What equipment next for still life and portraits?

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Hi all, i bought an extra flash and some triggers christmas time, and have since found i need some extra equipment to get the best out of them (ain't that always the case..).

I'm still learning off camera flash, and hope to take some portraits and still life.

Here's what i have

d300s
sb600 flash
di622 mk 2 flash
2 x rf602 triggers
2 cheap diffusers from ebay. like this

I think i need 2 stands, and some modifiers.

what do you recommend as a starter stand and modifier kit?

ps i'm pretty skint at the moment, so hopefully can find some cheapies that will do the job..
 
May i bump this post?!!

Any help gratefully received.
 
OK , is there a magic word i need to insert in my post?

Or a funny handshake...!
 
No magic words or funny handshakes needed Phil, but we do need to know:
1. What type of still life photography - does it include very shiny things, how big will they be?
2. How much space do you have?
3. What type of portraits do you have in mind - headshots only, full length, groups - do you just want to produce enough light to get a good exposure or are you looking for creative lighting?
Do you have a budget in mind? Pretty skint and lighting are a bit of an oxymoron:)
 
Cheers for answering Len.
1. Afraid i can't be specific here. I'm just a hobbyist looking to have some fun. The still lifes i have taken recently have been flowers - (link to a couple of shots, these were lit with a torch!). I suppose what i'm looking for is a "starter kit" of some sort.
2. Shots taken at home for still life so a tabletop.
3. Portraits i'd like to start with would be single head shots, and i'd like to learn creative lighting. (got some books recently)

Hopefully having a pair of flashes (sb 600 and di622) with triggers, and using the long end of my tamron 17-50 2.8 or my sigma 105 2.8, i should be able get some decent shots.

Thinking out loud, i think i need a pair of light stands and some modifiers, just not sure which to start with, and which would be suitable for use with my flash rather than studio style lighting.

Cheers!
 
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God! this is difficult to answer. There is so much kit out there. Light stands are a must. Checkout ebay. Look at reviews. My stands are all different makes and quality. In the end all a stand has to to is hold the flash so cheapy is probably good enough for now. You will need brackets to fit your flashguns/accessories on too. I use the Calumet ones.

As a starter to any modifiers, then brollies are the most useful, and the big advantage over softboxes is that they are cheap. OK, so everyone is using softboxes, and they do give a relatively easier to control light, but I think most photog's buy them 'cus they are fashionable. Sizes vary, and I use stuff from 2 foot up to 4 foot diameter. As a starter go for 3 foot. if you have the space. Make a couple of reflectors out of white cardboard, foamboard, polystyrene sheet, too. And don't forget window light, it's great for portraits and still life. You would be surprised just how many pro' photog's use this. Also go to http://strobist.blogspot.com/ for lots of info on shooting with speedlights. Also check out if any camera fairs in your area. Can get really cheap stuff at these fairs.

And don't forget the biggest brolly/softbox of all: your ceiling and walls.
 
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Grab yourself a decent reflector, a silver umbrella, a cheapo speedlight softbox and you're good to go.
 
Hi John,

I assume i'd still need the stands and clamps, were the ones i linked to suitable?
For a reflector, would this be suitable?
For the umbrellas, do you think this would be more suitable than the ones i linked above?
And what about this softbox?

Apologies for coming across as clueless, lighting is something i know nothing about, so could easily end up getting some kit that is totally useless!
 
Hey dude, I came in here after I realised your post included still life. What I listed isn't suited to that, it's just for portraiture. For still life, your considerations are quite different.

If I shoot still life, I generally use diffusion panels, flags and bare bulbs, as the light needs to be far more finely controlled than portraiture. So in that sense, I can't really help advise you on what materials will serve both portraiture and still life, as the equipment needed is so different. At least two softboxes would be a minimum in my opinion though, and plenty of black card to flag off portions of light once you get more advanced.

The reflector is fine, though I'd just beware of anything off Ebay. The reason it's cheap is because it's poorly made.

The umbrella is probably rather large for what you'll be attempting at the beginning. The smaller you keep your contrasty light sources (such as an umbrella), the better you'll eventually come to understand the light they produce. Grab yourself a smaller umbrella and do some headshots or 3/4 shots. An 83cm brolly will light an entire room with ugly shadows if you don't know how to control it.

The softbox looks OK, but in all likelihood, it's a piece of crap that'll fall apart in a month. It's also an s-type fit, which is for Bowens, Interfit and other manufacturers of lights, and won't fit your flashes without an adaptor.

Grab yourself something like this:

http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/eng/product/lastolite_ezybox_hotshoe_38x38cm/753-173a

It's expensive in comparison to the Ebay softbox, but the upshot is that it's actually built for your needs, and is relatively sturdy. It's also far more portable.

Brackets absolutely fine. Shoot through umbrellas are bloody big, and I'd debate whether you really had enough power in the flashes to get a decent light through them. I could be wrong though, my speedlight knowledge is limited.

As far as the light stand goes, I'd avoid elemental like the plague. They have the worst construction of any manufacturer I've ever come across. Jump on Ebay and grab yourself a couple of crap ones for a fiver, they'll probably last you longer.

Good luck dude.
 
Yes, lighting - and especially still life lighting - is about understanding how to control the light, and although large, soft light sources are essential for highly reflective subjects it's difficult to control over-large light sources when directional light and precise control is needed. The light from shoot through umbrellas is far from controlled.

That's one of the reasons why I feel that hotshoe flash is less than ideal - in the absence of even, controllable illumination and modelling lamps to show the results that you're going to get, it all ends up as trial and error.
 
Well it seems from your answers that my request for a kit to serve a dual purpose for still life and portraits is not a workable request. I'll bin the idea for still life lighting for now and have a look at the equipment you mentioned for portraits with speedlights. Just going to have to save a few more pounds as the softboxes are more than my original budget.

Does anybody know if my speedlights have enough power to use with shoot through umbrellas?
SB600 a guide number of 30 (ISO 100, m.) at 35mm
di622 a guide number of 32 (ISO 100, m.) at 35mm
 
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