Hi all,

This may not be the right place to ask this question, but I wasn't sure about the Pro forum. I have a garage that I am able to turn part of into a studio. I am wondering if anyone can advise me of the type of lighting, along with a backdrop stand, that would work for a beginner. I have taken shots of my mal outside, but would like to work with him on more posed shots. Plus, it gets awfully chilly outside on some wintery days. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated and if I have posted this in the wrong forum, my apologies. Many thanks. L

Lucy,
I went with the basic Digital Studio setup from Alien Bees which included two B400 strobes, light stands and umbrellas. This makes a great "starter" studio setup which is also very portable if you need to take it outside or to a remote location.

If you check with Adorama, they have a basic backdrop stand with crossbar for around $90. It isn't the most durable backdrop stand in the world but if you don't set it up and take it down a lot (I do), it'll work just fine.

The Alien Bees can be triggered either via pc cord or hotshoe/pc cord or, more conveniently, via a small Morris Wireless Transmitter/Receiver you can get at B&H Photo Video. That's what I use and it works fine in the studio or on location. If you do location shooting and run into radio interference, you can step up to one by either Alien Bees with multiple frequencies or Pocket Wizards which are top of the line (in all respects).

For small spaces, I think the 400s are more than adequate and if you haven't done a lot of strobe photography, using the umbrellas will give you nice, diffused illumination for not a lot of money. As you get more experience, you may want to consider softboxes and Alien Bees have them to fit all of their strobes.

The nice thing about the ABs is that they have variable light output so you can practice different lighting ratios to see what works for you on different subjects.

Good luck,

Jim

Hi Lucy,

Let me second the Alien Bees. The are very affordable and quite compact. There are many other systems you can use though. Adorama, for years, has sold their own house brand that are reputed to be OK. You can also purchase a brand called, "white lightning" which many folks like. If you feel like spending a few more pennies, Photogenics makes some great lights.

James

Lucy,
just a note, the White Lightning brand is the upscale version of Paul C. Buff's offerings the other one being the Alien Bees. They mostly have interchangeable parts too. White Lightning has been a very popular studio strobe brand for a lot of years. Very good products and very reliable. Same with the Bees just at a lower price point.

Jim

I agree with the alien bees. I love mine. I only bought the lights, and then I bought the stands and umbrellas from ebay. Which, worked great. I did buy the foldable softboxes from AB and I LOVE them!!!

Thank you all for the great information. Being a complete novice to studio work, I wasn't sure where to start. I will check out the alien bees and the white lightning. Many thanks. L