Buying my first Lighting kit...need advice!

[Life in Motion]

Alright DPS hit me with all you got on lighting experinence and information. okay i'm still just learning and a beginner but i've been experimenting with natural light and reflectors and I think I'm ready to buy my first lighting kit to really give me versatility of offering great studio shots along with outside shots for each shoot. I really want to be able to get something around 200...i know not a big budget.... but i have two links below. i need to know is there a huge difference in lighting with an umbrella and lighting with a monolight/softbox because the price is a huge difference? Any advice and information would be GREATLY appreciated. i anticipate your wisdom

monolight/softbox kit: CowboyStudio Kit.... Amazon.com: CowboyStudio Photography Photo Studio Monolight Flash Lighting Light Kit - 2 Studio Flash/Strobe, 2 Softboxes, 1 Background Support System, Black & White Muslin Backdrops and Carry Case: Electronics

Umbrella Lighting kit: CowboyStudio...Amazon.com: CowboyStudio Photo Photography Video Studio Continous Lighting Light kit, 10' X 12'…

[inkista]

The main difference between umbrella and softbox is the ability to control your spill and fall-off. I'd recommend working through what Zack Arias has to say about it:

zarias.com :: The blog of editorial photographer Zack Arias » Shoot Through Umbrella vs. Softbox

[Life in Motion]

Thank you very much inkista!! i appreciate the great link!!!

[Jim Poor]

The bigger difference between the two kits you linked is that one is a continuous light source while the other is a flash.

Continuous lighting has it's place, but isn't really GOOD unless you spend a lot of money on it. Rather than buying the kit you linked, I'd recommend some shop lights and small umbrellas. That will teach you quite a bit about lighting while you save for either some good studio strobes or some quality hot lights.

[Browncoat]

Originally Posted by Jim Poor

Continuous lighting has it's place, but isn't really GOOD unless you spend a lot of money on it...

+1

LIM, I was like you about a month ago. I had a small budget, wanted to get a basic lighting setup, and was faced with this same choice: continuous or strobe. I went the strobe route because pretty much everything I could get my hands on agreed that budget continuous lighting kits aren't very good compared to a similar cost strobe setup.

Check out the Lighting 101 series on Strobist, a wildly popular speedlight/strobe site.

Combined with the wireless and portability factor of strobes, it was a quick sell for me.

[Life in Motion]

thank you all for your time and consideration! I have tried the work lights solution by shooting work lights through a white sheet and even pairing it with natural light from a window but i found it hard to control the obvious yellow cast from the work lights, and not enough power available from the work lights i used so i'm hoping studio lighting would make a huge difference there.

I have read all the material and i think what i got from it; is that for my needs i will need a shoot through umbrella strobe lighting kit of somekind!

now just a couple of questions about that subject would it be better to get the Lighting 101 solution Browncoat suggested which offers getting the flash to shoot as a strobe off camera through an umbrella. or this umbrella strobe kit from amazon.

I understand certain camera's may need accessories to make it work with camera so my camera is the Canon Rebel XS. would my camera need any expensive connectors and such?


Thank you all for your time and advice again

[SusanH1970]

Just thought I'd toss this idea over to you...Alien Bees are excellent. A bit more than you wanted to spend, but so well-worth it (and cheaper than a speedlight + accessories). I have the "beginner bee" with the AB400, and I got the large softbox instead of the umbrella, all for a little over $400. The softbox really wraps the light around the subject nicely - sometimes I use it with a reflector, other times when I want more shadowing I don't. I've thought about getting a second one but just don't have the need for it.

AlienBees: Illuminating the Galaxy with Professional Photographic Lighting Equipment

[Life in Motion]

Originally Posted by SusanH1970

Just thought I'd toss this idea over to you...Alien Bees are excellent. A bit more than you wanted to spend, but so well-worth it (and cheaper than a speedlight + accessories). I have the "beginner bee" with the AB400, and I got the large softbox instead of the umbrella, all for a little over $400. The softbox really wraps the light around the subject nicely - sometimes I use it with a reflector, other times when I want more shadowing I don't. I've thought about getting a second one but just don't have the need for it.

AlienBees: Illuminating the Galaxy with Professional Photographic Lighting Equipment

thanks for taking the time to comment susan i see that you requested something different than the others did...okay now i have some more deliberating to do! lol