Studio Lighting

to start off I am a rookie... I have no place in my home for enough natural lighting and I am looking for softboxes that are cheap but work... I just didn't know if I should get a flash lighting kit or just softboxes? I will probably be ordering of Amazon... any suggestions on what to get?

You may get more replies if you post this in the lighting section of this forum.

But to answer your question with a question... what kind of lighting are you looking to get? Continous? Strobe? Flash? And what are you planning to do with your home studio? Newborns? Product photography? Family portraits?

There are literally thousands of options out there and without more information its hard to recommend something.

if you want something to start with depending on your budget check out Ebay there is plenty Photography Lighting Kits on there. Again that is to start with.

I didn't notice a lighting section, thanks! But to answer your question, I don't know what type of lighting I should get, that's what I was asking. Should I get flash or just twp soft boxes for now? I am planning on mostly newborns and kids, possibly some family portraits....

PeaceFire wrote in post #15274735
You may get more replies if you post this in the lighting section of this forum.

But to answer your question with a question... what kind of lighting are you looking to get? Continous? Strobe? Flash? And what are you planning to do with your home studio? Newborns? Product photography? Family portraits?

There are literally thousands of options out there and without more information its hard to recommend something.

Newborns, IMO is the only time you'll really want continuous lighting. Kids and families will have better results with strobe or flash. Google "The Strobist" and check out the Lighting 101 section. So much information there. I personally use off-camera flash, usually a 2 and sometimes 3 light system. Total investment was about $300 and I am very happy with it. Then for newborns I'd try finding a cheap continuous lighting set.

deane823 wrote in post #15274560
to start off I am a rookie... I have no place in my home for enough natural lighting and I am looking for softboxes that are cheap but work... I just didn't know if I should get a flash lighting kit or just softboxes? I will probably be ordering of Amazon... any suggestions on what to get?

why don't you go outside? Everybody starts shooting outside. Use available light... learn using it first ...use reflectors, bounce boards, natural reflectors like white walls, concrete floors, beach sand, and more.

PhilF wrote in post #15278450
why don't you go outside? Everybody starts shooting outside. Use available light... learn using it first ...use reflectors, bounce boards, natural reflectors like white walls, concrete floors, beach sand, and more.

I actually think it's a great idea that the OP wants to learn how to use all forms of light. Too many photographers these days hop on that "natural light photographer" bandwagon and never learn the basics.

PeaceFire wrote in post #15279981
I actually think it's a great idea that the OP wants to learn how to use all forms of light. Too many photographers these days hop on that "natural light photographer" bandwagon and never learn the basics.

Agreed.

PeaceFire wrote in post #15279981
Too many photographers these days hop on that "natural light photographer" bandwagon and never learn the basics.

yes but a few knows how to use it right.

Thanks guys! I have already got taking pictures outside down! It's the inside lighting I need to conquer. I live in nw pa so as of today the snow is falling and will continue to do so until April do outside pics is out of the question for a while. So I want to start learning the I side lighting... If any one has links to light kits to just start with so (cheap) that would b great.

Actually, avoid kits! While they are convinient, you can usually get better quality/pricing by buying separate. If you want to go with flash, here is my kit:

What You'll Need...
3x Yongnuo YN-560 Speedlites, $45 Each: I mount them off camera usually one to my left and one to my right, play with angles until you get the right look. The third I will use either as backlighting or with a beautify dish from above that I have set to a different channel. Then when shooting I have the choice to either use the side lights only, the beauty dish light only, or all three (which is a rarity). Having flexibility is key here! The more lights you have the more you can play with, and these are cheap and easy to use and I personally think they are great quality. Dropped one down a flight of stairs once and nothing happened to it!

2x Westcott 43" Umbrella and Stand Kit, $70 each: For the two side lights. These are nice, durable stands that fold down small for easy portability. The umbrellas are my favorite size personally, and I wouldn't recommend going any smaller. 60" umbrellas are even better, but I don't have the space for two of those in my studio.

