ok you lighting buffs....its time!

heftylefty · Mar 13, 2008

so ive decided to start investing in some lighting equipment and expand to some studio work. ive been reading strobist for the past bigillion hours and some photographers blogs so i have an idea of what to get. i want to know what your setups are and what you guys use.

im debating between getting 2 strobist starter sets from MPEX..but i would get some nikon speedlights instead of their vivitars. this would run me about 600 to get me going.

or

i was checking out alienbee's website and i noticed they also had a starter set. obviously these are more expensive since theyre pretty much strobes but cheaper than pro grade ones. the only problem i see with this is finding a power source without buying a portable battery. this setup would run me around 900

i honestly cant really decide right now..helpppppp

oh and one more thing...what rf transmitters/recievers do you guys use? preferred brand?(if you use them).

maimkv · Mar 13, 2008

ok... reading that you're going to be using this for studio work, do you think you'll also be using them for outdoor shoots as well? if you are... then i would go for the nikon speedlites and some pocket wizards.

this is just my .2 cents on what i would do.

heftylefty · Mar 13, 2008

ya forgot to add outdoor too. but i think im going to agree with you. the speedlights i think will be good enough for now to get me off my feet. i think if i feel the need to upgrade then i will at a later time.

are pocket wizards really worth the moeny though? those are gonna cost more than my lighting setup if i get 2 sets lol

maimkv · Mar 13, 2008

that's the same thing that i thought. but you really can't go wrong with pocket wizards. they have the best coverage in distance that i've experienced. check this photog out. he's a canon user and uses nikon flashes as his lighting. and he's the reason why i'm using the same setup.

http://edpingol.blogspot.com/

and here's his setup.

heftylefty · Mar 13, 2008

now thats a sweet setup, he has some great captures.

i guess ill be saving up then. i think im gonna have to put off some lense purchases if i get pocket wizards:/

maimkv · Mar 13, 2008

if i come or run into some other rf transmitters, i'll let you know. anything to try and save money for some super nice glass.

heftylefty · Mar 13, 2008

ya strobist guys talked about the gadget infinity rf's in lighting 101 and since theyre so cheap i mind as well give them a shot. hell theyre only 25 bucks for one set, cant really go wrong. if they crap out then ill for sure get PW's since they seem to be the industry standard.

but yes, i need some fast primes lol

06Rabbit · Mar 13, 2008

I agree w/ the Speedlights + PocketWizards.

I used to shoot with a pair of Canon Speedlites triggered by Pocket Wizards back when I needed on-location lighting. I, too, was looking at Alien Bees but I, too, found the problem of when I needed on-location lighting (nearly 100% of the time, rarely in studio). And the Speedlites worked wonderfully! My only complaint is coverage but then again, I shoot cars so the subject is huge compared to a model (if that's what you're going for, I'm assuming).

I've since sold some stuff since I no longer shoot with them, but whenever I need on-location, I still turn to my Speedlite and Pocket Wizard :smile:

heftylefty · Mar 13, 2008

damnit stop talking about pocket wizards, i want my lenses! lol. i probably wont get to shooting models for a little while, ill be using myself as a test subject if i need a body lol. im planning on just working on technique and ill mainly be shooting cars for now. thankfully my dining room is never in use and just enough space for a mini studio so im gonna work on some advert product shots aswell(mainly why i was looking into ABs).

Turbo · Mar 14, 2008

A long sync cord is the cheap AND reliable way to trigger your lights. I think I remember seeing on strobist some instructions on how to build your own. It's not as sexy or convenient as wireless, but it works...well.

As for lighting, my guess is that you are going to want to travel light for on location stuff, so speedlights would be the way to go. If you're going to have a crew working for you (at least an assistant with a strong back), that would be another story.

For studio work, I have an old-school 2400 Watt/second Speedotron Blackline pack with 3 daylight-balanced heads. Several reflectors, softbox, Lightform panels, many stands, etc.

