portable studio inc. backdrop and lights help

ictus

ictus

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Andrew
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I'm getting closer and closer to taking the plunge and buying a set of lights and a backdrop for use on location for portrait work mainly holiday clubs and schools.

I've been using a friends Bowens Gemini 200s and a paper backdrop. Which has worked well, and produce more or less the result I was after.

I now want my own kit and to get a bit more creative.

So I'm looking for a pair of lights and a backdrop but as is always the case with these things I need to keep the cost down.

So far I'm looking at the Lancarta Smartflash kit with the soft boxes (£330) but I'm open to suggestions.

I'm at a loss picking the backdrop paper, vinyl, muslin. What brands etc. I think I'd be after black and white maybe even a green.

I've seen some on the bay, but well, they sound cheap and though I'm on a budget I do know if you buy 'cheap' you buy twice.

any thoughts..?
 
I can't offfer any advice, but wil watch this thread with interest, as this is something I'm thinking of buying.
 
If you think you want to 'grow' a bit, I would recommend looking on forums for sale sections.

I managed to get 2 x Dlite4's with stands/softboxes etc for £235 and 2 x Lastolite Lumen8's F400's for £210...

The background, That's another thing that for portability, a secondhand (~£200) Lastolite hilite is useful, it works in confined spaces,
It does high key well (especially with the vinyl train) and being illuminated by pointing the lights inside it, you can do it in confined spaces, and the light spill is minimised.
It turns around to give a black background, and you can buy green/blue and black bottle tops, although you can make any backdrop you want, just drape it over the highlight and there are some velcro tabs already on the hilite, just add some on your backdrop..
And it's portable, it folds like a reflector, so a 6 x 7 ft hilite gits in a 3 foot small round bag..

If you had a more dedicated space and didn't intend lugging around, I'd say a static backdrop is perfect, cheap and obviously you can do what you want, but hilites are very popular for portable event photography.
 
thanks for the advice. I've been watching the classified for kit, but nothing has grabbed me yet.

The Lastolite may be a little expensive and a bit small for groups of 3-4 which I may have to do.

The last shoot was with an 8 foot paper roll, which 'just' fit in the car, it was ok, but I don't know how many uses I'd get out of one before I replaced one.

Which is why I'm wondering how the muslin ones work out.
 
the research has finished......
got a lencarta kit on order, with 2 white brollies (nice and soft to make the subjects look good ;) )
going for paper roll backdrop, prob from callumet as I can call in.
though trying to sauce cheaper stands that aren't rubbish.
 
ictus said:
the research has finished......
got a lencarta kit on order, with 2 white brollies (nice and soft to make the subjects look good ;) )
going for paper roll backdrop, prob from callumet as I can call in.
though trying to sauce cheaper stands that aren't rubbish.
Click to expand...

Buy the lencarta goal post system for your background stands. Mine has seen some abuse and is still going strong.
 
Couldn't find it on their site, but was more intent on going over all my light options first. Will go recheck now. Though can't be included in this order as they already dispatched it.. Wow..... Delivery tomorrow, but I put it back to Friday as the wife won't be in...
 
Just checked, it wasn't showing last time I looked, maybe a browser or a site issue. At £75 will do the job nicely. But need to save a little more as I'm broke for now. And I need to drop £40 on paper as well.
 
Ordered my Lencarta background support system yesterday and got a text message this afternoon advising me that Interlink Express will be delivering it tomorrow, even invited me to change the delivery date if I wanted - that's what I call service.
Cost was £74.99 including tax and free delivery - should go nicely with my Lencarta Smartflash kit.
Garry Edwards (from this very site) is the man to contact at Lencarta - he'll point you in the right direction.
regards

NN.
 
My smartflash kit arrived today. A delay of a week due to industrial action at customs.
I tried the smartflash at focus last year so got what I expected though they seem even more rubbust.
The big surprise where the stands which imho are better than the ones you get with the bowens gemini kit. Sprung dampend and solid.
Obviously only time will tell if my first impresions are right, but so far so good..
 
I use vinyl. I'm not allowed to say where I bought it but it's totes amaze.

Less hassle than muslin and longer lasting than paper.

How big's your car?
 
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