Newbie flasher - debating strobist route but not sure how to start

I have a pregnancy shoot sometime before the baby comes in the next month and a couple shoot (both are friends) and I am thinking of going off camera for lighting. I debated about studio lights or the home depot route, but I would like to have something portable.

Then I was thinking of getting a MPEX starter kit that will work with the xti, but after reading some of the not so positive reviews here it made me change my thinking yet again.

The current thought is to get a 430 and borrowing a friend's 580 for a master slave (if even possible), but i would still need umbrellas, brackets and so on (maybe get some stuff locally?).

After exhaustive searching I am overwhelmed with info and I'm just looking to get a portable kit that isn't cheap crap or pointless while not spending too much money b/c i am saving up for a 24-70L and/or 40d.

thanks in advance

hi
good question this i was in same boat as you this is what i did>

bought
canon 540EZ from ebay £30
canon 420 EZ from ebay £20
sunpack MG-1 from ebay £13
2 normal brollies from Poundland £1 each
wireless triggers from ebay ( hong kong) £30

this is what i bought and set this up still experimenting but it works,what i did with the brollies was got some white material and my other half put this on the brolli works perfect . hope this helps

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

I don't understand why everyone immediately goes looking for artificial light source when faced with the prospect of shooting a portrait. Rembrandt used window light, and window light can create some fantastic photographs, too!!!

Window light, perhaps a flat panel reflector as fill...no expense, no need to use equipment that is new and unfamiliar.

Wilt wrote in post #5531273
I don't understand why everyone immediately goes looking for artificial light source when faced with the prospect of shooting a portrait. Rembrandt used window light, and window light can create some fantastic photographs, too!!!

Window light, perhaps a flat panel reflector as fill...no expense, no need to use equipment that is new and unfamiliar.

Outdoor light can be wonderful. The sky is the best backdrop you can find, and the color and quality of light at sunrise and sunset can flatter any pose.

The problem is that you can't order the outdoor light you need to meet a schedule. Diffused window light of the right quality can be elusive, and the real world means those windows sometimes let in as many annoying shadows as they let in the light to create good portraits. So, the impatient among us carry around too many strobes, stands and umbrellas.

To extend the subject, and to look at what strobes can bring to an image, even when there's plenty of sun:

Both of the following images were taken in an indoors area under a large domed glass skylight around 2 p.m., a time when the sun was at the subject's left and leaving a shadow to the left of the frame. Exposure settings were for a pair of Excalibur 3200 monolights bouncing off Westcott 45" umbrellas, with the monolights set at half power and around 8' from the subject. The Rebel XTi was set at ISO 200 and 1/80 and the lens at f/10.

Here's the image with the monolights not triggered:

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO