Starting a photography business/portrait studio - ADVICE NEEDED

[mschuur]

I recently received a surprise from my husband - a location to open a studio as a part-time venture. I am shooting with a Nikkon D60 (love it), have a good laptop (Dell Vostro 1720) with Lightroom 2.5, Photoshop cs4, huge hard drive (500GB), a decent tripod & wireless remote.

So, I am looking for a studio kit to get started with for mainly children/family shoots (possibly some seniors). The budget is less than $1000 (max - hubby orders) to get everything I will need to get started =( After doing my research, I am currently leaning towards strobe lighting. Here is one kit my husband and I think might be a pretty decent value for the amount included. Could you please share your thoughts on it and give ANY suggestions?

1000 watts Professional Strobe light Kit with Softbox, black/gold umbrella, Four leaf barn door, 3 backdrops and till more - $399 |

I also understand a light meter would be a superb idea, what recommendations do you have (reasonably priced)?

I am also looking at what lens(es) are best for portrait photography. I'm looking to get a Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.4, are there any other suggestions?

Another thing I have been eying is digital photoshop backgrounds from Photobacks Company, has anyone used their stuff and would you suggest it?

Another question I have is about online printing companies (since I don't have the means to do the printing myself at this time). Who has the best value for amazing quality in the professional printing world? I've heard a lot of amazing things about WHCC; any other suggestions or comments?

Are there books you highly recommend on various subjects in photography (love to read, love to learn).

Thanks in advance,

Melissa

PS. I am looking for honest people (and blunt, if needed).

[zona5101]

I have not heard of the light kit you linked to,in fact I can't find a brand name mentioned. And that's ok. what raises a red flag to me is they say "1000 Watt Strobe Kit" and it has two 150w/s strobes and a 45 w/s 3rd light. Makes me wonder what other exagerations and misstatments ar being made. But back on topic, 2 150w/s lights in a small space is a decent amount of light. However, In the long run you may be better off investing more in a better set of lights, like the Alien Bees. The nice thing about buying a brand with some name recognition is if you decide to upgrade or get out they will be more marketable than stuff no one has heard of.
Skip the light meter, and spend the money towards the lens.

MPIC for on line printer and there are plenty of others too...like Adoramapix.

Good luck in putting together your studio and Have fun!

[Sime™]

Hi Melissa,

When you say you received a surprise - you didn't just receive the camera? You've been shooting for a while?

I ask as it's most likely prudent to make sure you know what you're doing with the camera before you spend a load of cash on trying to start a business as a photographer.

If you're looking at mainly portraiture - the 85mm lens is used a lot for this, but there are no hard and fast rules... the fifty will do you fine, you will need to get in a bit closer etc.. but the f1.4 in the Nikon is a nice lens (depending on which one you get, so I hear from Nikon friends)

Have you researched your area and checked out how much competition you have and what they charge? have you got your insurance and pricing worked out?

Welcome to dPS!

Sime

[dakwegmo]

If you're new to lighting, and only have $1000 to spend, you might want to look into one of these kits.
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I don't have any experience with them, but for the price, and the wescott name, they seem like a pretty good deal.

[bhursey]

I would also invest in alien bee's. If your going to have a permanent studio. If mobile invest in speed lights with light modifiers. You can get some nice Nikon SB-24's and SB-28's used on ebay and cactus triggers from gadget infinity, and some light stands and umbrellas. Then a simple backdrop stand mine was 100$ from b and h photo.

Just a tip before you dive in. I would recommend looking into your local laws in regards to an in home studio. I officially opened my photography business in September. In getting my business license I found out how much more is needed for your home studio legal wise. You need its own entrance, bathroom and dedicated space. Then you have to get an occupancy license along with your business license and a sales id. Ohh ya and insurance. Hope im not scaring you.

So what I did was invest in a mobile speed light kit I go to peoples houses with I also shoot in public parks.

I would love to have a studio at home but if you do I would recommend researching into your local business laws and make sure your doing it right other wise you might lose your business.

Here is my studio on site at clients houses: (See you can do just as much being mobile)
Thread with equipment list's. Did I go crazy? Am I a lighting addict?

[FormElement]

[QUOTE=bhursey;715368]I would also invest in alien bee's. If your going to have a permanent studio. If mobile

Here is my studio on site at clients houses: (See you can do just as much being mobile)

Brian,

Since there is no stupid question, where and how did you go about your lighting "education"? I just started building my portable lighting kit, with a couple PW's and a convertible umbrella. I need to expand on that, but I'm not spending another dime unless I know it is:

a) Needed and
b) Great Equipment.

Since I mostly do environment and architecture, I am working on my portraiture which I really enjoy but need a lot more practice. I like seeing your lighting "in action". That is very helpful.

[bhursey]

[QUOTE=FormElement;717976]

Originally Posted by bhursey

I would also invest in alien bee's. If your going to have a permanent studio. If mobile


Brian,

Since there is no stupid question, where and how did you go about your lighting "education"? I just started building my portable lighting kit, with a couple PW's and a convertible umbrella. I need to expand on that, but I'm not spending another dime unless I know it is:

a) Needed and
b) Great Equipment.

Since I mostly do environment and architecture, I am working on my portraiture which I really enjoy but need a lot more practice. I like seeing your lighting "in action". That is very helpful.

I got my education from just experimenting and learning. I started off with a old vivitar 2500 modified to be on a canon. I then put a black card in front to not effect the picture at 1/16th power. This would trigger my optical triggered Vivitar DF400MZ off camera to sorta have a single strobe setup. From there I expanded. to 2 lights one radio triggered the other one optically triggered. I would love to have PW's but I use cactus v4's they are much cheeper and so far have only miss fired a few times. Most of the time it was I did not wait enough time for my flash to recycle.

My daughter really got me started. Our photographer we used in our wedding stopped doing shoots on weekends only on week days. We now are 100 miles away and that would of not worked. So I decided to do my own monthly shoots through her first year. This gave me allot of practice.

What type of pocket wizards do you have are they the control tl ones or the older ones? If they are the older ones just get like SB-24 and do what most strobist photographers do shoot in manual. Now if you invested in the TL ones to take full advantage of the capabilities you would need to get like a modern ttl flash from canon or nikon depending on the model of PW you have. If you do TTL strobist it is a whole different ball field than shooting manual.

I would recommend start with one light. They are easy to cary around and it starts you learning. Then I would eventually get 2. I would offer free shoots to family and friends for practice. What I do now is do a free sitting fee and people oder prints. So far that has turned out to be about 100$ a shoot.

I found out about the SB-24 at Strobist: Steal This Flash - The Nikon SB-24

The strobist flickr group is a great resource you are required to put all of the lighting info in so other people cal learn. Flickr: Strobist.com

The basic strobe kit you need the following components (stand, hotshoe bracket, Light Modifier "umbrealla, softbox", Trigger (radio, pc cable, optical)