Help! Looking for a good lighting setup!

My boyfriend and I are getting a warehouse here in downtown Houston here in the next few months. He's a musician and he plans to build a recording studio whereas I plan to have a studio setup myself. I just don't know how to go about getting everything. Should I buy it all seperately or are there any good kits out there for around $500? I don't have a lot to spend and I know it's not going to be the best thing ever with that kind of budget but right now that's all I can afford. I also plan on eventually building a darkroom. But that will be much later on. We'll be living in the space as well but there is PLENTY of room. So if anyone can give a newbie some advice it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much and I hope all is well with everyone!

There is more to picking your setup than just the cost of the lights. I went with alien bees. They have good lights, excellent customer support... I was deciding between the bees and and comparably priced photogenic studio max 320ws. The lights are obviously photogenics attempt to get into paul c. buff's market. Yes, they made a cheap light, but what about softboxes, snoots, beauty dish, barn doors... You will need, light modifiers, so plan for that cost when you buy your setup. Many cheaper lights may have limited modifiers available.

I definitely want to get the Alien Bees. I used them at my previous photography job and they worked great. But the setup we had there came as a kit. I don't know where my boss got it but it came with light, umbrellas, soft boxes, backdrops, everything and I was trying to find something simliar to that I did find this one on B&H but it is a little out of my price range.

I was looking for somthing like this:

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …ct_Lighting_Kit​_Promotion

couldn't tell you about the kit you linked. Buff sells bees directly at www.alienbees.com. Keep in mind that the set you linked may not give you the flexability you need if you decide later to use more that umbrellas or the included softboxes.

also every light you but gets you a discount on the accesarries. This is very nice if you order your setup at the same time.

Did you look at the Calumet Genesis 200 2 Light kit?

The Genesis are well reviewed on these forums and take Elinchrom modifiers. So in the future, if your studio takes off, you can add more Genesis lights (400s?) or start using Elinchrom without having to change out all of your modifiers.

The Genesis would be in your current budget and allow you to grow in the future.

2 lights, 2 stands, 2 umbrellas and everything you need to get started.