Strobes Accessories

Hi all,

I ordered more monolights or strobes for studio, just i don't shoot studio much these days but really i will try to think about more seriously in next time.

Now i have just 2 lights, and till my anther more lights to come [3 Hensel 500 heads] i just keep reading more about lighting, now i have some questions:

1. I have 2 stand originally for my 2 current heads, but i ordered 3 heads without anything, so i need good stands to use with them, any recommendations?

2. What stand i can use for hair light if i need to place it high above people heads for example?

3. I have an umbrella, a softbox, an octabox, and few 7" strobes reflectors with 4 different degrees grids [honeycombs], now what i can use for hairlight? and what modifiers i should look at for background if i want to have highkey completely blown out white? or to add some light effects with color gels that i have?

4. I like my muslin backdrops, with white blown out overexposed or black fully underexposed i can avoid wrinkles somehow, but if i use normal backdrops [I have gray muslin] or normal exposure on my muslin backdrops then i can see those wrinkles clearly, so how can i get rid of that wrinkle? or should i look at seamless papers backdrops?

I know 5 lights can do lot, but is it a good idea to add more for more effects or kickers? if so then how many, and what more things can add to studio lighting rather or more than: Main, Fill, Hair, Background?

I appreciate any additions to studio lightings, some members saw my studio shots on some threads i posted, so i just learnt and got enough knowledge about that and still learning, but if i need to go higher levels or pro works what i should consider as well?

I am sorry, i think i asked too many questions.

Just answer whatever, sure one can answer one point and someone else will answer another point and so, and i am just would like straight forward answers, i don't need to ask another question if the answers didn't help much or it is little offended or sarcastic some way, really i appreciate all comments and recommendations.

1. Manfrotto stands are the industry standard for studio lighting. Have a look at their selection - even their budget models are superior to most stands included in lighting kits.

2. You will need a boom arm and a counterweight used with a solid stand - Manfrotto sell these in a complete kit which might be your best option if you don't know exactly what to look for.

3. The grids you have will be suitable for hairlights. For lighting white backgrounds or using gels, reflectors are best. Tape the gels over the front of the reflector with electrical tape if you don't have a gel holder.

4. You will never get muslins free of creases, get seamless paper if you want a smooth, wrinkle-free background.

5. Five strobes are more than enough.

Hermes wrote in post #5729759
1. Manfrotto stands are the industry standard for studio lighting. Have a look at their selection - even their budget models are superior to most stands included in lighting kits.

2. You will need a boom arm and a counterweight used with a solid stand - Manfrotto sell these in a complete kit which might be your best option if you don't know exactly what to look for.

3. The grids you have will be suitable for hairlights. For lighting white backgrounds or using gels, reflectors are best. Tape the gels over the front of the reflector with electrical tape if you don't have a gel holder.

4. You will never get muslins free of creases, get seamless paper if you want a smooth, wrinkle-free background.

5. Five strobes are more than enough.

Thank you very very much This kind of answers i like very much, simple straight forward and no have much funny or annoying comments.

1. Great, answered.

2. Great, i will check if i can find that kit, hope someone can post a link if he knows a good one, answered.

3. Grids i own had different degrees [coverage of light], so can't decide on which, even those reflectors to use gels with are with different sizes or degrees so sure with 3 reflectors and 4 grids i can get 12 different light beam, and for gels i don't have gels holder, so if i can find where that holder available or i may use tape instead, but for moment if i will use 2 lights for white backgrounds i don't have same exactly reflector or modifier, so will that make a difference in light amount with each light on the background? i can get something else if it is necessary, answered 90% and hope to get more clear ideas for this point.

4. I know i can't get wrinkle-free muslin unless i do iron it which painful or use something else nt sure if really effective and simple, but i think i will accept to get another backgrounds [papers], answered.

5. Ah cool, sure some will say 3 or 4 are enough, others will say 5 is too much but i will use 7 or 8 rarely for few works, so i hope to know those works where you need more than 5 or 6 lights, i will accept this point is answered.

