Equipment Hire?? Looking for advice

[Memorymaker]

I want to try my hand at childrens portraits. I own a nursery and so instead of hiring a photographer, which had disastrous effects last year, I would like to give it a try myself.

I have a Canon 450D, so think its up to the job. But I would need to hire a backdrop, and lights. Whats a good set up for childrens portraits?

Any advice would be greatly recieved.

Thanks

 

[AliB]

Have you any idea how to use studio lights?

Not wishing to appear rude but some sort of level of existing knowledge would be useful to give the right advice.

 

[Memorymaker]

The short answer to that is no. I havent used them before, but I have been reading up about it and asking questions of other photographers that I know, I guess I was thinking once I know what set up would be good, I could learn how to use that equipment.

I'm realising I probably sound really dumb. Hmmm Sorry

 

[AliB]

Nope, not at all, everyone has to start somewhere but it's honestly not as easy as sticking up a couple of lights, turning them up to a setting and off you go.

You need to learn about lighting, about main lights, fill lights, ratios. About how to light the planes of the face, how to avoid the nose going through the profile of the face.............bleed off the background, how to overexpose for a white background, how to meter your lights..........

Have a look at http://www.photolearn.co.uk/webpages/book_lighting_and_equipement.html

It will give you a good idea of what is involved.

Hope that helps.

 

[HoppyUK]

I want to try my hand at childrens portraits. I own a nursery and so instead of hiring a photographer, which had disastrous effects last year, I would like to give it a try myself.

I have a Canon 450D, so think its up to the job. But I would need to hire a backdrop, and lights. Whats a good set up for childrens portraits?

Any advice would be greatly recieved.

Thanks

Good for you! IF you have a decent understanding of the basic principles of exposure and half an eye for a decent picture, plus a willingness to experiment a little and learn, you should be fine. Shooting simple portraits with studio flash is not difficult at all.

You can hire a kit of very nice Elinchrom studio flash lights for £34 (very cheap) from here http://www.theflashcentre.com/d-lite-kits-c132.html Same as I use, same as some of the pros on here use.

If you're not too ambitious, you can produce professional standard head and shoulders with just one light and a reflector made of white card. When you've got that sorted, working in a second light for the background, if you should need it, will follow easily enough.

What you need is a sound basic understanding, the equipment is secondary.