First home studio/portable lighting and backgrounds

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Cliveyp

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Clive
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I've recently been doing some product shoots for a local RC car magazine which involve both static "whiteboard" shots and on-track, motion, photos. Obviously the outdoor ones are not my problem here, although there are some issues that i'll probably clear up in another thread somewhere, but the statics are more of a problem! I'm told that the shots I provided for the last review were quite dark, and the white balance was not great, therefore giving a colour cast on the white background. On my monitor this wasn't obvious, so my first port of call is to look towards some screen calibration equipment (which was going to be my other thread, so I wont go into that here), and also invest in some sort of studio-type setup to provide a proper lighting system for me.

I currently use (dare I even admite to this) a rather ramshackle make-do of a couple of A1 sheets of white paper propped up against the sofa, drop the camera on a long shutter, and make multiple passes around the object with my Canon 430EX2 on manual fire. This works (to a point) but is obviously not ideal.

I'm also wanting to move into portraiture, as this is something i've found I really enjoy...and with a friends wedding on the cards for next year, something i'd really like to constantly practice. If possible, i'd like to use the same setup for both (obviously moving lights around to suit).

Keeping a tight budget, what can you guys recommend to compliment what I curently have (ie, nothing bar a 400D - soon to become a 7D - and the 430EX2)? I would be using a room in the house, so a quick setup/tear-down would be beneficial, although it could probably spend some time residing in the spare room as a makeshift studio for the short term.

Really appreciate your guidance, as lighting is somewhat a dark-art for me!!
 
Yes, calibrating your screen is a starting point, and setting a custom white balance on your camera is essential too, but hotshoe flashguns become noticeably more blue at low power settings and this isn't something that can be avoided.

How big are these RC cars? Will the Lencarta Home quick setup still life table be big enough?

As for lighting, you won't go wrong with Bowens, Elinchrom or Lencarta (in alphabetical order)

The Lencarta twin head SmartFlash kit with a decent size folding softbox will do everything you need it too, for both the product shots and for portraits. Add a 5 in 1 reflector and maybe a third head and you'll have a very versatile setup.
 
Hi Garry. Ive noticed your replies in many of these types of thread so am glad that you've answered this one!

The still-life table would be pushing it for size if I'm honest, as the last RC car that I shot was a bit of a beast and wouldn't allow any spare room to angle a shot, everything would have to be done square on........possible I guess, but not particularly user friendly. I was thinking more of a full height, drape with train, type of arrangement, but am nervous of paper (unless it is actually that strong) for portrait use?!? I guess vinyls are cost prohibitive though??

As for the lighting, thanks for your pointers. I'm assuming these can be triggered remotely with ease from a 400D? Is this as simple as I really need for a great lighting effect? Is there any sample shots of what this twin setup can produce?

Really appreciate your guidance!
 
The still-life table would be pushing it for size if I'm honest
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Then don't get one, you need a fair bit of space all round the largest subject, and then you have to allow for perspective... go for either paper or a good quality vinyl. Personally I prefer paper for the results it gives, but in the long term vinyl is cheaper.
As for the lighting, thanks for your pointers. I'm assuming these can be triggered remotely with ease from a 400D?
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Yes, just get a radio trigger set, plug the receiver into one of the flash heads and the transmitter into your camera hotshoe.Is this as simple as I really need for a great lighting effect? In terms of the equipment, yes - but you have to add the knowledge and experience, it can be a pretty sharp learning curve at first but it isn't actually difficult.
Is there any sample shots of what this twin setup can produce?
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Well, I'm sure that there are plenty on the new Lencarta users group that someone has set up on Flickr, and I used this equipment for many of the product shots on the Lencarta website - but as long as you avoid the junk, any decent lights can produce decent results. It's a bit like driving a car safely. A pile of junk is inherently dangerous, whether a decent car is safe or not depends more on the big nut behind the wheel than anything else:)
 
Thanks again Garry. Understand completely what you mean about experience playing a big part......its all a case of try it and find out I think!

Would you recommend flashes over constant light then in that case? Is there any benefit of either?
 
Flash is far more controllable and has a far wider choice of modifiers than affordable continuous lighting, and also has far more power.

My view is that it's a no contest, although of course different people have different opinions.
 
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