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Hi,
I'm new to this forum..I'm a hobbyist photographer. Not earning through photography. I have a canon 550d kit,canon 50mm f1.8 and a Tamron 28-75 f2.8 and canon 270ex flash. I like photographing people and my lovely wife is my favorite model..I always wanted to set up a small studio with 3 to 4 lights loaded on stands and to experiment on different lighting. I cannot invest on costly equipments.
What is the cheapest option available. I'm planning to buy some cheap flash units like the vivitar 3200 and control them via radio triggers. Is it possible. My aim is to try on some product photography and some portraits mainly of my family and friends.....strictly off business. Am i on right track. Could anybody suggest me some options, please.
Actually if you look on Ebay under lighting you will find the price of lighting like 'redheads' have really fallen.
Or another cheap way out is buy these tiny 'video lights'...look I found the cheapest way sometimes are the best,especially today when with 'digital' you need very little lighting.
When I was producing my magazine pictures of models by the crate load,inc the covers on a deadline,they were all shot in a small spare room of my house at very little cost.It included props,lighting and background papers.So nobody would trip over wires,these all came down from the ceiling into the units x3.
Everything run like clockwork..the results looked like they were shot in a huge studio.
Huge studios are bleak places and have great light loss,and need heating otherwise you shiver.
Keep tight in and as I said,the simplest ways are the best,mark my word.
Happy Shooting.
H.
Quote: simplest ways are the best,mark my word
So true....
I would go further and say, Start with " One " light, Work that one light to its best advantages, When you master using just one light, You will be better prepared to start using multiple lights, By this time/point, You may even find your happier with the resluts you obtain from just one carefully and thoughtfully used light source.
Just flooding a scene with light is not the key to an interesting or thought provoking image, The old adage " Less Is More " should be born in mind, LOL...
It applies to most things worthwhile.
Edit: If you are not a fan of Ebay, This place might help with triggers & strobist gear, That will not break the bank......
Quote: Use of multiple flash lights
This can be as cheap or as expensive as you want to make it and using dearer lighting equipment will not necessarily make the quality of the light better.
Plain old fashioned optical triggers can be picked up for as little as £5 each, and good reliable flash units for as little as £2 or £3 each, and home made modifiers for practically nothing.
Quote: Just flooding a scene with light is not the key to an interesting or thought provoking image, The old adage " Less Is More " should be born in mind, LOL..
X2
one light can be really really nice
adding a second can improve or destroy a shot
adding a third needs careful thought
a fourth... getting intricate now
I got an optical trigger
with Canon, it only works once - then you've to take the trigger off and put it back on again
it's more annoying than gridlock on the M25
That's because of the method it uses to fire, once the current flows it keeps going and you need to disconnect it to stop it - see if you can find one specifically for a 580EX or one that states it has a high pass filter included.
It only needs a capacitor and resistor, you can wire it up inside something like a hotshoe adapter - I'll see if I can come up with one and let you know the details.
Quote: with Canon, it only works once - then you've to take the trigger off and put it back on again
Yes that is what I found using Canon flash units, but it`s a fault of Canon not the triggers.
Quote: One point no-one has mentioned yet is the voltages
There`s was little point in me mentioning this as I recommended optical triggers, if there no wired connection there`s no voltage problem
Hi drmadhuks.
I think I'm in a similar position - small budget, small room.
Cheapest for hi key is lots of light white walls and energy saving daylight 500W continuous bulbs- but the bright light causes pupils to contract and even eyes to squint.
Then upgrade to Yoghnu £30 flash lights are another good option - a cheap (4 for £30) set of radio triggers is a must to avoid cables and almost the same cost.
The proper studio lights with modelling bulbs could follow - again cheap ebay or these are a starting point.
In time power and portability considerations may take over.
Good luck.
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