Kenny I was looking at your set up again. Why do you roll the paper out for puppies and why use the table other times? It looks like you rolled out the paper (I am guessing out onto the floor?) for the puppy shot? Also how do you keep the dogs from crumpling up the paper? (where do you get those white paper rolls?)

What benefits are there to a full studio set up vs the portable one you show here...or is anything lacking at all in the portable one? (i.e. would a photo done in a full studio set up look better in the end than one from the portable one?)

About how much would a portable set up like you show here, cost? Not counting the camera or lenses themselves...

I have been studying up on my flash and reading that you can buy additional flashes that will fire remotely so you can set them up. I'm guessing that must not be nearly as good as your studio lights, but do you know how good a job those might do? I have the 580EX.

I don't have a good place to set this stuff up even if I did have it really but a portable one would certainly open up to a lot of options.

The posing table (really a grooming table with the leash holder removed!) is used when the client wishes to be photographed with their dog, usually in some 'confirmation' pose. That's kinda the dog-show convention (which I've messed up locally, I'm happy to say!) but I'd rather do the more isolated shots.
I roll down the paper onto the floor for those shots, and roll it up so that folks aren't standing on it otherwise. Puppies do tend to 'mark' the paper ... I just cut it off as needed.
Look for a local pro store that sells Superior papers ... if they buy them in bulk, you can take a roll home for less than $40. If they buy them in "onesies" you'll pay more, because of the shipping on those heavy tubes! But Superior is my favorite brand. You can make a stand, or buy a portable one; I bought one, and actually cut my paper to a more appropriate width for the shows. (You can buy paper in 53, 106, 120, and 144 inch width ... sometimes the really wide stuff is limited in color selection.)
I use cheap imported wireless strobe triggers, purchased on eBay for under $50 new!
I have also used a pair of Vivitar 285HV flashes, with plastic diffusers, for this kind of work. Strobes are better, but use what you have!
You could use a couple of Alien Bees (with umbrellas), a simple paper stand, a wireless trigger, a roll of seamless, and a simple table with a skirt (under $1K for all!) and you'd be good to go.
Ken

I keep coming in here and studying this Ken LOL...

What are the differences (as far as the photo goes)between using umbrellas vs soft boxes?

What do you think of this deal, does it have everything I would need for a set up (not counting the backdrop of course)?

http://www.alienbees.com/intergalactic.html

Also would it be possible to use a white 10' x 10' EZ Up type of canopy with sides, as a portable studio to set this all up in?

I like Alien Bees and White Lightning Strobes, I don't like their light stands (cheap). I used to use Bogen Light Stands but when I bought a portable background stand (morris) I fell in love with their stands. So now I use Morris stands, Morris background holder, White Lightning Strobes, Wescott Umbrellas (never use umbrellas outside unless you like the idea of the wind blowing over your light stands). I use muslin backgrounds because they can be washed after the dogs get mud, hair, etc. all over them.

Generally, the light is softer and less directional (sounds funny, since you can 'aim' them) from a soft box than from a white umbrella ... like diffused light coming in a window. Great for people, in many cases, but for pet fur to stand out you can't have too soft of light. I've even used silver 'brollies' but they tend to sharpen the shadows a bit too much for me.
You can make anything work just fine ... so start with either what you have, or the cheapest setup if you're just buying stuff. You can always use what you buy for something!

Thanks David and Kenny. Much to think about! I will do a lot of homework which will give me time to do more painting to pay it! I see you both use umbrellas mainly? Yes I would rather have the hair real sharp and detailed than too soft, you can always soften in photoshop but not vice versa. Too sharp wouldn't be good either so sounds like white umbrellas rather than silver? And if you had three lights, would you use 2 umbrellas or 3? Really hard to find answers to this stuff in books as the books are outdated quickly and they cover so many scenarios I'm never sure which one is mine!

So for doing pets the way I want, if I understand right it would be best to use strobes over hot lights, white umbrellas over soft boxes, three lights minimal, possibly washable cloth backgrounds over paper for wilder pets, cordless if possible...so that would mean what a pocket wizard and ??

Am I starting to get a handle on it a bit?

I'm also thinking it may not be feasible to use a 10 x 10 EZ Up tent for a small portable studio...? Not quite enough room?

Thanks David!!! I'm soaking all this in. I am going to a dog show tomorrow and hope the two usual portrait photographers (in the vendors area) will be there so I can scrutinize their set ups closer. I have looked in the past and one uses soft boxes the other uses umbrellas...and both their images look wonderful.

At one of Hallie and my shows recently we were sitting ring side waiting for our turn. One of the photographers booths was directly behind us. They had a monitor there that had changing photos on it as examples. Hallie is a black and tan longhaired dachshund. Once I turned around and there was an image of a black and tan longhaired dachshund sitting on their screen. It was there for a long time. A friend of mine came over to talk to me, she has a wirehaired pointer. I then noticed a wirehaired pointer on the screen. LOL!!! I paid attention then and sure enough, whatever breed was hovering around, it would end up on the screen. Pretty funny! Good idea though, it probably works, whenever I paint a new breed of dog, I will suddenly get several orders from other owners of the breed, it seems if they see their own breed painted, it entices them to want one done more so than if they see another breed painted.

I don't often need three lights for pets; sometimes, when I want to shoot a white dog on white paper, I'll blow the background with a third light. Otherwise, two will do.
Also, I tried cloth backdrops; I like them, but they have a HUGE disadvantage: a pet WILL soil them, and they are then unusable until washed. (Yeah, you CAN use them, but the next client sniffs that darned spot and won't pose!!)
Start out cheap; get on eBay and buy a wireless flash trigger for $35 ... well worth the money, and you won't have to worry about someone tripping over your wires!

Oooph I had not thought of that marking thing. My own dog will not heel with me across ground that another dog may even have THOUGHT of peeing on so I can imagine dogs either not wanting to go near pee'd down backdrops, or wanting to mark over the top of them.

I have 2 lights on cheap poles that I use to take slides of my art with, I will practice with those and get into this slowly. I always like to do a ton of homework first...is there a brand of wireless flash trigger on eBay I should be looking for?