Kit for starting portrait / glamour

Softbox for your SB800 when you get it and light stand (adaptor for sotbox should come with it). Then a 5 in 1 reflector. That would be a good starting point.
Oh and practice practice controlling the light.
 
timboellis said:
THinking about starting and giving this a bash however this is what i have currently.

D300
Sigma 70-200 f/2.8
Nikon 35 F1.8

So was planning on getting a SB800 along with this, would this be enough to get me going or any other suggestions?
Click to expand...

If you have access to mains power, you'll be much better off with a studio heads than speedlites - cheaper than an SB800 too. You'll get faster recycling, a modelling light to work with, and more power (though you may or may not need that). Plus a vast range of light modifiers that are the really important bits. You will also learn more, more quickly. Look at Lencarta and Elinchrom.
 
Okay thanks for the feedback but i would prefer a flashgun for portability point of view and not 100% sure if i will be any good, then maybe later on that's something i will look at, the Lencarta kit looks not bad a prioce thought it would be more expensive I will keep a note of that if i take it further.

Regards
 
id say a 7 in 1 reflector with a gold and silver "zebra" side, its a nice mix
or white and gold
 
You can do loads with a single light and a reflector (some of my fave portraits have been done like this). I think the d300 is cls compatible so you can get the flash off camera without needing any other triggers (if you have a cls compatible flash)

I have to agree with hoppy, a studio head is better (IMHO) in terms of cost/modelling light, modifiers and recycling.

ImageUploadedByTalk Photography Forums1401288985.240034.jpg

Simple set up with similar kit to yours
(D800, CLS via pop up, a black background, sb900 in softbox and a reflector)

Dad's Hat edit by Sir SR, on Flickr

Hope that helps

S
 
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Sir SR said:
You can do loads with a single light and a reflector (some of my fave portraits have been done like this). I think the d300 is cls compatible so you can get the flash off camera without needing any other triggers (if you have a cls compatible flash)

I have to agree with hoppy, a studio head is better (IMHO) in terms of cost/modelling light, modifiers and recycling.

View attachment 12564

Simple set up with similar kit to yours
(D800, CLS via pop up, a black background, sb900 in softbox and a reflector)

Dad's Hat edit by Sir SR, on Flickr

Hope that helps

S
Click to expand...
That has helped a lot, yes the main reason for going for the SB 800/900 was for use off camera, so i can also use this for estate agent photos also.

Love that photo.

Just bidding on a SB-900 at the moment failing that a SB-800
 
Speedlites obviously win if you don't have mains power, but on the 'transportability' aspect studio heads are just as easy really. The bulky items are stands and softboxes etc.

You can also mix studio heads and speedlites, using the speedlites where you don't need so much power (so you can turn them down for fast recycle) and the lack of modelling light isn't too much of a disadvantage. I do that quite a lot - studio head for the main light, then speedlite for background or hair light.

Start with one light and a reflector - loads you can do with that, and build from there.
 
timboellis said:
Is this the type of thing we are talking about http://ffordes.co.uk/product/14021714403381
Click to expand...

No.

Suggestion - get your SB900/800. Great guns, and every outfit should have at least one or two of those. Then if budget allows, get either a Lencarta or Elinchrom studio head. There are plenty of other options but those are good, tried and tested products, and good value - say Smartflash-2 or Eli D-Lite.

Plus stand, triggers, white/silver reflector. Softboxes are great (look at Lencarta Profolders, or one of the push-ups from Bessel) but if budget is tight, get white, silver and shoot-through umbrellas. They're as good as softboxes for most things, cheap and easy to put up/down, and those three offer a good variety of light. Brollies are always handy and they'll help you to choose the right softbox later on.
 
HoppyUK said:
No.

Suggestion - get your SB900/800. Great guns, and every outfit should have at least one or two of those. Then if budget allows, get either a Lencarta or Elinchrom studio head. There are plenty of other options but those are good, tried and tested products, and good value - say Smartflash-2 or Eli D-Lite.

Plus stand, triggers, white/silver reflector. Softboxes are great (look at Lencarta Profolders, or one of the push-ups from Bessel) but if budget is tight, get white, silver and shoot-through umbrellas. They're as good as softboxes for most things, cheap and easy to put up/down, and those three offer a good variety of light. Brollies are always handy and they'll help you to choose the right softbox later on.
Click to expand...
Thanks I will get a SB-800 and start from there
 
Just to throw anther view in. Knowing what I know now, I would't bother with a speed light. I find them a little underpowered, why not look at something like the Lencarta Atom (looks like a speed light but more powerful) or the Lencarta Safari 2, same power as a studio flash but it is portable. My current wish list is a Safari first and then sell my speed light and get an Atom. They may be more expensive but the other option is buy twice :)
 
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