2x Yongnuo RF-603 Wireless Triggers $29, each: You'll want to buy two of these kits. One mounts onto your camera and the other three mount to your lights and that's what triggers them. There are actually lots of wireless triggers out there like the Cactus V5s, RF-602s, and Cowboy Studio triggers that will work in smaller studio spaces. But cheaper ones like the Cowboy Studio triggers won't work as well outside or in larger spaces.

What You May Want...
1x Cowboy Studio Boom Stand $49: Not the greatest stand by any means, but the cheapest. If you have the money take a look at the Manfroto boom stand as it will last the longest and give you the least amount of grief. But if you decide hair light and beauty dishes aren't for you, this would just be a waste. So go cheap until you know.

Cowboy Studio Beauty Dish $32: Again a super cheap and not the greatest option to "try" in case you don't like the look.

Eneloop Batteries... Lots of Them!: Without plenty of battery power you're not going to get much done. Eneloops are my favorite rechargeables by far. I own three of the kits now. $40 each.

So that's a very basic kit that will actually serve you well for a long time. You can grow and change and adapt to what your preferences are when you get to learn lighting more. But I've been using this kit for years and love it.

My kit is very similar to what PeaceFire posted above, with a couple of notable exceptions:
- Swap out one of the YN-560s for a Canon 430EXII. The Yongnuos are great, but there are times when I want the light on a hotshoe for run-and-gun ETTL. This increases the spend by a little bit, of course.

- I'm getting by with usually one trigger and receiver, setting any flash without a receiver into optical slave mode. This works great unless there's someone else in the same room also taking flash photos (very rare if I'm setting up my stuff).

- I have a pair of stands and umbrellas. You can get by with one, two of course gives more flexibility. I bought these stands, I think they were $35 when I got them.

nathancarter wrote in post #15288456
My kit is very similar to what PeaceFire posted above, with a couple of notable exceptions:
- Swap out one of the YN-560s for a Canon 430EXII. The Yongnuos are great, but there are times when I want the light on a hotshoe for run-and-gun ETTL. This increases the spend by a little bit, of course.

- I'm getting by with usually one trigger and receiver, setting any flash without a receiver into optical slave mode. This works great unless there's someone else in the same room also taking flash photos (very rare if I'm setting up my stuff).

- I have a pair of stands and umbrellas. You can get by with one, two of course gives more flexibility. I bought these stands, I think they were $35 when I got them.

Having owned the 430EX II in the past, I'd like to disagree with you that these $250 flashes are better than the YN $45 options just because they have e-TTL. e-TTL is great for on-camera and if you trigger with Radio Poppers or Pocket Wizards, but since OP wanted an affordable off-camera lighting kit that doesn't quite work. We're talking at least a $750-800 investment there and it doesn't do what the OP wants.

Also, the 430EX II is not an optical slave. So I'm not really sure how you're getting away with triggering that, but last I checked this was not possible with the 430EX II. Which means OP would also have to buy a Master slave, which is another added expense which now brings this kit cost up to about $1,000.

The YN-560, for the price, is a great lens. Here is a comparison of the YN-560 and the Canon 430EX II: http://speedlights.net …del=YN560&model​2=430EX+II

If you really feel like you need e-TTL of on-camera usage, pick up a YN-565 or invest the money to get a really nice flash like a Canon 600EX or a used 580EX II if you can't afford the 600. But the 430 is such a weak little flash that when you really need the off-camera light, or just want some flexibility, it just won't deliver for the price. Also, the lack of external power source abilities kind of sucks.

For a studio inside, I would highly recommend monolights over speedlights. More power, quicker recycle time, and less expensive generally. Don't have to worry about batteries dying on you either. The AlienBees are a good option along with Calumet Genesis lights, IMO.

This is the kit (yes I bought it as a kit, far less expensive that way for these) I started with. Stands are rock solid and the lights are great. A little bit of a PITA if you want to shoot on location outside so I will speedlights for that if I need to move around a lot.

http://www.calumetphot​o.com …_200_2_light_ki​t/cf0502k1

I bought my kit for $340 when they ran a sale, which they do frequently.

WOW thank you everyone!! I really appreciate the links! I already have a 480EX II so that is a start lol. Thanks for all of the suggestions and I will be taking them all into consideration when making my Christmas list!