Strobe studio kit <$350 recomendations
- Thread starter sross
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Michael Slade
Untitled
Get some cheap shop lights from your local DIY store and play with those. Stay away from strobes yet...stick with the hot lights and learn how light behaves. Get some sheets to diffuse the lights with. Get some foam core reflectors and play with how different surfaces bounce light back into your subject. Get a soccer ball and learn how to light it. Learn the difference between lighting with one, two and three lights. Stay SIMPLE to start out with. Remember, the goal is to learn how to control light, not just how strobes work. They are two different things. This is a class I have taught for six years based on a career as a studio photographer for over 20.
Everything on the JKS website was photographed by me. Usually using only one light (99% of the time), and a couple of simple reflectors made out of foam core.
Everything on the JKS website was photographed by me. Usually using only one light (99% of the time), and a couple of simple reflectors made out of foam core.
Pathfinder
Adventurer
Learning to use a handheld diffuser, reflector will go a long way to helping you to understand how to use and alter light, the skill that is really necessary when you start to use studio strobes.
Small point sources of light can be converted into larger, softer, more pleasing light sources with a diffuser or a reflector. Combine this with off camera flash techniques ( even battery powered speedlites ) and you will be on your way.
Like Michael said, start with one light and a reflecting surface to begin with.
Or even consider one light through a diffuser - it can even be sunlight itself.
A B800 Alien Bee will fit within your budget, and some folks swear by them.
Small point sources of light can be converted into larger, softer, more pleasing light sources with a diffuser or a reflector. Combine this with off camera flash techniques ( even battery powered speedlites ) and you will be on your way.
Like Michael said, start with one light and a reflecting surface to begin with.
Or even consider one light through a diffuser - it can even be sunlight itself.
A B800 Alien Bee will fit within your budget, and some folks swear by them.
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sross
Adventurer
I was thinking about doing hot lights, but right now the window ac in my apt is having a hard enough time keeping it cool in here (its an attic apt). I may just wait until the weather cools off a bit and give that a try. I'm looking to do some "product" shooting and some portraiture. I also don't have a ton of space so the idea of a kit where it all puts away nicely into one bag is appealing. With some of these kits not costing much more than 1 speed light I thought I would give them a try. I have a reflector which I have really only used while doing a portrait shoot for an acquaintance.
LR Max
Local Oaf
X3 on starting with hot lights. Look at fluorescent lights initially since they don't suck down the power and it'll give you a run for your money on white balancing (a solid exercise :sombrero: ).
But seriously, constant lights are nice because you can SEE what the light is doing in real time rather than in a split second. Generally for teachings, I bust out a little stuffed animal and a flashlight and shine the light on it. You can do the same, just sit there with your camera in Macro with a couple flashlights and your favorite little figure and go nuts. Below is a photo to highlight what I mean:
IMG_0305 by expeditionmax, on Flickr
Basically 3 lights, my desk lamp, an old 2AA mini-mag lite and then a fancy LED flashlight. Basically using key, fill and backlighting (its not all backlighting, I've forgotten the name of it and the book that tells me got stolen years ago). Shot with my point and shoot. Granted, I've got a pretty kickin' P&S but still, it is what it is. You'll use the EXACT SAME setup (well, maybe hair light as well) on a human.
Sit there, play with the distance of the light. Understand the shadows, angles and intensities. Once you switch over to strobes, it all translates over. Also I think this current setup will help you with your budget and space issue. You've probably got some flashlights. Get a couple mini-tripods and tape the flashlights to them.
As for actual strobing, when you are ready, start trolling craigslist and yard sales for strobes off of old camera kits. Start picking up decent units for $25~40 bucks a piece. Get about 4 of em and you'll be golden. But I do recommend you have one strobe that'll work with your camera. Sometimes you just gotta go with a hotshoe flash. It sucks, but its good to have something that you can just pop on and just works.
www.flashzebra.com has all the little fittings and fixings to make it all work. Price is good too as is the quality. I've got one of their 15 foot PC sync cords, its about 3 years old. Rarely do I bust it out, but when I do, it works. I've got a couple of their mounts, optical triggers and crap like that. It all just works.
There is a blog, strobist.com that is good for new peoples. But after a while it got repetitive for me. Don't get me wrong, almost everything on that website is nothing but truth and awesomeness but I just started doing my own thing, had my own setup and my own style.
But seriously, constant lights are nice because you can SEE what the light is doing in real time rather than in a split second. Generally for teachings, I bust out a little stuffed animal and a flashlight and shine the light on it. You can do the same, just sit there with your camera in Macro with a couple flashlights and your favorite little figure and go nuts. Below is a photo to highlight what I mean:
IMG_0305 by expeditionmax, on Flickr
Basically 3 lights, my desk lamp, an old 2AA mini-mag lite and then a fancy LED flashlight. Basically using key, fill and backlighting (its not all backlighting, I've forgotten the name of it and the book that tells me got stolen years ago). Shot with my point and shoot. Granted, I've got a pretty kickin' P&S but still, it is what it is. You'll use the EXACT SAME setup (well, maybe hair light as well) on a human.