To take that kind of stuff on location requires help and electricity. The cool thing is that you can reverse sunlight if you don't like where the sun is positioned. :biggrin:

Anyway, if you plan on shooting cars with strobes know that, depending on your shooting style, you may start yearning for some VERY broad, even light sources. You're going to not want reflections of umbrellas on the cars. You might want to start budgeting for that too.

HTH.

omegach · Mar 14, 2008

are most of you guys pro shooters? as a hobbyist photog i dunno if it's worth the time and money purchasing/lugging-around a complex lighting set-up...

heftylefty · Mar 14, 2008

Turbo said:
A long sync cord is the cheap AND reliable way to trigger your lights. I think I remember seeing on strobist some instructions on how to build your own. It's not as sexy or convenient as wireless, but it works...well.

As for lighting, my guess is that you are going to want to travel light for on location stuff, so speedlights would be the way to go. If you're going to have a crew working for you (at least an assistant with a strong back), that would be another story.

For studio work, I have an old-school 2400 Watt/second Speedotron Blackline pack with 3 daylight-balanced heads. Several reflectors, softbox, Lightform panels, many stands, etc.

To take that kind of stuff on location requires help and electricity. The cool thing is that you can reverse sunlight if you don't like where the sun is positioned. :biggrin:

Anyway, if you plan on shooting cars with strobes know that, depending on your shooting style, you may start yearning for some VERY broad, even light sources. You're going to not want reflections of umbrellas on the cars. You might want to start budgeting for that too.

HTH.

thank for the input. the kit im probably going ot order includes a PC cord, but i hate cords so im going to use rf as primary syncing and have the wires as a backup. i wont be having an assistant so its sounding like stobes, for now, are kind of out of the question. i think i may look into some alienbee's later on this year if things progress well. and i totally forgot about reflectors, thanks for reminding me lol

in your last statement, are you refering to using softboxes and other ways to light the car?

omegach said:
are most of you guys pro shooters? as a hobbyist photog i dunno if it's worth the time and money purchasing/lugging-around a complex lighting set-up...

well if i can eventually product photos like this

http://www.jdmotophotography.com/automotive/index.html

then i think its worth the extra effort...and he is just a hobbyist as well...although hes had publications in mags.

UnNatural GTI · Mar 14, 2008

Wonderful thread, I've been looking into doing some portraits and such. This has given me something to base on. Thanks guys.

Turbo · Mar 14, 2008

omegach said:
are most of you guys pro shooters? as a hobbyist photog i dunno if it's worth the time and money purchasing/lugging-around a complex lighting set-up...

I have a degree in photography and was shooting and developing my own stuff since I was a kid in the 70s. I was a freelance commercial and editorial photography assistant in the early 90s. I bought my lighting gear then in preparation for opening a photo studio. I ended up changing careers and put the camera down for a decade. I felt burnt out on photography. In the past couple of years I started shooting again and really love to shoot again. My job is very logic-based and photography lets me stimulate the creative side of my brain too.

For what I do today, I wouldn't buy the lighting gear that I have. Couldn't justify it financially if I'm not going to use it to make money. As a hobbyist, the setups that strobist talks about are very sensible if you are going to put them to good use.

heftylefty · Mar 14, 2008

ya the way I see it right now is that this gear is going to me an investment. Eventually I will want to be making money to have the equipment pay for itself.

Turbo, what did you do(or still do) when you stopped freelancing? Just kept on working as an assistant?

ok you lighting buffs....its time!

heftylefty

golfmkv elitist -_-

maimkv

Ready to race!

heftylefty

golfmkv elitist -_-

maimkv

Ready to race!

heftylefty

golfmkv elitist -_-

maimkv

Ready to race!

heftylefty

golfmkv elitist -_-

06Rabbit

Ready to race!

heftylefty

golfmkv elitist -_-

Turbo

Ready to race!

omegach

Banned

heftylefty

golfmkv elitist -_-

UnNatural GTI

UnNaturally Aspirated

Turbo

Ready to race!

heftylefty

golfmkv elitist -_-