photography advice please

liz-paul

Hi all, any photographers who can offer some advice/knowledge please?

I am considering buying some very basic (i.e cheap!) studio equipment to use at home. Basically, probably some lights & maybe a backdrop/tent thing. I am not a particuarly advanced photographer (been doing an evening class & am moving on the next one in Sept) & not lloking for anything professional. My main question is about flash guns & lights that are just 'on'. Which is better for portraits? I have 2 more classes so will hopefully get a chance to ask my tutor more in depth before we finish.

The other thing I'd quite like is some sort of backdrop. I've seen these
http://www.stevesphotoshop.co.uk/light_tent_studio_cube_200cm_extra_large.html but can't afford it & haven't been able to find the same thing anywhere else... Anyone seen anything like this but cheaper?

Thanks for reading

Lirin

Lights are better for portraits generally- flash makes skin tones washed out and shows up dark circles. You can pick up a set of lights fairly cheap- look on ebay for old or used studio kits. I have one which is quite old and I got for very little- and it's still better than some of the top range stuff I have looked at.
In regards to backdrops, do not be fooled into the idea you 'need' a pro setup from the beginning. When I started out, I used blackout curtains and large spin rolls of paper- again, cheap enough to buy. The advantage to fabric is it's washable- paper rolls and fitted backdrops can be expensive to replace/clean if they get dirty.
My general advice, if you're just starting, is to find cheap alternatives to pro setups and work from there. Curtains, a couple of rolls of plain wallpaper on a movable board, paper roll setups. I don't know you, and this isn't meant to annoy, but even though you're wishing to start as a photographer now, you may not be working as one in a year. You could have changed your mind, not found enough work- any number of reasons.
Calumet is usually quite good, Jessops still have reasonable kits, though after working as a photographer for 15 years, I still would use Ebay and Amazon quite a bit.

WhiteChristmas

Flash or floods is very much a matter of personal preference.

Historically, daylight bulbs made floodlighting very expensive to install and run. That's much less of an issue in the digital age with easy white balance adjustment.

Most "old heads" will still swear by their flashguns; personally, I use flexi-head lamps because I like the control it gives me and the ability to "see" the effect I'm getting in real time. Taking shots in a studio environment is stressful enough (for you and the model) without worrying about your flash settings!

That tent is very groovy, but won't give any better results than a well-ironed bedsheet!

WhiteChristmas

Also, what Lirin said!

Lirin

Plus, to add to WC, I've always hated flash as a large portion of people have a tendency to blink when it goes. I do bring a flash in my kit bag, but rarely use it, barring dusk shots at weddings.

steve1980

I only do personal photography but Park Cameras seem to be very good price wise. www.parkcameras.co.uk

liz-paul

Thanks for the replies. Don't worry you're not annoying me! I don't actually want to set up as a pro photographer right now (I'm not good enough!) but maybe in the future. Which is why I want very basic/cheap stuff now just to practise on family & friends. I don't mind spending a bit of money even if I never do it for a job as I enjoy it for a hobby. My tutor said the same about not needing proper backdrops & stuff, I just really like that tent as you could use it anywhere! OH reckons he could make one......

Thanks again for the replies

Dave_C_2

One other thing about flash, unless you have a sophisticated camera with built-in flash metering, then you have to buy a separate flash meter. This means manually setting the camera and ideally a sync lead to the flash units. Flash gets very complicated very quickly.

Cheapskate tips.
You can but big sheets of expanded polystyrene used in the building trade to insulate walls. One of these makes an excellent reflector.

What we did in our camera club years back was to make a background something like this from an old cotton sheet and tins of spray paint. If it's out of focus (fast shutter+wide aperture) it's OK.

And finally the best portraits can be taken with just light from a window and a reflector.

Dave

liz-paul

Hi again, Can anyone explain if there is a difference between a 'softbox' And a light on a stand with an umbrella (sorry but I don't know what you call that!). Sorry if this seems a bit dim but I'm pretty weak on the technical side of photography at the mo. Also, just from looking on Ebay it seems you can also get lights that look sort of like lamps (sometimes with square flap things on them). Any info at all is much appreciated as I'm trying to get myself out of the habit of thinking that I can't do anything technical......
Thanks again everyone!

Lirin

liz-paul wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. Don't worry you're not annoying me! I don't actually want to set up as a pro photographer right now (I'm not good enough!) but maybe in the future. Which is why I want very basic/cheap stuff now just to practise on family & friends. I don't mind spending a bit of money even if I never do it for a job as I enjoy it for a hobby. My tutor said the same about not needing proper backdrops & stuff, I just really like that tent as you could use it anywhere! OH reckons he could make one......

Thanks again for the replies

Forgot about making one- I've made one before for product shots using greaseproof paper.

Lirin

liz-paul wrote: »

Hi again, Can anyone explain if there is a difference between a 'softbox' And a light on a stand with an umbrella (sorry but I don't know what you call that!). Sorry if this seems a bit dim but I'm pretty weak on the technical side of photography at the mo. Also, just from looking on Ebay it seems you can also get lights that look sort of like lamps (sometimes with square flap things on them). Any info at all is much appreciated as I'm trying to get myself out of the habit of thinking that I can't do anything technical......
Thanks again everyone!

Softbox- A barrier between light and subject to diffuse the light, making it softer. Omnidirectional light, aim is to light entire subject evenly.
Umbrella setups- Give a variety of results- again, you have a softer diffused option, or silver/gold can be used to strengthen the light using a reflector on the inside of the unmbrella, which the light is bounced off. Produces a stronger direct light. Can be used to draw attention to a particular area of the subject through lighting.
The lamps with square flaps- a gate setup. The gates can be opened and closed to position the light, which is usually very strong, helping create definite shadows etc.

http://www.studiolighting.net/studio-lighting-setups/

That might help, take a look through the site, as there's plenty of tips- studio lighting is an art in itself.