Videos or Books about Studio Lighting Equipment?

I'm trying to find some good basic tutorials on studio lighting, specifically power packs and related equipment. I've been going through youtube, AdoramaTV, and everything else I can find, but not finding the real basics.

Anyone know a good resource, something like Studio Lighting 101?

What do you want to know? Are you thinking of creating a studio at you house?

That's part of it. I have a couple of Norman 24/24's, an ML600, and a 22" BD with head, along with my speedlites (YN568EX, YN467), and I'm trying to get some ideas of how to set everything up. I could chimp chimp chimp away, but my model (12 year old daughter) isn't very cooperative. I have the instruction manual for the 24/24's and the ML600, but they don't go into much detail (I guess if you're buying this stuff they expect you already know what you need to know). I'm really interested in the correct setups for the power packs/heads.

I did a little playing around before, and I was able to trigger the power packs through the optical slave using a cheap-o sunpak attached to my 602's. Worked surprisingly well, actually. Only downside was the recycle time of the sunpaks was too slow (I have a sync cord on order).

I'm also thinking I may want to incorporate the YN's into the mix, but not sure about that yet.

Light meter?

Yes, Sekonic L308s

Hmm, why so much chimping?

Prior to having a meter I would chimp to try and nail exposure. Since having it, I set my lights, meter, take a shot to see if it's what I want, adjust if needed, and ready to start shooting. I don't have anyone posed or in place until I'm ready to start shooting.

I suggest reading the light meter's instruction manual for information on how to meter lights individually and as a group.

Since you have proper studio lights, you can just use the modeling lights to get your actual appearance without taking photos. It's a little harder with hot shoe flashes a la "strobist" (I hate that word) because there's no constant preview while you make your adjustments.

I'd start simple, one light, try different modifiers. Search Jay P Morgan, the slanted lens.
Let the light meter be your friend. Dome down and aim it at the light source.
Learn to feather the light, both across your subject horizontally, but down your subject vertically. It will allow you to control your exposure across a wider area.
Think of the light emanating from your source as a column of light. Look up "fall off" relative to how the light diminishes as it gets towards the edge of the modifier.
http://theslantedlens.​com/category/archives/

The chimping was in regards to the shaping of the light, not exposure.

My L308s doesn't have the Lumidisk (bought used), so I didn't use it. I'm trying to find a decently priced Lumidisk. Went with the basics to started with ISO 100, 1/200, f/11. Things came out decent. If my subject had been more receptive, I would have experimented with distances and angles.

I've watched much of Jay P Morgan's Slanted Lens stuff, and to a large degree, find it to be more of a commercial for his sponsors. Not sure if I've picked up any new knowledge from his videos.

Mark Wallace, OTOH, has a great DVD that I borrowed from a friend last night "Studio Lighting Essentials for Portrait Photography". Between that and his stuff on AdoramaTv/youtube, I was able to pick up quite a bit, as he shows distance between lights and model.

At least I started to use it, rather then be intimidated by it (which I think was my initial problem). I'll probably go buy a mannequin to practice on, and just play around with it some more.

Is the Lumidisk that importa with the Sekonic?