Setting Up a Small In-Home Studio on a Large Budget

I think circular is better.
Definitley the daylight balanced bulbs are worth looking into as you can probably leave them on whilst shooting

Doug, very interesting! I have studio strobes but I can see what you mean about the daylight fluorescents and I will certainly keep thinking on it.

How about:

- Area lamps
- Mini Flamingo stands
- Booms
- Ceiling Rail System
- Special Effect Lamps: ringflash, spot profil...
- Special Reflectors: Staellite reflector.....
- Constant color temperature power packs + lamp heads that can provide 6400J and 0.04S fully recharging time....
- Hasellblad H2 with latest digital back and Hasellblad wide angle lens....

Just trying to help you spend your budget

HK, I know I may sound silly, budget-wise, but so long as my business keeps booming and I have my day job and my bride has her day job I will have a considerable amount ($10-20K) on studio infrastructure over the next two to three years and could probably divert more into it if necessary. Of course, the problem I have is that I know almost nothing about studio work and I don't want to launch off on a wrong direction. I will get some pictures of the room this weekend. And, BTW, I actually discussed the Hasselblad/Digitalback issue with the Calumet manager and he thought the 1Ds Mark II would be all I could really use ... but I am open to contrary (and we have a lot of that at POTN) opinions! Don't hold back on my account!

I'd guess that even the MkII might be overkill, but only you can decide just how much "quality" you really need. By the time you get up & running, another supercamera will have come along...

Frank, so long as I can subsidize the studio from my work at the casino I expect to acquire the best I can without consideration of the need ... this is about the only place and time in my life that I can do that. The 1Ds MII is off on the horizon a year or so and I would expect that Canon will come out with something better before I am ready to buy and I will get the latest/greatest. While this is now a business for me the operant condition is still "fun".

Get the Hasselblad H2 or 503CW with Phaseone P25 back.... This will serve you for a long time.

I couldn't easily Google a price for the Phase One P 25 ... they don't seem to want to mention it unless you telephone, so I'll guess about $30,000USD, which puts it out of even my budget for at least two years, HK. None-the-less, I am certainly not blowing it off. At this point, I have no idea where my photography is going to take me. Tomorrow night I shoot Seal at the casino and may then be whisked away to shoot Sugarland at Gainey Winery for my Nashville to You client and on Saturday I will be shooting my Casa Cassara Vineyard and Winery client at the annual Harvest Festival where they participate each year in this Vintner's Association faire. Two or three years ago I didn't have ANY clients. And, sigh, I am still planning on taking pictures of the room, but discovered yesterday that my 50mm f1.4 lens that I just took out of the box won't focus, manual or AF, so I need to deal with that, too.

Finally shot a quick image of the studio room. I expect to replace that lovely chandelier with an overhead fan/light initially, although I will need something pretty unobtrusive in the final version. The room is 10' wide, 9' high and 17' deep. The window on the far wall is looks West and the side wall South.

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I'd just take the overhead light out and use the modelling lights on the strobes A lamp at the end of the room opposite the model might do the job, and it has the added bonus of keeping the pupils small, so less chance for red eye and you see more of the colored part of the eye.

Tim, I wasn't planning on using the overhead light to light the model ... I have studio strobes.

I realised that! I was suggesting that you don't need an overhead light at all, it could just get in the way of tall light stands, just use the modelling lamp in your strobes instead of the ceiling light.

Yes, but I need some light in the room at night! I'm hoping not have to use my light stands but have an overhead rail system instead ... we'll see ... I'm just gathering opinions right now ... I've got enough essential house projects to do to last a few months.

Well, since you said on a "large budget", I'll let you know I'm thinkng of trying a 5000K daylight fluorescent setup. The newer systems avoid the white balance issues typically associated with fluorescents, and with the constant source of light there is less chance of blinking, and a more constant light which is nice. Fluorescents are extremely efficient as well and don't put off much heat, and can be used as the main source of lighting for the room when it's not being used as a studio. The 5000K bulbs are much easier on your eyes as well.

The downside is, they are pretty expensive. Bowens and Rololight have a couple of setups I am having a look at. I have some of the cheaper $20 Home Depot fixtures I was thinking of playing around with, but I haven't had a chance to pick up the daylight fluorescent tubes. I've tried the daylight fluorescent screw in bulbs though, and they do work pretty well.

How's the light intensity of fluro's compared with strobes? You wouldn't want it too bright or you'd blind people, but you want lots of light for nice sharp photos.