competition: (no prizes) Design an economical and effective studio for newbies

The rule for this competition is to produce an inexpensive portrait studio without it looking cheap. Nothing obtained from ebay is permitted as ebay is not a guaranteed source nor guaranteed quality as it's just a junkshop.

My suggestion:
A pair of Sunpak 383s ($80 each) from B&H
A Kaiser optical flash triggers from B&H ($35 each)
For the background, some cloth from the fabric shop or even a bedsheet (could so the blue spray paint splatter pattern if it;s white.) - cost $5 - $25.
Support for the background - could just hang in from a bookcase secured with clothes pegs.
Light stands - could be bits of furniture.

There you have it - a home studio for $200.

BEAT THAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Rhys,

Everyone's needs are different and that will govern the high and low ends of the budget.

I'm not sure I understand why you're presenting this as a competition.

rhys wrote in post #4653427
The rule for this competition is to produce an inexpensive portrait studio without it looking cheap. Nothing obtained from ebay is permitted as ebay is not a guaranteed source nor guaranteed quality as it's just a junkshop.

My suggestion:
A pair of Sunpak 383s ($80 each) from B&H
A Kaiser optical flash triggers from B&H ($35 each)
For the background, some cloth from the fabric shop or even a bedsheet (could so the blue spray paint splatter pattern if it;s white.) - cost $5 - $25.
Support for the background - could just hang in from a bookcase secured with clothes pegs.
Light stands - could be bits of furniture.

There you have it - a home studio for $200.

BEAT THAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you not say that it can't look cheap? But what i have highlighted sounds rather like it would look cheap.

Really depends what you call cheap, Some could spend $1000 and feel as if thats a cheap set up and some could struggle to afford a single Sunpak 383.

My cheap (Relative to a full set of Studio Strobes) set up would be:
4 Canon Strobes (Probably 540EZ's or 550EX's) Bought used.
4 Light Stands
Gel Sample Kits (Best way to spend $0)
4 Omni Bounce or Similar
Would never get a background as i prefer the outdoors.

I thought you said, "without it looking cheap".

EDIT: Beat me to it.

runninmann wrote in post #4653755
I thought you said, "without it looking cheap".

EDIT: Beat me to it.

LMAO!

I own 4 flashes and they all came from "the junk shop" but they work as if they were brand new.

I'd play but since a lot of my stuff is from ebay, and we all know that "ebay is not a source nor guarranteed quality as it's a junkshop", I guess I'll just take my crap and go somewhere else.

shooterman wrote in post #4654024
I'd play but since a lot of my stuff is from ebay, and we all know that "ebay is not a source nor guarranteed quality as it's a junkshop", I guess I'll just take my crap and go somewhere else.

yup +1

Me too, so i make three who can't play. cos of ebay.

This is the same guy who says having an online website isn't important. I pretty much just laugh at every new thread he makes, including ones like these.

Mario. wrote in post #4670774
This is the same guy who says having an online website isn't important. I pretty much just laugh at every new thread he makes, including ones like these.

You have to hand it to rhys he's always good for a laugh!

rhys wrote in post #4653427
A pair of Sunpak 383s ($80 each) from B&H
A Kaiser optical flash triggers from B&H ($35 each)
For the background, some cloth from the fabric shop or even a bedsheet (could so the blue spray paint splatter pattern if it;s white.) - cost $5 - $25.
Support for the background - could just hang in from a bookcase secured with clothes pegs.
Light stands - could be bits of furniture.

My only problem with this is the furniture part. It won't look very professional and isn't very portable. The whole point of off-camera lighting is lost if you can't move the light where you want.

So I think you need to add a light stand, umbrella and bracket to this list. Put one flash on the hotshoe and bounce it off the ceiling for fill, with the main light on the stand with the umbrella, triggered optically. This would work in most any residential setting.

FlashZebra has some nice optical slaves for a lot less than $35 that will work fine on the Sunpak.

Mario. wrote in post #4670774
This is the same guy who says having an online website isn't important. I pretty much just laugh at every new thread he makes, including ones like these.

If you think a website is the main advertising for your photography business then you will not be doing very much business. The first place people look when they want a local service such as photography is not the flaming internet - it's the phone book or they ask a friend for a recommendation.

rhys wrote in post #4672399
If you think a website is the main advertising for your photography business then you will not be doing very much business. The first place people look when they want a local service such as photography is not the flaming internet - it's the phone book or they ask a friend for a recommendation.

I can see this getting way off topic, but can't... control... myself...

You're correct in that I would probably locate photographers via the phonebook or recommendation but in this day & age, if I find a local photographer and they don't have a website or have a website that looks unprofessional I'm much more likely to go with the guy who does. It's not hard to create a simple, professional looking site - you don't have to be a computer genius. There's really no excuse for not having one, especially if you're selling your services. 5 years ago I might've looked you up and visited your office and perused your portfolio but that's awfully time consuming - especially if you plan to shop around.

Case in point: I recommended a photographer to a co-worker yesterday. The first question she asked when I gave her the lady's name and location: "Does she have a website?" "Yup."

not the cheapest, but here's what I've got for home/portable studio:

2- 550ex speedlights- ($250 each)
1- promaster backdrop support system ($120 on sale at local camera store)
1- 11x20 grey muslin backdrop (ebay best offer of $85 plus $15 shipping)
1- lightstand (free thanks to SkipD)
2- umbrellas; 36" and 42" white shoot-thru ($60 for both?)
2- flash/umbrella brackets one with PC cord ($50 for both)
1- 10' PC cord ($20)

total- $850 ish.

the only thing I'd change is the flash stands. I want more durable, lighter stands.