Setting up a studio - what to get?

dickelfan

Senior Member
Ok, I would like to setup a basic studio that I can use in my home. Just learning about flash, etc. I don't want to spend a ton of money but would like to buy something that is of good quality. I've only got one YN560-II flash. No clue if I should go umbrellas or softboxes? Should I just use strobes instead of flash?
Any recommendations for good lightstands?

Would not mind buying a decent kit that has everything. I don't want something thought that in a year or so I'll just want to throw away.

Thanks for any input.
 

WhiteLight

Senior Member
Ok.. This is not really an easy answer considering everything :D
Firstly, you need to put a number up in terms of how much you want to spend.
Secondly, you need to decide what you want to do - if portraits/headshots/glamour etc.. or if it's gonna be on location, outdoors etc..

Once you answer the above 2, a lot of the rest becomes easier.
But it does need tons of research & learning before you actually buy something..
you should buy the best you can at any given point rather than settling for something lesser due to money, cos sooner or later you will buy the more expensive one.

Flashes & Strobes are 2 different beasts... both have their own pro's & cons.
Go for Flash if you will predominantly shoot outdoors.. also it is a good starting point...
which will help you with strobes as well.

Would always recommend Nikon first the SB700 or the SB900..
if price is a real big factor, then the Yongnuo YN565s are excellent from what i've heard.

For strobes, do not hold back.. you get what you pay for...

Modifiers - You'll probably need softboxes & umbrellas... and a whole lot more :D

Let's know your thoughts so far on the above
 

Browncoat

Senior Member
I don't want to spend a ton of money...

...but would like to buy something that is of good quality.

Pick one, because you can't have both. You're bouncing all over the place here and have no real direction, so the responses you get to this are frankly, going to be crap.

1) Most importantly, what is your budget?

2) Umbrellas vs softboxes isn't a one and done choice. If you're serious about lighting, you need both.

3) Read this.

4) What kind of space can you dedicate to your studio?
 

dickelfan

Senior Member
Ok...thanks for the input so far.

The most I would want to spend right now is maybe $500. As of now I don't have a lot of space in our house to setup a permanet studio. I have a nice office that I mainly use for my photo stuff, but I know the wife doesn't want to see stuff setup all the time, so the ability to take it down with ease would be nice. I would prefer to work on shooting headshots, portraits, etc. I have a little girl that is almost 2 that I take a lot of pictures of, but I'm trying to broaden my horizons. There is a very good chance that within the year we could be relocating to Kansas City for my wife's job, and if that is the case I have thought about trying to just do some photography stuff for awhile, and I would setup a studio there in the house. I would like to just start with the basics, and build out from there, don't have to purchase every light right now.
 
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Browncoat

Senior Member
Ok...thanks for the input so far.

The most I would want to spend right now is maybe $500. As of now I don't have a lot of space in our house to setup a permanet studio. I have a nice office that I mainly use for my photo stuff, but I know the wife doesn't want to see stuff setup all the time, so the ability to take it down with ease would be nice. I would prefer to work on shooting headshots, portraits, etc. I have a little girl that is almost 2 that I take a lot of pictures of, but I'm trying to broaden my horizons. There is a very good chance that within the year we could be relocating to Kansas City for my wife's job, and if that is the case I have thought about trying to just do some photography stuff for awhile, and I would setup a studio there in the house. I would like to just start with the basics, and build out from there, don't have to purchase every light right now.

Definitely check out the link I posted of the budget lighting setups. A 2 or 3 speedlight version of the Closet Studio is probably just what the doctor ordered. There's a lot there for not a lot of money. You can always upgrade over time.
 

FastGlass

Senior Member
If doing portraits then speedlights will do just fine plus save you a ton of money. Of course the best way to go is strobes. And as WhiteLight stated, you get what you pay for. Do your homework because not every strobe is created equal. Just because it says 500ws doesn't mean that's how much it pumps out. The better strobes have better circuitry that are more efficient in the output of the light. Spending a couple hundred bucks on a simple setup is wasting your money.
As far as modifiers. It all comes down to controlling the light. Umbrellas do very little as far as controlling the light. They have lots of spill which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But if wanting to control the light falloff against a background, umbrellas are hard to control. Softbox's have allot more control over where you can direct the light but they come at a higher price.
You really need to do your homework. t's hard to direct someone as to which direction to go. Photographers can technically have the same setup but can be thousands and thousands apart from each other as far as the cost.
 

RocketCowboy

Senior Member
I'm late getting to this thread, but since I'm going through a very similar project myself this winter...

I've been reading everything I can get my hands on from Wayne's blog. Since I want to flexibility to be mobile if needed, and work indoors and outdoors initially, I'm looking to go the umbrella/speedlight direction to get started. As I start getting more experience with flash, I can switch things over and add a softbox or other modifier, or start adding strobes, without really wasting what I'm hoping to start with.

Is it just the lighting pieces you've got questions about, or do you also need backgrounds, etc?
 
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