Starting a Studio Recomendations Please?

[BeautyEyes]

Hello I am putting a portrait studio in my basement. I know I want a continous lighting kit but I am confused about exactly what type I will need? I am also concerned after looking at many, many web sites as to what is a proper price range? Any recomendations? I am trying to get a detailed list together of everything a studio will require? I also need to do a buss plan so that I can obtain financing. I am meeting with someone from the SBA near me next week, So a pro' s advice on these matters would be greatly appreciated. So far I have just worked out of my home. I have done 8 weddings and many outdoor portraits. I am using a 10D now but am also thinking I should upgrade to a 20D. Also some lense recomendations would be great. Thanks in advance Gina

[BeautyEyes]

If anyone could please just give some ideas on the lighting that would be the most helpfull?

[amazingimages@bellsouth.n]

i had the hot lifhts. they were not good with my 10d.my pictures had a yellowish look to them, so i got me some jtl flash units(300wts) i love them and they will not burn my house down or get so hot in the summer that i have to use 2 air conditioners. i could haved save myself about 300.00 and a lot of time if i had known.

[Mike Panic]

first and foremost, what are you trying to get from your home studio?

next, how high are your ceilings, this will play a mjor role in differant ways to light

are you stuck on hotlights or would strobes be a possiblity?

you will need seamless paper backdrop and or muslin, and a way to suspend them

lenses - really depends on how much room you have in your basement... im guessing you dont have a ton, so you will need something wide, yet very sharp. canon 24-70 would be an ideal choice, if you have a bit more room canon 85mm f/1.2

why upgrade to the 20d? the only real advantages to it are faster start up time, bigger buffer. shooting studio work you dont need either of those

[BeautyEyes]

Thank you for your responses. To respond to Mike Panic , I want to be pretty versetile portrait wise children, familys, pets, and senior pics. The ceilings will be about 7foot 4inces. The space that I plan to use for the portrait studio is about 14 1/2 feet by 28 feet long. I have been looking at strobes as well but I am the most concerned with picture quality? I am definentally planning on the cannon 24-70 lense.
I met with the SBA counselor today. He gave me gave me a lot of good advice tax and small buss wise. Now I just need to obtain financing. Again thanks for your response. Sorry it took me sooo long to respond. BE

[Mike Panic]

my advise - find someplace w/ ceilings at least 12' high or higher... 7'4" will not cut it

[FlipsidE]

First off, let me qualify this by saying that I am only an amatuer with a few months under my belt. What I'm about to write comes from my personal experience as well as what I've heard.

Good strobes would make for excellent photo quality. Check out any of charlesu's photos. They are truly excellent. He uses some VERY nice strobes, and the photos come out looking so good.

I would recommend strobes simply because continuous lighting can get hot. People start sweating and some just get uncomfortable being under that much bright light during the entire session. I would recommend going with strobes. Alien Bees strobes are supposed to be great (www.alienbees.com (http://www.alienbees.com)).

As far as lighting setups, how many lights you should get, and distance from the subject, I'll leave all that up to the pros. I'm not going ot even take a guess.

FlipsidE

[cactusclay]

Alzo 2000 cool lites, the heads have built in fan they don't put out that much heat, but then again I haven't used them in summer yet. For a small studio, all you need is one head with soft box and a reflector for fill, then a hair or background light. For cheap backdrops, go to walmart and buy black and white twin sheets and steam them to be wrinkle free, or stuff them in a bag to make them all wrinkles. The same place that sells the the light has background supports for 140 bucks. The lighting set up will cost you about a grand and has a year warrenty. Hope that helps. PS. The lights are balanced at 5200 K, but use custom wb for accurate exposure.

[PhotosGuy]

my advise - find someplace w/ ceilings at least 12' high or higher... 7'4" will not cut it You can probably get by with 7' but everyone will have to be sitting down.

[TSORoanoke]

First - a big disclaimer - I'm far from a pro. Only sharing my own experiences as I've struggled with some of the questions you've posed.

I wanted to shoot some portraits of family and dogs. Possibly friends/neighbors. Its a hobby for me, so budget was a big concern. I decided to use two of the Alien Bees B400's (the Digibee set). My livingroom has standard 8' ceilings. I obtained some material that is used to make graduation gowns (the better ones) as a backdrop. I can shoot four people sitting or standing, w/or without glasses (the glare issue got me for a while), and have no problems at all. I can see where more height would make it easier to do hair lighting, but for all other effects, it seems to work for me.

Best of luck!

[BeautyEyes]

Thanks for so many responses. I am pretty limited in my situation, as to where I can afford to have a studio rite now. I do have high celings in my house upstairs if need be. I cant aford to rent something yet. I like all the suggestions on lighting. I have looked at the Alzo cool lights on the web, and they are my first choice but I think the Alien Bees sets might be more cost effective. Again I am most concerned with quality? I am still working on getting financed so I am not sure how much exactly I am going to have to work with. Thanks BE