What is the best and cheepest lighting for my digital camera?
Erica B asked:
I’m trying to start my own photography business and I need some portable lighting. I want it to be easy to move around, as I will be going to people’s homes, but I would like to spend the least amount of money possible without sacrificing quality. Any suggestions would help me out a lot.
I would also like the kind of lights that flash whenever to take a picture not the kind that stays on the whole time.
I’m trying to start my own photography business and I need some portable lighting. I want it to be easy to move around, as I will be going to people’s homes, but I would like to spend the least amount of money possible without sacrificing quality. Any suggestions would help me out a lot.
I would also like the kind of lights that flash whenever to take a picture not the kind that stays on the whole time.
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The Adorama Flashpoint stuff has been around for years and it’s a good dollar value. Get a 2 or 3 light set-up with a couple of umbrellas for well under $500 and learn how to use it.
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For good advice, listen to the professionals below me. I just tried to answer with your criteria for “flashing” and “cheapest” lighting in mind. [who] Picture Taker
Start with a one light set-up and graduate to what picture taker has suggested. [who] sant kabir
If you are looking for larger studio units then Alien Bees are what you need. They are good, and inexpensive.
If you want something smaller just get a couple of Speedlights, some stands, umbrellas and a few Pocket Wizards. There’s a really good kit at Midwest Photo Exchange.
Also lots of good lighting info here: [who] Linecook
I have been in the biz for a few decades.
I carry a “kit” studio which consists of a pair of Lowell Tota-light lamps with umbrellas and stands, a Savage background stand and a variety of Savage background paper rolls. Those items and a sturdy tripod is all I need to shoot just about anything. …. oh, and add a remote shutter release too.
I used to carry an old Sekonic Studio incident light meter to set my lighting ratios, but now I can just “eyeball” it and get it right.
Cost?
The two light kit with carrying case: Under $400
The Savage background stand: $110
Savage Backgrounds: $45 a roll. These you can buy at your local camera store.
You stated that you really want some portable studio flash units instead of continuous lighting. Until you can learn to really see what the lights are doing to your subject, you really need a good set of incandescent lights. These are the lights that student learn on until they can see what the light is doing under the very enemic “modeling lights” that are included with studio flash kits and can afford the $1,000 to $3,000 it costs for portable studio electronic flash systems.
Here is a link to a tearsheet. The food shots were lit using the same Tota-light kit as described above
[who] fhotoace
if you are not taking images of newborns STROBE LIGHTING is great…however VERY damaging to babys new eyes, for this I use continuous umbrella lighting with shoot through umbrellas…much safer!
Umbrella lighting can be affordable strobe lighting starts at around 1000K including stands etc You will want to invest in also a “peanut”, diffusers, hand free set off, and two soft boxes to go along with strobes.
I do recommend that you take some course before you set up your “professional photography” business…you might want to learn the basics first like which lighting is what, actual names for them,,, let alone how to use them properly. [who] movinonup