Sit there, play with the distance of the light. Understand the shadows, angles and intensities. Once you switch over to strobes, it all translates over. Also I think this current setup will help you with your budget and space issue. You've probably got some flashlights. Get a couple mini-tripods and tape the flashlights to them.
As for actual strobing, when you are ready, start trolling craigslist and yard sales for strobes off of old camera kits. Start picking up decent units for $25~40 bucks a piece. Get about 4 of em and you'll be golden. But I do recommend you have one strobe that'll work with your camera. Sometimes you just gotta go with a hotshoe flash. It sucks, but its good to have something that you can just pop on and just works.
www.flashzebra.com has all the little fittings and fixings to make it all work. Price is good too as is the quality. I've got one of their 15 foot PC sync cords, its about 3 years old. Rarely do I bust it out, but when I do, it works. I've got a couple of their mounts, optical triggers and crap like that. It all just works.
There is a blog, strobist.com that is good for new peoples. But after a while it got repetitive for me. Don't get me wrong, almost everything on that website is nothing but truth and awesomeness but I just started doing my own thing, had my own setup and my own style.
sross
Adventurer
So, I'm experimenting with using the lights I have on my new toy (yardsale find from Saturday), an Olympus 35RC. The composition isn't the greatest, but right now I'm trying to get the light even. Unfortunately, I've lost my little wireless shutter release so I have the camera on a timer, then trying to get the reflector back to where I had it when setting up the shot...
Anyway, here's a couple shots of the set up I'm trying to work with.
and the lamp at a different angle. This way didn't work as well
and a few of the better shots that came out of it
Anyway, here's a couple shots of the set up I'm trying to work with.
and the lamp at a different angle. This way didn't work as well
and a few of the better shots that came out of it
LR Max
Local Oaf
A few things:
-Iron that piece of cloth it is sitting on.
-Get the light closer.
-Set your lens to about 105mm and adjust the distance there. Ditch the flash since its confusing your white balance, apparently.
-Speaking of white balance, read about a gray card and what to do with it. Hope you kept your camera owners manual because you'll need it! Heck I've had my cameras for...yeah...and I still read the owners manual when it comes to white balance.
-Use manual mode, try about F/16 and play with the shutter until its all happy. Bracket your shots.
-On a personal note, I feel like you are too high, looking down on the subject. I'd say drop down to "eye level". Of course this is my personal taste so its down here at the end with "personal note".
Try these, lemme know if it works out for you. Later on tonight I might try the same thing so I can directly compare notes with you. Also I just dug out my N8008 and sat it on my desk so it would scream "Lets shoot film now!!" at me all the time.
-Iron that piece of cloth it is sitting on.
-Get the light closer.
-Set your lens to about 105mm and adjust the distance there. Ditch the flash since its confusing your white balance, apparently.
-Speaking of white balance, read about a gray card and what to do with it. Hope you kept your camera owners manual because you'll need it! Heck I've had my cameras for...yeah...and I still read the owners manual when it comes to white balance.
-Use manual mode, try about F/16 and play with the shutter until its all happy. Bracket your shots.
-On a personal note, I feel like you are too high, looking down on the subject. I'd say drop down to "eye level". Of course this is my personal taste so its down here at the end with "personal note".
Try these, lemme know if it works out for you. Later on tonight I might try the same thing so I can directly compare notes with you. Also I just dug out my N8008 and sat it on my desk so it would scream "Lets shoot film now!!" at me all the time.
sross
Adventurer
Did all of those things except the grey card. I had to use it a lot with the old camera but haven't bothered yet with the new one. No flash, white reflector with flashlight overhead and the lamp about 18 inches overhead and a few inches to the subject's left. 105mm focal, 1/30 shutter speed at F/16. The coins being used to hold it up off the fabric are a distraction but I don't have a piece of glass handy to lift it up with so they'll have to do for now.
Michael Slade
Untitled
Some thoughts:
1. Don't worry about the coins.
2. Turn off one of your lights.
3. Play with the distance of the light to the subject.
4. Play with diffusing the light.
5. Play with reflecting light back into the subject.
6. Learn how to white balance.
You'll get what I'm trying to say when you start playing around. One thing to remember when shooting color is that is it CRITICAL that your light sources be the same color temperature.
Great start! Keep on practicing. Oh also quit worrying about what you're NOT able to do and start learning about what you ARE able to do. You'll get better results faster.
1. Don't worry about the coins.
2. Turn off one of your lights.
3. Play with the distance of the light to the subject.
4. Play with diffusing the light.
5. Play with reflecting light back into the subject.
6. Learn how to white balance.
You'll get what I'm trying to say when you start playing around. One thing to remember when shooting color is that is it CRITICAL that your light sources be the same color temperature.
Great start! Keep on practicing. Oh also quit worrying about what you're NOT able to do and start learning about what you ARE able to do. You'll get better results faster.
sross
Adventurer
realized the overhead light was probably messing up the lighting I was trying to control, I also moved the subject so it is almost directly underneath the lamp. Same camera settings as before, with the flashlight reflector combo facing the front right side of the subject. Other than the shadow from the lens, which I think is probably fixed by raising the subject up on a piece of glass?
