 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by samchad:
What's that for? |
It's how your camera triggers the lights to fire. |
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01/03/2007 02:01:42 PM · #10 |
Newbie here in the lighting world!
On the 3-Strobes page on B&H's site, it says the kit has a sync cord, and the built in optical slave "sees" the light from the first unit, then fires instantaneously.
So I'm lost at what does what!
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01/03/2007 02:14:07 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by samchad:
Newbie here in the lighting world!
On the 3-Strobes page on B&H's site, it says the kit has a sync cord, and the built in optical slave "sees" the light from the first unit, then fires instantaneously.
So I'm lost at what does what! |
The sync cord attaches to the camera to fire one strobe... the remaining strobes "see" that flash and fire... Basically all 3 strobes fire at once by attaching one to the camera... Over simplified, but essentially that's what they're describing. |
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01/03/2007 02:35:27 PM · #12 |
So what does the radio slave do? Sorry - being dumb here.
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01/03/2007 02:38:51 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by samchad:
So what does the radio slave do? Sorry - being dumb here. |
It unties you from a cord for more creativity and less hassle.
To use a sync cord, you would need a Hot shoe to PC adapter for the Rebel XT. Those are about$10.
Message edited by author 2007-01-03 14:39:08.
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01/03/2007 02:39:18 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by samchad:
So what does the radio slave do? Sorry - being dumb here. |
It replaces the wire to the first strobe. You can also use one for each strobe and disable the optical slaves.
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01/03/2007 05:12:33 PM · #15 |
Most honored that you like my shot
Though I dont have a studio per se. It's mostly make shift, any place I could setup the shot properly or not ;). I would love to get my hands on some real studio lighting soon and an external flash. I used a simple 100w lamp for the shot and piece of paper for diffusion. I remember the trick was to place it as close to the subject(s)as possible and the wave in the paper helped get those flowing tones and light fall. Also used a white sheet of paper for the background.
Message edited by author 2007-01-03 17:14:25. |
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