Lighting kit...good or not?

tattywelshie

tattywelshie

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Hi guys...bit of advice needed from you experts :)

Basically, my work wants me to shoot a shed load of corporate portraits. They want them all shot on white background, one head and shoulders shot, and one full length shot.

So i have my seamless background, i have a 430ex and umbrella as the main light for the model, but need strobes to get a white background.

My work have given me a budget of £250, so i cant go above this...i found this kit on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/500W-Profes...3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1289208096&sr=8-3

But wondered, would this be ok for what i need? As i say, i cant go above £250, and dont really know what is good or not, so any advice would be great :)
 
Do you need to source the white background as well? If so then it's doable as that would leave you about £125 which would be enough to get a background support system at £75 and a 3x3 white muslin background at £30 :)

At that budget I don't think you'd have much of a choice with regard to lights especially if you need to get the background. If you don't need the background then that could open up some more avenues.

Alternatively, you could find someone from here who has some lighting kit and split the cash if they come and help out?
 
gman said:
Do you need to source the white background as well? If so then it's doable as that would leave you about £125 which would be enough to get a background support system at £75 and a 3x3 white muslin background at £30 :)

At that budget I don't think you'd have much of a choice with regard to lights especially if you need to get the background. If you don't need the background then that could open up some more avenues.

Alternatively, you could find someone from here who has some lighting kit and split the cash if they come and help out?
Click to expand...

Ya, i need to source the background, but im not that worried about that too much. :)

Just wanted to double check that the kit was ok for my needs, im so out of my depth with studio stuff lol

Unfortunatly i cant really go down the route of splitting the cost etc :(
 
Is the work letting you keep the gear afterwards? If so can you add your own money to the £250 budget?

I'm thinking if it's a shed load of corporate portraits then although these lights will probably be fine, if something does go wrong with them then if you can stretch the budget to Lencarta or Elemental ones then at least you can get things replaced fast if something happens.
 
gman said:
Is the work letting you keep the gear afterwards? If so can you add your own money to the £250 budget?

I'm thinking if it's a shed load of corporate portraits then although these lights will probably be fine, if something does go wrong with them then if you can stretch the budget to Lencarta or Elemental ones then at least you can get things replaced fast if something happens.
Click to expand...

Cool, no they will be work property, although i'lll sneakily use them myself from time to time lol

Oooo ok, so something like this...

http://www.lencarta.com/index.php?p...ategory_id=21&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53

I have to admit, that does look a lot better! :)
 
If you aren't getting to keep them then I wouldn't bother putting any of your own money into it. I'd get the Amazon ones, use them to learn as much as possible about studio lighting and then you'll be in a stronger position when it comes to buying a set for yourself and can go down the better brand routes.

If those ones break then your employer only has themselves to blame and not you. :)
 
i have used ones the same of ebay and to be honest they work great and produce cracking results, i have never had mine over half power i have 3 250w ones.
these were taken using 2.
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SJB_3262e7-1.jpg
 
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It may also be easier to return any faulty items to Amazon when compared to Ebay - but that's just speculation.
 
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I think Bowens may be asking a little too much of his employer ;)
 
have a quiet word, do they want white or so they want plain?

my go to here is a plain white wall lit with a grided speedlight to give a soft tone to it for the background

then a speedlight in softbox fairly close high ish one side reflector the other simple easy repeatable and lets you concentrate on the subject
 
Can you not just hire ! If the company dont want quality maybe thats the way to go...On saying this dont know how much it would be to hire just another angle for you to ponder ;)
 
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