One Alien Bee 800 and Softbox

[toddb]

I've been around the forum for a while now and we've had allot of discussion about how to get started with lighting. Up to now my experience has been with the Canon 550EX and I usually have a OmniBounce diffuser and I almost always bounce off the ceiling. I've shot many great shots like this but felt it time to move to the next step and share what I I found out on my first day with the new toy. I wanted to create more depth in my photos of my family so after reading allot I decided to get a soft box instead of an umbrella setup. I wanted to wait to I could afford a few lights, but instead decided to start out with one and just see how well just the one would work out.

I like it. If I need fill it seems like my 550EX works fine attached the camera and I just bounce it off something. My next purchase will probably be some kind of hair light but I'll probably see if I can make something else work in the mean time. Here is a link to some photos and description of what I have and how I used it.

One Alien Bee 800 and a softbox (http://www.toddburke.net/gear/lighting_gear/alien_b800_and_soft_box.htm)

[aam1234]

Great info Tod, thanks for sharing with us. Your post is encouraging me to get a similar setup as yours.

Thanks again

[RU64]

Splendid Tod. I, too, am encouraged to duplicate that setup.

[toddb]

I think this was posted before but I'll put it with this thread since it kind of goes with this and it's a good discription of what comes with the Alien Bee light.

http://davidweikel.com/E20_Page/alienbees/bees.shtml

[DCB]

I think this was posted before but I'll put it with this thread since it kind of goes with this and it's a good discription of what comes with the Alien Bee light.

http://davidweikel.com/E20_Page/alienbees/bees.shtml

Thanks for the link! :)

[TonyKInTexas]

My suggestion, get a good bounce/reflector kit, stand and holder. You will get a lot of mileage out of it and the B800. I rarely use my B400 and use my B800 and reflector when I need flash.

Take care and good shots.

[toddb]

My suggestion, get a good bounce/reflector kit, stand and holder. You will get a lot of mileage out of it and the B800. I rarely use my B400 and use my B800 and reflector when I need flash.

Take care and good shots.

That's exactly what I'm thinking...I'll probably try some white board stuff for right now to tie me over till I can get the reflectors.

The Alien Bees site has a good begineer page with allot of really good links, check this out newbies (like me, lol).

http://www.alienbees.com/beginnerbee.html

[phili1]

Todd B you made a good choice, I wish I had. I bought 2 Excaliburs and then found out about the Bees. They are a top rated unit.

I use umbrellers for my portraits and I am about to change to a soft box.

If I had a studio I would use light panels. they are the best source of lighting ( Soft) and totallly adjsutable, move light in close and you have a tight light further away it spreads it. You can get a Wein hot shoe mount slave so you can out your 550 on a stand and use it as a hait light. You can make a snoot for it.

Have fun with it.

[RJSorensen]

Wow . . . very nice and something I would like to try myself. Thank you for taking the time to share and teach as well.

[toddb]

I was wondering how I'd get the 550 off the camera without getting that ST-E2 transmitter. Thanks for the tip!

I'm glad I got just spent the extra and went right to the soft box. I really like the light it produces and I have no problem getting F11 and F19 aperture if I want with the B800.

[toddb]

Just curious before I get one of these to use my 550EX as a hair light, should I get the digital camera one or the normal one with this setup. I'm guessing the normal one since softbox will be setting it off but just wanted to see what anyone else though.

Digital Wein (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=263024&is=REG)

Normal Wein (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=62712&is=REG)

[Lesmac]

Intelligent, well thought out post Todd, thankyou

Les

[GIrven]

Great post and just goes to sho you can start with the smallest amount of kit and still get great results. The beauty is that you have a starter for 10 and can develop the set-up as your skills progress.

If this will work with my 300D and I can this in the UK I will be very tempted to but the exact set-up.

[redbutt]

The Alien Bees site has a good begineer page with allot of really good links, check this out newbies (like me, lol)

I just got my bees setup.

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54086

These things rock. BTW...with my stuff, I got a little intructional book about studio lighting and lighting theory...very good intro to how to think about lighting.

[erinavery]

really nice post. thanks for that. :)