Flash or lights??

[kimberley]

Okay Im going to set a "small" I mean, small little studio in my office in our home, just so I can take pics of little ones in this Texas heat. Like I had mentioned in a previous post the room I have to use is only 15x12 and has a southwest facing window, I know I need light to use this room, but I hope I can make it work. I guess to get to my quesion so should I get flash or should I get lights?

Like I said small space, but I cant use the place I have been using a sitting room in our master bedroom, that room has great light, no need for flash or lights but I really dont like using it unless it is close friends and family,not for strangers, something a bit more professional would be better.

Im on a spend what I make budget so I have to be careful with my money.

Thanks guys

Kimberley

[LoungeLizard]

I'm not an expert, but from what I know, you have three choices:

1) "Hot Lights" - these are basically "flood lights" that are always on. From what I know (and I learned last week), these are easier to visualize how the light works since they're always on - but they get hot!

2) Studio strobes - AC flash units, what you see in studios. More flexibility, more difficult to visualize, more expensive.

3) Camera flashes - you can synch up several flash units to basically give you the same as option #2. The difference is in power available (as well as battery vs. AC) and it may be a little cheaper, but not much.

I've got two flash units and am looking at getting the wireless trigger so I can have them both off camera. Only downside I see to this is the lack of power and the fact that I can't really get a softbox on them. Aside from that, I think it will meet my needs just fine for the foreseeable future.

That's not to say that I wouldn't love a nice set of studio lights, but I resently found out I've got access to a nice Novatron set from the photo club at work that I will be using for the first time next week to practice.

Other who really know what they're talking about can add to this. I am not an expert, I don't play one on TV, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[srwatters]

I'll add one more option, cool lights. By this I mean color balanced fluorescent bulbs. There are two ways to do this, inexpensive or really expensive. Let's forget the really expensive way. To do it on the cheap, go to Home Depot and buy a dozen GE Chroma 50 Fluorescent 5000K 4' bulbs. Also buy three shop light fixtures with ballasts that are white and each hold four tubes. These are the kind you see hanging from the ceiling in some auto repair shops. Have someone build a frame that will hold them, two vertical and one horizontal across the top.

There you have 5000K cool lights for about $100. Move them closer of further from your subjects and shoot through the middle of the frame.

After all that, say no way and go to http://www.alienbees.com/digi.html and spend the $600 to get an excellent setup for what you want to do. I own two AB-800 and one AB-1600. All of my studio work is done with the bees and a SB-800 on occasion for fill. Start with the umbrellas and as your business and skill grows add softboxes (Photoflex multi-dome is my fav), strip boxes, and booms for hairlights. It's a never ending list...

[jeffkohn]

I've got two flash units and am looking at getting the wireless trigger so I can have them both off camera. Only downside I see to this is the lack of power and the fact that I can't really get a softbox on them. Aside from that, I think it will meet my needs just fine for the foreseeable future.

Actually you can use a softbox with hotshoe flashes, you just need to get one of these: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...778&is=REG

Kinda pricey but if you already have flashes and aren't ready to invest in strobes, it's one way to go. I recently got one to try with the softbox I got from bosh-web but haven't had much chance to play with it yet.

Honestly I think there are some advantages to using flashes, extreme portability being one. They have plenty of power, with DSLR's you don't need 1600 w/s strobes. The two big disadvantages I see are no modeling light and slower recycle time. The latter's not much of an issue to me, but modeling lights would be nice.

At least in the short term, my portrait work will be outdoors, on location, etc so the flashes are a good solution since using strobes would mean having to invest in battery packs, etc.

[srwatters]

Or one of these, which is what I have:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...032&is=REG

Biggest problems is they are ALWAYS out of stock. I got on the email when it comes in list and ordered it the minute it was back in stock. I'll be using it at the AM&T group shoot next month.

[PIC]

K,
I say FLASH from food, anything alive, to pets and people - HOT lights are too HOT.
And you can always use the model lights in flash if you want continous burning.
But studio mono flash is $$$ compared to the simple Smith Victor you suggested.
I use Bowens 500WS Esprit 2 mono kit (apx $2K for 3 monolights).
Complete line of equip British made.
Other cheapies are JTL and Alien Bees.
U might consider low miles used studio mono flash.
Check out EBAY or other.
Eric