Thank you very much again, and all are welcome to add something more

With regard to what grids to use for hairlights, it is a matter of individual taste. I mostly use 30 degree grids on reflectors and 20 degree grids on softboxes to light hair. Practice a little and you'll find what works best for you. Don't worry if your reflectors for lighting the white BG are not exactly the same as long as they are both wide enough to cover it properly.

I honestly don't know what you'd be using 7 or 8 lights for. I don't think I've ever used more than 6 lights for one shot and It 's very rare for me to need more than 3 or 4. Either way, you're clearly still new to studio lighting so don't go buying any more lights until you're sure exactly what you need in terms of brand, quality and power.

Hermes wrote in post #5730935
With regard to what grids to use for hairlights, it is a matter of individual taste. I mostly use 30 degree grids on reflectors and 20 degree grids on softboxes to light hair. Practice a little and you'll find what works best for you. Don't worry if your reflectors for lighting the white BG are not exactly the same as long as they are both wide enough to cover it properly.

I honestly don't know what you'd be using 7 or 8 lights for. I don't think I've ever used more than 6 lights for one shot and It 's very rare for me to need more than 3 or 4. Either way, you're clearly still new to studio lighting so don't go buying any more lights until you're sure exactly what you need in terms of brand, quality and power.

OK, thanks.
I will experiment with those reflectors and grids, just i see sometimes photographers using softboxes, others using grids [on reflectors], and some using snoot or barndoors, so i don't know why all that different modifiers for just a hair whatever the result or effect to be there, so if i have all these which one i should use or let's say if yourself has all those modifiers, which one do you prefer to use for hair light?

I agree with you about background light, just i have to be sure i can get wide coverage of light so i can light the background fully as i need, i will work on that.

about how many lights, once i was in Photography world show or exhibition in Dubai and there were few workshops including the lighting, too bad couldn't attend that workshop [I was late that day and next day it is in bad time so no chance] and the tutor was available there, i asked him fast questions about the lights [highkey and lowkey] when he explained about the highkey he ended up that i can use 5 lights or 7 lights, sure we can use only 4 but for the optimum or ultimate using equipment he recommended up to 7, so i can imagine that someone can use lights up to 5 or 7, then maybe there are some conditions where someone can use even 10, so i asked that to see when and where i may end up to need only 3 or 4, or i may need to have at least 7 lights, i am not saying i want 7 or 10 bu i would like to know applications where the photographers need more than 5 or 7 lights to use, i have 2 at the moment, i ordered 3 more which are more than enough and i am so happy with that, and i have also that round 5-in-1 reflector which can act as a light or half light [can use it as fill] so can save one strobe for something else if i need more than 5 lights in any case.

If you're using more than 4 lights then I would serious question the method and technique used. 7 or 8 lights is insane.

What could you possibly need 7 or 8 lights for, much less 10 lights ? Makes no sense.

Are you lighting a hall? gymnasium? auditorium? Ice rink?

Whatever you're learning and wherever you're learning it I would abandon that source of information immediately.

TMR Design wrote in post #5731042
If you're using more than 4 lights then I would serious question the method and technique used. 7 or 8 lights is insane.

What could you possibly need 7 or 8 lights for, much less 10 lights ? Makes no sense.

Are you lighting a hall? gymnasium? auditorium? Ice rink?

Whatever you're learning and wherever you're learning it I would abandon that source of information immediately.

Thank you very much, i appreciate that, i may end up to light a stadium if so, just i need to be ready where i can use 3 lights and where i can use 7 lights even not so necessary, to have more lights to make life easier in some applications is not a bad thing, but i didn't say that is "MUST", thanks again.

OK people, my lights arrived finally.

Now all what i need is that light stands to use with them.

I found a light stand that i want, but i got 2 lightstand booms to choose between, here are the links for both:

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …085B_Heavy_Duty​_Boom.html

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_Heavy_Duty_Boo​m_and.html

Which one you recommend to go with?

I am checking about paper seamless backdrops, so i hope to find what i look for soon.