Chuck Gardner
Forum Pro
Reed,
For almost 30 years I just used window light and a reflector for portraits; the way I was taught. You can get great results that way, and if you stop to think, its the exact type of soft light folks spend $$$ to simulate with strobes and softboxes. For a minimal investment in a flat reflector, stand, and background you can take very nice portraits that way (see http://super.nova.org/PhotoClass/PhotoClass02A_01.html )
For the past few years I've been using a pair of Vivitar flashes bounced into umbrellas with pretty good results:
See http://super.nova.org/photos/ for equipment specifics and http://super.nova.org/PhotoGallery for more examples, including some tabletop still life shots.
The advantage is the set-up is relatively inexpensive and portable. I'm in the Foreign Service and for 20 years have lived in a sucession of 3 BR apartments and townhouses were I haven't had the luxury of a space where I could set-up a permanent studio, or even store a lot of equipment.
The disadvantages of the el cheapo route is a lack of previsualization (no modeling lights) and very limited control. I've got enough experience to overcome these, but someone starting out with lighting and posing would have a difficult time learning while "flying in the blind" without modeling lights. You could go with hot lights to solve the modeling problem, and that might be a better investment if you also do home videos.
There are also limitations to using only two lights. Adding a backgound light allows control of the subject / background separation and adding a hair light increases the 3D realism of the hair and provides separate between dark hair and low key backgounds. When you start adding all those lights the ability to accurately previsualize and precisely control flash output are important creative and ease of use factors.
After a good deal of soul searching and wrestling (with my wallet) I've opted to go with the four-light Alien Bees kit because I finally have space for a studio I don't need to tear down to eat dinner and want to go beyond simple two-light setups.
If you are on a tight budget start with window light and a reflector to learn basic posing and lighting. If you can't shoot a well posed, well lit portrait by a window you'll struggle in with studio strobes and get frustrated. Next add an AB400 or AB800 with a softbox as a key light and use it with the reflector just as you did by window light. As you can afford more lights add a second for fill, and additional ones for background and hair. It will be a better long term investment than buying a second camera-type strobe and ligihtweight stands.
Chuck
For almost 30 years I just used window light and a reflector for portraits; the way I was taught. You can get great results that way, and if you stop to think, its the exact type of soft light folks spend $$$ to simulate with strobes and softboxes. For a minimal investment in a flat reflector, stand, and background you can take very nice portraits that way (see http://super.nova.org/PhotoClass/PhotoClass02A_01.html )
For the past few years I've been using a pair of Vivitar flashes bounced into umbrellas with pretty good results:
See http://super.nova.org/photos/ for equipment specifics and http://super.nova.org/PhotoGallery for more examples, including some tabletop still life shots.
The advantage is the set-up is relatively inexpensive and portable. I'm in the Foreign Service and for 20 years have lived in a sucession of 3 BR apartments and townhouses were I haven't had the luxury of a space where I could set-up a permanent studio, or even store a lot of equipment.
The disadvantages of the el cheapo route is a lack of previsualization (no modeling lights) and very limited control. I've got enough experience to overcome these, but someone starting out with lighting and posing would have a difficult time learning while "flying in the blind" without modeling lights. You could go with hot lights to solve the modeling problem, and that might be a better investment if you also do home videos.
There are also limitations to using only two lights. Adding a backgound light allows control of the subject / background separation and adding a hair light increases the 3D realism of the hair and provides separate between dark hair and low key backgounds. When you start adding all those lights the ability to accurately previsualize and precisely control flash output are important creative and ease of use factors.
After a good deal of soul searching and wrestling (with my wallet) I've opted to go with the four-light Alien Bees kit because I finally have space for a studio I don't need to tear down to eat dinner and want to go beyond simple two-light setups.
If you are on a tight budget start with window light and a reflector to learn basic posing and lighting. If you can't shoot a well posed, well lit portrait by a window you'll struggle in with studio strobes and get frustrated. Next add an AB400 or AB800 with a softbox as a key light and use it with the reflector just as you did by window light. As you can afford more lights add a second for fill, and additional ones for background and hair. It will be a better long term investment than buying a second camera-type strobe and ligihtweight stands.
Chuck
