Adding more lights?

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dancook

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Dan
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I currently have two 600ex-rt speedlights

I use them for photoshoots in the lounge, or at events - maybe I will start consider location shoots. In the next few years I'd like to build a studio in the garden. This is all non-professional mind you, but I'm an enthusiast!

I always thought monolights were relatively inexpensive .. but when looking at the mobile beauty dish setup of this photographer - I couldn't be more wrong! http://www.flickr.com/photos/chesterjohnphoto/11985677773/

I have a speedlight beauty dish at the moment, which will take two flash units, I would like to use it with rim lighting. Not sure whether to buy more speedlights or consider monolights?

any thoughts? thanks
 
I don't know what the link was supposed to show regarding gear, all I could see were photo's.

Monobloc's are ridiculously cheap when you compare them to 600 ex-rt's.
From Lencarta for the price of 2 of your flashguns you could have had 2 superfast heads or 8 smartflashes or almost a Safari 2 head kit..

I'm negating the stands and modifiers, as you'd need to buy them whether you were buying speedlights or flash heads.

Frankly, speedlights are great for portability, but have no other advantages. There are plenty of reasonably priced modifiers available too.

When I see the guys on the web with a battery (pun intended) of speedlights, I can't help totting up the cost in my head - it's crazy amounts of money. Enough 600 ex rt's or SB900's (6 at least) to be a really effective set up would buy a proper mobile studio set up from almost any manufacturer.
 
Phil V said:
I don't know what the link was supposed to show regarding gear, all I could see were photo's.
Click to expand...

It was the description that listed

Phase One 645Df | Phase One P30+ | Phase One V-Grip Air | Schneider Kreuznach 80mm LS Lens | Mola Setti + Avenger A5036CS + Avenger D600 + Avenger F830 | Profoto Pro B2 | Profoto Pro-B Head | Profoto Air Sync

Thanks for your advice, I'll start to accumulate studio lighting equipment instead :)
 
There's nothing on that list that's not 'rolls royce', some of us are stuck with ordinary budgets for ordinary gear.
 
Some people just like to spend. There's a lot of difference sometimes between need and like.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Some people just like to spend. There's a lot of difference sometimes between need and like.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I have a bit of a spending addiction myself! Choosing studio lights is going to be a nightmare, need restraint.
 
I don,t see anything special in his photos.:sleep::confused:
 
I was mostly interested in his portable beauty dish, with battery - then I saw how much it cost... and felt like I had to reconsider my idea to buy something like that.

Maybe I can still get the dish, but I will have to consider other options for the light.
 
ding76uk said:
A better starting point is what do you want to shoot and what is your budget? You can buy a beauty dish setup for a lot less than the price of that setup.
Click to expand...

Thanks, yes time to slow down, I'm getting far to ahead of myself..

I suppose my next plan was to try some low key with rim lighting, and beauty dish as key.

I could use a speedlight in the BD and one for rim, but I've been wanting to use my grid - and I have a feeling it'll need both speedlights (could be wrong, it's not like i've a wealth of experience!!)

Then if I want some fill lighting, maybe I could make do with a reflector dish. I was thinking about purchasing a lastolite black velvet pop-up background.

Otherwise I thought I might like to play with kicker lights
 
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dancook said:
Thanks, yes time to slow down, I'm getting far to ahead of myself..

I suppose my next plan was to try some low key with rim lighting, and beauty dish as key.

I could use a speedlight in the BD and one for rim, but I've been wanting to use my grid - and I have a feeling it'll need both speedlights (could be wrong, it's not like i've a wealth of experience!!)

Then if I want some fill lighting, maybe I could make do with a reflector dish. I was thinking about purchasing a lastolite black velvet pop-up background.

Otherwise I thought I might like to play with kicker lights
Click to expand...

The only thing that Speedlites can't do like a studio strobe or portable system is kill ambient light. If you get technical there are a few more, but light is light at the end of the day, especially at the stage you are at.

You have very expensive and v. nice flashes. Take time to learn them and use them before thinking you need more gear.

Spend money and time on books and reading to understand some of the principals of lighting first. I can't remember the name but there is a great book on lighting theory that I am sure someone will post it by the time my brain works.
 
I do have the speedliters handbook and I know I'm still learning, but I still want to try things that need more than 2 strobes (or 1 in the case of my gridded bd).

Two speedlites in a gridded bd, nothing to add rim light.

Louise by dancook1982, on Flickr

I initially wanted two kicker lights and a fill for this photo, I settled with this

Dexter - Me by dancook1982, on Flickr

Not sure I needed any other lights in the following photo, just want to point out I am satisfied sometimes!

Louise by dancook1982, on Flickr
 
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