Studio Equipment

beckybrandham

beckybrandham

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Becky
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Hi Everyone,

I have just started doing my A levels and I am interested in doing studio work. I wanted to buy a cheap studio kit with backdrops and lights to help me improve on my work at home. I have no idea where to get cheap equipment from and what equipment I should get? if someone could help me that would be great!

Many thanks
Becky
 
The advice on here when this comes up normally is that cheap lighting makes things far more difficult as you don't have consistent behaviour from the lights so don't learn whether changes you see are you or the lights.

What do you consider cheap? Do you have an idea on budget?
 
I haven't got a budget set, but im not to sure what equipment I would need for doing portraits. do you know how much lights would be to get the best quality in my photos?
 
I'm by no means an expert but many others on here are (@Garry Edwards for example). Again, I'm just parroting the advice I've been given but starting off with 1 good light is much better than having 3 rubbish ones. There's often a lot of studio stuff for sale in the Classified forums here so that may be your best bet but I think you might need to be here a while longer before you're allowed access to it.
 
That really ^

And a bit more (I'm not a massive studio portrait fan) one great well lit image of your gran in her favourite chair, reading her favourite book, is worth a million badly lit pictures of your mates against a white messy background.

You can achieve great things with window light, with speedlights or with studio flash. Where studio flash wins is the consistent power, loads of available modifiers, speed of recycling and modelling lights.

Spending loads on one fancy light is as daft as buying 'the best' camera. The camera is only useful with lenses, tripods, filters and subjects and creativity. The light needs modifiers, filters, reflectors and a load of imagination too.
 
I'm just in the process of discovering what can be done with a couple of cheap Yongnuo speedlights and some white card.

Amazing really.
 
I have been looking about, and on ebay at the moment you can get some quite large reflectors- 3 ft x 5 ft for about 20 quid. Very easy to use one of those as a backdrop as long as you only want headshots. I also use cheap yongnuo flashes and a selection of cheap brollies and home made items.
 
Correction 120×180 cm for £22 delivered. Search for Phot-R™ 120x180cm (48"x72") PRO 5-in-1 Photo Studio Collapsible Reflector+Case in ebay.

Handy to have as 5 in one and also a big reflector/diffuser should you need one.
 
I posted my first shots in the nude section a few weeks pack and someone suggested a cheap brolly form my EX430II speedlight so Ive just order a brolly, stand and holder fro just under £30. I bought the three under the 'Frequently Bought Together' bit http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0065245B2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm hoping it will also help me do portraits (which is a section of photography compleatly out of my confort zone) of my wife and kids... we shall see
 
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Not sure if you have a separate flashgun for your camera but it's a great starting point.
And a great learning curve look at getting yourself a flash trigger set.
Cheap on eBay and other sites.
I have been reading about the latest Cactus V6 wireless triggers that can control multiple different brands of flash in both ttl and manual and from your camera and for less than £50 a piece
A Brolly can be picked up for a £5 or less.
And just go play you will have loads of fun for little outlay,and learn loads.
 
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