What Setup For Portraits In Customers Home?

[68lbs]

I'm putting this into lighting, so hope that's pigeon holed correctly. I'm interested in the setup people use for shooting portraits in customers homes. Whether it's shots of the newborn, cute little henry in his cub scout uniform, or a traditional family portrait with 8 people.

Lighting?
Background?

 

[chivers67]

A single softbox with a reflector for limited space or up to three heads with lots of space - two with brolleys one to light the background?

Pop up Lastolite portable background(s) with manfrotto portable support system.


Sometimes i've taken portrait shots outside in their garden if the weather's been good

 

[ukactionsports]

I use a Lasolite HiLite background and it works really well. Not yet found a place where I can't use it when in someones home.

 

[V8burble]

I use all that I've got LOL. An SB600 on a stand with large shoot-through brolly, a 1m dia 5in1 reflector, white/black background (not separately lit, but just to give a blank/contrasting BG) various blankets and 'props'. I only do newborns/babies indoors, all the rest I venture outside, even if it's just the back garden. I tend to use the reflective brolly outdoors for a bit of extra oomph and direction.

 

[HoppyUK]

You will need at least two studio heads and all the stuff you get in a basic kit, stands, brollies, softboxes and reflectors. £400 upwards. Lots to choose from - Bowens, Elinchrom or Lencarta are best.

Plus £100 flash meter.

Then a background support system and some paper backdrop.

Start with that, it is the very minimum you will need, and get some experience. Add extra heads and diffusers as necessary.

 

[Chaz Photos]

I use to do just this back in the late 70's I use one brolley with my flash on a wire
One is about all you might have room for in someone’s room
Pick a good spot in the room to give your self a distance behind your subject you might have to get in a doorway so you can get back and use a longer lens keep away for going wide with your lens if you can keep to 50mm plus this will give you a much better perspective
Hope this helps

 

[68lbs]

I use a Lasolite HiLite background and it works really well. Not yet found a place where I can't use it when in someones home.

Which size one do you use? Do you light it with speedlites, or just use it unlit as a simple clean free standing backdrop?

You will need at least two studio heads and all the stuff you get in a basic kit, stands, brollies, softboxes and reflectors. Then a background support system and some paper backdrop.

Blimey, how big are the houses around your way? I was looking to travel light... speedlite.

One is about all you might have room for in someone’s room

This is what I thought! I was expecting people to say one light with a flat plain background propped up against a wall. Sounds like some take a full studio with em.

 

[DiddyDave]

I don't see the point of taking a 'studio' into someone's home myself, if they want the 'studio' look then I reckon they should come to the studio

A Shoot in someone's home for me is then only about watching out for the background, and wherever possible using a window as a light source - so this may entail moving furniture around a bit

If additional lighting is needed for the subject as fill, or even to light then to underexpose the background if it's too distracting, then a single speedlight and shoot-through brolly will do the trick - to maintain iTTL and total flexibility of movement I stick it on a monopod and wave it about until it's where I want it, then I can easily maintain that position relative to the camera as I move around too

DD

 

[mastertrinity]

im planning on the same as you and this is what researh ive came up with:

dont have loads of equipment (big lights etc) it can worry customers about precious items such as that £1,000 vase on the windowsill.

use strobes, this is meant to be best for portraits and there portable.

use some lastolite portable backgrounds. also get some white and black bedsheets because if theres babies involved then the best set-up is putting a bedsheets on the sofa and shooting the baby on there.

im still learning but hope this helps.

 

[ukactionsports]

Which size one do you use? Do you light it with speedlites, or just use it unlit as a simple clean free standing backdrop?

QUOTE]

I use the 6x7 and is fine for me, they do a larger one (8x7 I think) and that must be MASSIVE!

I have the black bottle top to for some low key stuff which works well, I have some examples on my site: www.timpiercy.com if you want to take a look.

I have 2 x Elinchrom 400 watt strobes, not sure what model they are off the top of my head, one in the HiLite and then one for the front, I could do with a second one in the HiLite but the results you get are workable providing you place the strobe will in the HiLite so it spreads the light. You could just get a simple paper background option which would get good results.

 

[paul_g]

I use a 5'x7' hilite with 2 elinchrom fx400s, one in the hilite and one with a softbox or brolly on.

I must admit I do make a point of saying I'm insured before letting the hilite escape from its bag

Even using the hilite in 'landscape' mode I don't find the light fall off from one side to the other too bad, its a few seconds pp'ing to sort out at the same time as tidying up the train.

 

[englandshottest2]

I used to use the HiLite, however I stopped as it was a pain to fold back up and pop up, as I was always afraid of knocking some knickknacks off !
So depending on what the shoot is for, ie. lifestyle (in natural surroundings) or backdrop, I always use just my flashguns off camera, very small, lightweight and portable, and now you can pretty much buy any studio accessory but in a flashgun version.

So... (I have quite a wide range, which is helpful, but I hardly use it all!) But basically-
2 x 580EXII's & 1 x 430EX .... (can get older flashguns REALLY cheaply off eBay, for like £40 to use off camera!..I should get some more)
1 x Canon STE-2 wireless flash transmitter
2 x PocketWizard Plus Transceiver units
3 x lightweight cheap air stands from Interfit
1 x Lastolite 3-in-1 large brolly
1 x mini beauty dish w/ grids, gels & deflector for Speedlites
1 x mini snoot w/ grids for Speedlites
2 x Lastolite Ezybox Hotshoe (45cm and then the largest one they do...?cms)
1 x Lastolite black velvety background w/ telescopic stand, and in white.
1 x Lastolite easygrip reflector

So pretty much that whole lot takes up so little space, can fit in one camera wheel case and just another carry case for the stands and backdrop.

Best way for me is just a softbox at the group, nice soft light, and another for the background, and then I have a spare for whatever to do something funky! But I can do pretty portraits in a model/glamour manner with the other bits, really all you need is an umbrella and softbox, they are the most used for me . And going out on location for portraits is so much easier with a kit that weights so little, rather than battery generator packs and heavy strobes!

 

[cambsno]

I have a photobox pop up background (2m square, one side white, one black with trains). SB600 does fine for me, plus a bit of tweaking in LR.