Photographing my friends baby

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right, I need some ideas/inspiration/support...
I was asked ages ago by a good friend to photograph her baby who is almost 9mths now. my friend has seen my amateaur photos of my baby and wants me to take some of hers.
so, I have no lighting (still, even after months of looking for a decent relatively cheap set up). I generally rely on good natural lighting for my pics and remove any ugly objects from the background, but i think she is after more high key (dare I say it Venture style). I have been looking for some crease free fabric for a backdrop with no luck for such a small budget.
so feeling totally feeble does anyone have any fantastic advice or ideas to entertain the little bubs to get the most out of this situation I have gotten myself into! (except for the obvious "don't do it!".
 
Get her to show you what she wants - then assess if you can do it or not with natural lighting - if not, and you don't want to spend on the lighting set-up you think it needs - send her to Venture

She has a choice then, Venture could disappoint her on price but produce the type of image she wants; or you could disappoint her on the type of image but cheaply!

For the price of a Venture canvas of any decent size, she could probably buy you the lighting set-up you need and still have spare change after you get her the right image and a big canvas

Sometimes 'don't do it' is the right decision, but could you ask her about her mother & baby group and get some other names to shoot/sell to to recoup the investment in lighting?
 
thanks diddydave!
well, this was kind of what I was thinking - as I haven't paid to have my baby photographed I figured it would have cost about the same as a studio lighting set up (the cheapish start-up versions). Then yes as word spread (of how brilliant my photos were! hmmm) then I might make a bit of dosh to spend on updating some equipment.

I really want to do this but my OH isn't keen on me spending our hard earned savings on lightbulbs!

I am looking at warehouseexpress again to see about the EX1500... its only 200bucks.

btw - Venture has been and gone from our town!

anyone got any ideas or can they direct me to their fave site for inspiration?
 
Didn't someone recently post on here about using white emulsion painted mdf boards and natural light? Might be the way to go on a budget?
 
perfect... thanks for searching that - i feel lazy for not looking now!
 
I was just about to post my thread , but I've been beaten to it, hope its of some use. :)
 
For stuff like this I have a "portable studio". It basically consists of 3x wireless 5600HS D flashguns on their own tripods (2 battery sets per), triggered by the pop-up flash on my camera (set to 'wireless' = IR), a 3' and a 4' silver/white Lastolite reflector. This provides plenty 'oomph', I can bounce and fake 'softboxes' and balance shadows, and endlessly vary combinations. And the whole schpiel fits a medium-sized suitcase, so it's perfect for locationwork and stores under a bed.

A seeming downside is that you have no modelling lights. But, hey!, this is the digital age, so you simply do a test shot with the real light output, you chimp - on a laptop for a good view - and adjust if neccessary!

Indoors I shoot live subjects often with unsupported camera, because flash freezes movement anyway, and it enables me to move around freely (that's especially good with kidz and pets), direct the scene, try different angles and viewpoints, or adjust the lighting.

This set also provides TWO backup flashguns for my 'primary' flashgun.

The combination of versatility, portability and power means that I use this setup often.

I now have 2 more 5600HS D's (and a spare tripod) for even more versatility and flexibility (backlighting and/or background lights).

Works like a charm.

It isn't a cheap setup. But it's one I use very often. Almost every day. So it's worth it.
A studio strobe setup maybe cheaper, but it's NOT portable, and therefore not useable on location.

Have fun!
 
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