Last week we looked at The 3 Light Set Up and before that we talked general information on Lighting Equipment. Today we’ll look a little more specifically into lighting equipment purchasing, and using what you have to get your professional studio portrait lighting off the ground.

As I’ve been writing this series on Lighting Techniques in an effort to answer ontario mommie’s question Your Photo Tips has turned into a website for people with flashes and strobes. Because not all of the readers of Your Photo Tips are portrait photographers I feel I have been neglecting those readers. While I could write endlessly on Lighting Techniques I will be concluding this particular series next week by breaking down the specifics on how I captured a particular image using slightly unconventional methods.

What do you do if you don’t have any strobes?

If you’re serious about becoming a studio portrait photographer you go out and get some. There are many companies out there selling “beginner light kits” that should fit any person’s budget. Most of the ones I found come with one to three strobes, stands, either umbrellas or soft boxes, and various other accessories. Be weary of “discount kits” as they may contain equipment that is cheaply made (you do get what you pay for). There are many things to consider when choosing a light kit. Here’s what I look at:

• Price - Is this light kit beneath my budget? It is likely that once I do get the light kit home and start using it I will invariably require some sort of additional purchase. This can really be anything from a longer sync chord or getting a remote trigger setup to purchasing additional umbrellas and such.

• Value - Value is perceived, in my opinion, on how long the equipment will potentially last when compared to the price. In order for the equipment to have value it needs to be made well enough for my purposes. I can probably spend less if I only plan on sporadically using the equipment. If I plan on using it everyday, I’m saving money for the big dogs. There’s no point in spending a few hundred bucks on something that will break after minimal wear and tear.

• Expandability - When, not if, I decide to add additional lights can I? Most of the time the answer is yes, but I first want to look at the cost of single strobes. If the single strobes are almost as much as the whole kit I might start looking elsewhere. The ideal kit will be able to work seamlessly with additional strobes either from the same company or another manufacturer.

• Modeling Lights - If I’m spending money on strobes I’m getting modeling lights on those things. Otherwise, they are kind of a waste of money. You can get the same results from off camera shoe mount external flashes and they are way more portable. The real benefit behind using strobes, in my opinion, is the modeling light. Being able to see where the light will shine on , and most importantly, fall off of your subject is key for my particular style of artistic portraiture.

• Power - This is really going to vary depending on the available working space and who/what you are photographing. I’ve found that in portraits of individuals to small groupings you really don’t need much more than around 100 watts power. In fact you can have too much light especially if you are confined to tighter quarters ie, garage, living room, etc. You’ll want lights that have variable power settings. Being able to adjust the light’s power will greatly enhance your ability to create wonderful portraiture.

Here are some companies I recommend looking into:

Brands I’ve used in the past

Photogenic

Photoflex

Brands other photographers I know have used and trusted

Profoto

Impact

What I’m currently using and love!

AlienBees

Photogenic, Photoflex, Profoto, and Impact can all be found at the B&H website.

If you don’t have the funds, or desire to purchase a full kit you still have options. You can purchase a single mono light with stand and umbrella/soft box and still get great results. This does require additional purchases of reflectors, which are relatively inexpensive. By bouncing the light off of reflectors you can fill in shadows. This will take a little practice but you only improve by practicing anyway. In truth if I were starting out with no equipment at all I might go this route regardless of budget. Having limited equipment forces you to be creative. Most of my favorite images were done with either one or two lights. The second light could have easily been replaced by a much cheaper reflector.

If you already have external flashes on hand, or plan on going this route for portability purposes you have options as well. There are companies that make all sorts of accessories that will turn a simple flash unit into a working strobe unit with stands, umbrellas, soft boxes, clamps, and more.

For example:

Lumiquest makes mini soft boxes for your flash

Strobist is a website community that has a huge devoted following. There you can find tons of articles on how to get the most out of your flash. I suggest starting at Lighting 101 but be forewarned two things may, or will, happen; you will spend all day looking through the entire website and/or you might end up becoming a strobist (that’s not a bad thing at all).

Additional tips:

1. Always have one extra light than you think you’ll need.
2. Duct tape is your best friend.
3. Portraits (typically) look better wide open (f5.6) which requires less light.
4. Using an umbrella versus soft box is a personal choice, just know that soft boxes are, well, softer.

Photograph Dav Miller & Milena Marinova by rkdauph

If you have questions or concerns please ask them in the comments section below. No question is a dumb question and you’ll probably be doing someone a favor by asking it!

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