Newbie help for full length portrait(home studio)

[foggy4ever]

Only lighting equipment I have is an sb600.

It's my daughters prom this year and my wife wants some full length formal shots in her dress, spidy sensors start tingling and thought it was a great opertunity to aquire some new gear with the wifes approval.

I have a through room/ dining room with the dining room about 13ft square, 8ft ceiling height so space should be ok.

Finally the question....(looking at studio lights not speedlights, although I could use the SB600 in addition)

What is the minimum number of flash heads required to light a full length single person or pair at a push. I have this as an idea to start my home studio.

Budget is under £600

I'm not looking for specific brand advice.

Regards

Scott

 

[david1701]

work just above the ambient and bounce the sb600off the opposite wall

stand by a window with a bedsheet diffuser and another as a reflector

go outside, natural light is lovely

aaaaaaah I ruin your plans

someone will be along shortly who knows their way around studio stuff

q they will need answers for
height is a bigger issue than floorspace (though that is important too)
white bg or not?
location work or just at home?

 

[Yv]

Scott, Garry Edwards is based in Bradford and has Lencarta kit is he more than happy for you to play with before you buy if you are willing to visit is studio, so perhaps give him a shout, might be worth you having a trip over to his place to see what is what.

 

[EOS_JD]

1 light would do the job! Depends on the look you want.

Lighting a white background requires more light than a low key background.

 

[foggy4ever]

work just above the ambient and bounce the sb600off the opposite wall

stand by a window with a bedsheet diffuser and another as a reflector

go outside, natural light is lovely

aaaaaaah I ruin your plans

someone will be along shortly who knows their way around studio stuff

q they will need answers for
height is a bigger issue than floorspace (though that is important too)
white bg or not?
location work or just at home?

shush I have permission to spend

Not looking for white background.

Scott, Garry Edwards is based in Bradford and has Lencarta kit is he more than happy for you to play with before you buy if you are willing to visit is studio, so perhaps give him a shout, might be worth you having a trip over to his place to see what is what.

Thanks Yv, had Garry in mind been trawling through all his videos. A visit sounds like good idea

 

[EOS_JD]

shush I have permission to spend

Not looking for white background.

The white background comes as standard with the kit you noted.
[/QUOTE]

I prefer black and a 2 light kit is perfect for low key work.

 

[foggy4ever]

The white background comes as standard with the kit you noted.

I prefer black and a 2 light kit is perfect for low key work.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the input, I was dreading people say minimum of 4 :bonk:.

The background colour can be changed with that kit.

 

[EOS_JD]

With white I use 2 lights on the background (I use a lastolite hilite) and one light on the subject + a reflector if required.

With black, I can use just one light for great results although a hair light does help. This was one light and a triflector.

 

[foggy4ever]

I've seen a few tutorials on white backgounds and the hilite system, not something I'm looking at yet . Thanks for the examples.

 

[EOS_JD]

No worries. Black adds some atmosphere to an image - white is too common but clients do like it - until they see the look and feel of an image with a low key style.

 

[HoppyUK]

You don't need anything special for that. In fact you could do it with the hot-shoe gun quite easily.

So I would just get any of the basic two light kits that takes your fancy - Lencarta, Elinchrom or Bowens - and splash out on a big softbox, background system, reflector and holder, plus a light meter. That will blow your budget nicely.

A simple optical slave for a tenner attached to your SB600 will work that into the system too. I think you'll need a separate slave for that gun - better check.

 

[foggy4ever]

You don't need anything special for that. In fact you could do it with the hot-shoe gun quite easily.

So I would just get any of the basic two light kits that takes your fancy - Lencarta, Elinchrom or Bowens - and splash out on a big softbox, background system, reflector and holder, plus a light meter. That will blow your budget nicely.

A simple optical slave for a tenner attached to your SB600 will work that into the system too. I think you'll need a separate slave for that gun - better check.

Thanks Richard, the kit I'm interested in incudes everything but the light meter(softbox is 90cm).

.....off to look for an optical slave.


Scott

 

[HoppyUK]

Thanks Richard, the kit I'm interested in incudes everything but the light meter(softbox is 90cm).

.....off to look for an optical slave.


Scott

I would add one of these, 120cm Octa with easy-folding mechanism - mainly because it's big and gorgeous but also for the folding mech http://www.lencarta.com/softboxes-umbrellas/sof001-120cm-4-ft-octa-folding-pro-softbox/index.php

I would upgrade other softboxes to folding type, too, but in terms of light it's really only the size that makes a difference.

Everyone sells those little optical slaves - size of an Oxo cube, £10 from Jessops.

 

[foggy4ever]

I would add one of these, 120cm Octa with easy-folding mechanism - mainly because it's big and gorgeous but also for the folding mech http://www.lencarta.com/softboxes-umbrellas/sof001-120cm-4-ft-octa-folding-pro-softbox/index.php

I would upgrade other softboxes to folding type, too, but in terms of light it's really only the size that makes a difference.

Everyone sells those little optical slaves - size of an Oxo cube, £10 from Jessops.

Thanks again note made.

 

[EOS_JD]

I agree regards the size of softbox. Larger = better (softer) light and can light larger areas (like full length).

You can also do this with brolly's but you have less control over the light. Softboxes provide a more directional light.