Studio Lighting Basics

[Gina9942]

So I am going to take the plunge and slowly start purchasing lights. I prefer natural light, but that isn't always a possibility. I did a maternity shoot this weekend, and I ended up getting there later than I thought, the lighting was terrible. I have an on camera flash that I use, but I am thinking I should get an umbrella and light. I was thinking of getting this:

Used Impact | One Floodlight Umbrella Kit | 401471 | B&H Photo

but then I am thinking should I just get a light stand and umbrella this way I can throw my flash on it? What are the basics that I should start out with?

TIA!

[Benji]

Originally Posted by Gina9942

So I am going to take the plunge and slowly start purchasing lights. I prefer natural light, but that isn't always a possibility. I did a maternity shoot this weekend, and I ended up getting there later than I thought, the lighting was terrible. I have an on camera flash that I use, but I am thinking I should get an umbrella and light. I was thinking of getting this:

Used Impact | One Floodlight Umbrella Kit | 401471 | B&H Photo

but then I am thinking should I just get a light stand and umbrella this way I can throw my flash on it? What are the basics that I should start out with?

TIA!

Gina,

DON'T get that one. It is a tungsten light which means it will render a yellow cast, but even worse you will need a shutter speed of 1 second or longer (assuming you use it at f 4or thereabouts) and it will burn skin on contact. Get a studio flash. It will be ten times more powerful, will not be yellow and it can be mixed with any other flash without any problems, and it won't burn you.

Ben

[sybren]

You can also use small strobes off camera, check the lighting 101 and 102 at http://www.strobist.com/

[Benji]

This "strobist" stuff is all the rage, but for the life of me I don't know why, I guess because it is "cool." They are OK if you don't mind low power, no modeling lights, buying batteries by the pound, buying adapters to make them fit everything and slow recycling time. Give me an inexpensive a/c powered studio flash unit anytime, like this setup http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ight_Kit_.html for $200.00 which includes two stands and two 24 x 24 softboxes. I personally have not tried them but I know of two guys who have and they are pleased with them so far.

Benji

[sybren]

Originally Posted by Benji

This "strobist" stuff is all the rage, but for the life of me I don't know why, I guess because it is "cool."

Well, here are my reasons:

• Portability: Everything is powered by small and light NiMH batteries. The charger for those batteries is also very small. Most of my equipment (save my tripods/light stand) fits into a single backpack.
• Independence of external power: Due to the batteries I can work anywhere I want. And if I want to bring 5x as much batteries, it still doesn't weigh anything. Compare that to a battery pack for a studio strobe. Or five of them.
• Easily attached to anything: try hanging a studio strobe from a small fence, or a twig of some tree.
• Accessible control: Even if I hang a flash high up a tree, or ball bungee it on a fence over some water, I can control it from my camera.
• Modifiability: My back pack contains several colour gels, such as different CTO and CTB gels, window green, and a bunch of effect filters. Those are much smaller and easier to handle than equivalent filters for studio strobes. Same goes for the grid snoots that I made.
• Size: the small lights are easier to set up in a small environment, or easily placed on a shelf, cupboard, whatever. So if you're shooting people that aren't used to it, or that are not solely modelling but for example giving a speech, it's less intimidating and blocks the view of others less when using small strobes.

So none of those are because it's "cool". Sure, studio strobes have big advantages, and I want to get them too, but in the mean time my Speedlites are far more precious.

[LoveDSLR]

Originally Posted by Benji

This "strobist" stuff is all the rage, but for the life of me I don't know why, I guess because it is "cool."

It is just an updated version of what some of us had experiment in the past. I still remembered my 283, 285 & 4600 (including Bare Bulb head) before moving to Metz 60 & 45 + Quantum Turbo Battery pack + Chimera Softbox decades ago.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Benji

This "strobist" stuff is all the rage, but for the life of me I don't know why, I guess because it is "cool."

Clearly you don't do anything on-location or quire portability.

I don't own a car, so being able to carry my "studio" in a lunch box is incredible. It means I dont end up taking up 4 spaces on the bus and dont throw out my back just carrying the damned things.

Oh, and +1 to sybren.

[Gina9942]

Thanks all. I am definitely looking for something portable. I go to people's houses, parks, fields, etc to take the pics, so lugging around something big is not really what I am looking for. I am going to look into the strobist and see if maybe that is more what I need. I want it just as a backup, I try to plan my shoots for when the light is best, but sometimes that doesn't always end up working so I have to have some sort of light source. I use my sb-600 a lot and bounce the flash, but I was thinking I maybe wanted more continuous lighting. I am doing a lot of research and really looking into my options.

[bhursey]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Clearly you don't do anything on-location or quire portability.

I don't own a car, so being able to carry my "studio" in a lunch box is incredible. It means I dont end up taking up 4 spaces on the bus and dont throw out my back just carrying the damned things.

Oh, and +1 to sybren.

Benji I'm not trying to argue. I have been wondering something have you ever done strobist stuff? It seems you are very much against it and feel that it is unprofessional. Given the conversations in the other threads. Many people don't have the money or resources to buy studio strobes. For the money and mobility to do on location shoots I would buy a SB-24 , 25, 26, 28 any day and slap a cactus trigger to it. I have used a sb800 on location at a event with a umbrella and a long extension cord running across the room and that same night I had a separate portrait area with a sb24. Looking at the pictures I do not see a difference in quality and crispness of the image. Also you are much more flexible artistic in where and how you place your lights. I also do most of my shoots on location out side either in the shadow of a building or trees to get rid of the harsh light from the sun. My wife follows me around with my stand and umbrella and I set up. To do the same thing with a ac strobe I would need a huge very expensive batter pack.

This gives you the flexibility to light them anywhere. This photo was shot in a park next to a barn. I had my sb24 on a stand camera right i think with a shoot through umbrella.




sybren hit the nail on the head.

[Benji]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Clearly you don't do anything on-location or quire portability.

I don't own a car, so being able to carry my "studio" in a lunch box is incredible. It means I dont end up taking up 4 spaces on the bus and dont throw out my back just carrying the damned things.

Oh, and +1 to sybren.

In the VERY rare occasions that I need a flash on location I have an a/c - d/c studio flash that works both indoors (where it has a modeling light) or it works outdoors with a rechargeable battery. Most of the time I don't need it though because I use a silver reflector instead. It NEVER has dead batteries.

I wonder what kind of a "studio" one could carry in a lunch box, and I'm further wondering what kind of work one gets from it. Below is a shot I did last summer using daylight and my three pound silver reflector (ouch my aching back.)

Benji