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Hello group,

I'm doing some research on buying some lighting equipment for studio
portraits. There's a ton of gear out there and it's all pretty
confusing. As I push through some books/vids, I thought I'd ask the
experts: what's a good way to start with doing some simple portraits?
I would be taking this on location or setup at home with a background
(probably white).

Umbrella or softbox? What type of umbrella--shoot through?
Strobe lighting, fluorescent, or flash?

I know it depends on how much $$ I want to spend. If I could create
nice, professional looking portraits with a single light (and later
build on that as I learn more), that would be a great place to start.

Thanks,
C

On Mon, 3 May 2010 14:43:21 -0700 (PDT), PaddleHard <>
wrote:

>As I push through some books/vids, I thought I'd ask the
>experts:

BWAHAHHAHAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Too funny!

Sorry, but you've come to the wrong place. 99% of the posters to this
newsgroup have never touched a camera in their lifetime, nearly all are
just resident trolls that live in this newsgroup like their little
imaginary club-house. All they know is what they read on the net, and
poorly comprehend at that. They are also dependent on whatever manuals they
can download so they can pretend to own that camera or equipment. They use
this forum like a virtual-reality role-play fantasy life, only pretending
to be photographers.

But hey! Good luck! May you be able to sort out the 1 bit of genuine advice
from the 99 others that are only imagining what might be valid information
useful in real-life.

LOL!

On 03/05/2010 2:43 PM, PaddleHard wrote:
> Hello group,
>
> I'm doing some research on buying some lighting equipment for studio
> portraits. There's a ton of gear out there and it's all pretty
> confusing. As I push through some books/vids, I thought I'd ask the
> experts: what's a good way to start with doing some simple portraits?
> I would be taking this on location or setup at home with a background
> (probably white).

A window and a large piece of white cardboard to reflect light back into
the shadow side of the face. Cheap and effective and natural light is
preferable to me than man-made light.

"gumby" <> wrote in message
news:hro2v9$bed$...
> On 03/05/2010 2:43 PM, PaddleHard wrote:
>> Hello group,
>>
>> I'm doing some research on buying some lighting equipment for studio
>> portraits. There's a ton of gear out there and it's all pretty
>> confusing. As I push through some books/vids, I thought I'd ask the
>> experts: what's a good way to start with doing some simple portraits?
>> I would be taking this on location or setup at home with a background
>> (probably white).
>
> A window and a large piece of white cardboard to reflect light back into
> the shadow side of the face. Cheap and effective and natural light is
> preferable to me than man-made light.

I agree. The north side of the house is best.

On May 4, 9:18*am, George Kerby <ghost_top...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On 5/4/10 7:51 AM, in article hrp58h$pd...@news.eternal-september.org, "Tim
>
>
>
> Conway" <tconway_...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > "gumby" <gu...@here.com> wrote in message
> >news:hro2v9$bed$...
> >> On 03/05/2010 2:43 PM, PaddleHard wrote:
> >>> Hello group,
>
> >>> I'm doing some research on buying some lighting equipment for studio
> >>> portraits. There's a ton of gear out there and it's all pretty
> >>> confusing. As I push through some books/vids, I thought I'd ask the
> >>> experts: what's a good way to start with doing some simple portraits?
> >>> I would be taking this on location or setup at home with a background
> >>> (probably white).
>
> >> A window and a large piece of white cardboard to reflect light back into
> >> the shadow side of the face. Cheap and effective and natural light is
> >> preferable to me than man-made light.
>
> > I agree. *The north side of the house is best.
>
> Well, I guess it wouldn't cost too much for the OP to cut out a picture
> window in his living room and have his subjects, mostly strangers, come to
> his home for a sitting, eh?
>
> I do not agree...

Might be cheaper to buy lights. Might.

"PaddleHard" <> wrote in message
news:1a33659d-2812-4009-8f3c-...
On May 4, 9:18 am, George Kerby <ghost_top...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On 5/4/10 7:51 AM, in article hrp58h$pd...@news.eternal-september.org,
> "Tim
>
>
>
> Conway" <tconway_...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > "gumby" <gu...@here.com> wrote in message
> >news:hro2v9$bed$...
> >> On 03/05/2010 2:43 PM, PaddleHard wrote:
> >>> Hello group,
>
> >>> I'm doing some research on buying some lighting equipment for studio
> >>> portraits. There's a ton of gear out there and it's all pretty
> >>> confusing. As I push through some books/vids, I thought I'd ask the
> >>> experts: what's a good way to start with doing some simple portraits?
> >>> I would be taking this on location or setup at home with a background
> >>> (probably white).
>
> >> A window and a large piece of white cardboard to reflect light back
> >> into
> >> the shadow side of the face. Cheap and effective and natural light is
> >> preferable to me than man-made light.
>
> > I agree. The north side of the house is best.
>
> Well, I guess it wouldn't cost too much for the OP to cut out a picture
> window in his living room and have his subjects, mostly strangers, come to
> his home for a sitting, eh?
>
> I do not agree...

>Might be cheaper to buy lights. Might.

If you do, I definitely go the flash & umbrella or softbox route instead of
tungsten lights. Clients generally prefer the flashes rather than sitting
under the hot lights.

On 04/05/2010 6:18 AM, George Kerby wrote:

> Well, I guess it wouldn't cost too much for the OP to cut out a picture
> window in his living room and have his subjects, mostly strangers, come to
> his home for a sitting, eh?
>
> I do not agree...
>

Back in the old days that is exactly what they did.

On 04/05/2010 7:41 AM, Tim Conway wrote:

> If you do, I definitely go the flash & umbrella or softbox route instead
> of tungsten lights. Clients generally prefer the flashes rather than
> sitting under the hot lights.
>

LED lights! I bought some LED light bulbs and they are cool to the
touch. They are not powerful enough for photography yet but they will
get there one of these days soon.

On 05/05/2010 10:33 AM, George Kerby wrote:

> Even older: Flash powder.
>

What's the formula?

"gumby" <> wrote in message
news:hrsqjt$h6c$...
> On 05/05/2010 10:33 AM, George Kerby wrote:
>
>> Even older: Flash powder.
>>
>
> What's the formula?


Google is your friend.


--
Peter