SO MANY CHOICES!!! WHICH TO SHOOT WITH!

[Marloon]

so i'm thinking of upgrading my flash gear now. I'm going from 4 Vivitar 285hvs down to three alienbees b800s (main, kick, and bkg). (i know the ab max is coming out soon, but i'd rather save money)

now my biggest problem is... i dont know which softbox to buy and what other accessories i need. Studio lights have opened me to so many different modifiers (and its going to rape my wallet soon enough).

What do i shoot? A ton of portrait! and its usually just single person portraits.

Please help me!

oh and can someone please help me know what type of affect a beauty dish can give?

Thanks!

[AxxisPhoto]

Nice choice for the AB's.

First of all: Buy a good light meter!!!

Start with a large softbox for main, and whatever modifier you think would look good for kick and bkg. Learn how to light your subject first before buying a whole lot of stuff!

The beauty dish will give you more concentrated and contrasty light than a softbox.

[gonzogolf]

While you are trying to decide what the perfect modifiers will be, give a couple of these a try. http://www.skaeser.com/servlet/the-683/(2)-40%22-UMBRELLA-SOFTBOX/Detail
They give nice soft light, dont require a speedring, and are cheap as chips. 2 for $30. Build quality could be better, but cant beat the price.