Lighting equipment for portraits

[hallphoto]

Hello group,

I'm doing some research on buying some lighting equipment for studio
portraits. There's a ton of gear out there and it's all pretty
confusing. As I push through some books/vids, I thought I'd ask the
experts: what's a good way to start with doing some simple portraits?
I would be taking this on location or setup at home with a background
(probably white).

Umbrella or softbox? What type of umbrella--shoot through?
Strobe lighting, fluorescent, or flash?

I know it depends on how much $$ I want to spend. If I could create
nice, professional looking portraits with a single light (and later
build on that as I learn more), that would be a great place to start.

Thanks,
C

[Benji]

Originally Posted by hallphoto

Hello group,

I'm doing some research on buying some lighting equipment for studio
portraits. There's a ton of gear out there and it's all pretty
confusing. As I push through some books/vids, I thought I'd ask the
experts: what's a good way to start with doing some simple portraits?
I would be taking this on location or setup at home with a background
(probably white).

Umbrella or softbox? What type of umbrella--shoot through?
Strobe lighting, fluorescent, or flash?

I know it depends on how much $$ I want to spend. If I could create
nice, professional looking portraits with a single light (and later
build on that as I learn more), that would be a great place to start.

Thanks,
C

There are as many opinions about this as there are days in the year. In my professional opinion with 28 years under my belt I say flash is the only way to go, and five lights is the minimum needed to get consistant professional results every time and every day in season and out of season.

I know some guys will say you only need one flash unit and several reflectors but I suggest taking a GOOD look at their work and you be the judge. Does it stack up to one lit by five flash units? Probably not. These same guys will say someone living in Miami and driving a black sedan does not have to have air conditioning. It is nice but not absolutely needed. They say they can roll the windows down, and yes they can but it will be a lot more comfortable driving a car with a/c. Same way with five lights. Why mess around attempting to hang a reflector above the subject's head and aiming it when a small cheap light can be placed on a boom and fired against the white ceiling creating a great hair light and even sometimes a background light.

Benji

[SusanH1970]

I do all of my studio work with one AlienBee 400 with a large softbox and sometimes use a reflector. For around $400, it serves me quite well. I also have a Canon 580EX II speedlight, which cost more than the whole AB setup, and I've yet to use it off-camera (though I did purchase it to eventually use it as OCF in conjuction with my AB). Some will swear you need at least 2 - 3 lights, if not 5 or 6, but to start off, one is just fine. If you are working on location only, one or two lights is definitely feasable. If you have the luxury of a studio with tons of room and have the cash to buy loads of lights, go for it. Otherwise, just starting off, whether shooting on location (and my setup is SO portable, and I know so many contemporary professional photographers that use the same - yes, established ones who have been in business for many years) or in a small space at your home, one light, positioned well, plus the occasional reflector also positioned well will serve you just fine. You just need to learn how to use it.

A couple of examples of work I've done with the one AB400, some with, some without a reflector:







ETA: LOL, looks like Benji and I cross posted. Yep, opinions are like, um, hiney orifices. Everyone's got one.

But yes, I will 100% agree flash is the way to go.

ETA again (yeah, I'm chatty): I just saw you said you were most likely going to use a white BG. In that case, FORGET a one light setup. You'll need at least 2 -3 lights for that. In my images posted above, I was using colored seamless paper. You need at least one extra light to light up a white BG.

[hallphoto]

Benji, Would you care to share a diag or equipment list? If I'm going to build a 5 light system, I'd like to see what the pros use.

[hallphoto]

Thanks for your response, Susan. Do you have any thoughts on Wescott lighting?

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by hallphoto

Thanks for your response, Susan. Do you have any thoughts on Wescott lighting?

Westcott is the bomb (for modifiers). I'm not familiar with their lighting, though some photographers I know use their Spiderlites (which is continuous lighting, not a strobe). More photographers that I know use AB's with Westcott softboxes. Overpriced for when you are just starting out, but amazing equipment. I'll probably upgrade at some point to Westcott. I love their 50x50 softbox but it's so big that it's a hassle to use with newborns or in tight spaces to begin with.

I gotta say I do love my Paul C. Buff equipment, though, and their customer service is amazing.

[RuthieMae]

Originally Posted by Benji

There are as many opinions about this as there are days in the year. In my professional opinion with 28 years under my belt I say flash is the only way to go, and five lights is the minimum needed to get consistant professional results every time and every day in season and out of season.

I know some guys will say you only need one flash unit and several reflectors but I suggest taking a GOOD look at their work and you be the judge. Does it stack up to one lit by five flash units? Probably not. These same guys will say someone living in Miami and driving a black sedan does not have to have air conditioning. It is nice but not absolutely needed. They say they can roll the windows down, and yes they can but it will be a lot more comfortable driving a car with a/c. Same way with five lights. Why mess around attempting to hang a reflector above the subject's head and aiming it when a small cheap light can be placed on a boom and fired against the white c

Benji

Almost everyone I know in the photography business has started out with the one light/one reflector setup. I personally use 1 AB400 and a large reflector for most of my studio work (I would say 95% of what is on my site is done with only one light). I sometimes use two lights but I find that one light usually works best for me.

I must say that I find it a little offensive that Benji would just "assume" that my work or any other photographer's work is probably not as good as someone who has felt need to spend a ton on equipment.

[Benji]

Originally Posted by RuthieMae

Almost everyone I know in the photography business has started out with the one light/one reflector setup. I personally use 1 AB400 and a large reflector for most of my studio work (I would say 95% of what is on my site is done with only one light). I sometimes use two lights but I find that one light usually works best for me.

I must say that I find it a little offensive that Benji would just "assume" that my work or any other photographer's work is probably not as good as someone who has felt need to spend a ton on equipment.

Yup, I started out with one light, but then I began to critically compare my one light portraits to the work of some other professionals that I admired and I saw real quick that it takes more than one light. So I added a second, which made my images a little better, but not a whole lot so I added a third and they started to get a little better. Adding a forth light helped immensely but it wasn't until I got five lights that I began to see a huge improvement in my work.

My dark haired subjects no longer had hair that blended in with my dark backgrounds and their hair actually looked nice and shiny, even on the shadow side. My subjects who wore black clothing all of the sudden had pockets, buttons and lapels instead of masses of black nothingness for shirts, blouses or sweaters. My backgrounds now had life in them instead of a dark uninteresting area behind the subject that added nothing to the image.

Spend a ton on equipment? The last eight flash units that I have bought I bought either on ebay or at an auction, all used, and all work perfectly. I have spent less than $500.00, on them and that included barn doors, a softbox, several 16 inch parabolics and three stands!

Below in one of my five light portraits.

Benji

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by Benji

My backgrounds now had life in them instead of a dark uninteresting area behind the subject that added nothing to the image.

My clients and I prefer contemporary, plain, seamless paper backdrops to busy, dated ones. The subject stands out rather than fighting with a distracting pattern.

To each his own, I guess.

[LoveDSLR]

It must be rather hard for people to decide between attending Zack Arias 'OneLight'™ and Joe McNally's multiple flashes workshops.