Lighting for event photobooth

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Tamtam

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Hello,

I am looking to rent lighting for an event photobooth. The idea is to have super bright photos like these

http://static.wixstatic.com/media/09aa20_e0f0836d2082e43e0e60fa3355885dea.jpg


https://images.pexels.com/photos/16...s-160420.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=350



I am really confused with lighting equipment as I only had a chance to use them for 3 months of photography class.

What would you recommend I get?

It would be a rental. Ideally the budget would be £30 but could go up to £50.

I found this website that has good reviews, is there anything on this site you would recommend for instance?

https://rental.wexphotovideo.com/lighting


Many thanks for your advice
 
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So you have no real idea of what you are doing with lighting? but you now think you are good enough to go out and start charging people for work? using techniques that are heavily reliant on lighting.

<sigh>
 
A proper photobooth has the lights built in normally. I'm guessing your talking about a mini studio set up instead. I think your going to need more than £50 for half decent lighting.
 
riddell said:
So you have no real idea of what you are doing with lighting? but you now think you are good enough to go out and start charging people for work? using techniques that are heavily reliant on lighting.

<sigh>
Click to expand...

Love the patronising happening here.

I take great photos, I'm an artist in other fields and I have an eye in photography that not many people have. I am excellent with photoshop. And I should not have to justify all this.

But unlike some of you, I do not have a budget. I shoot with my standard canon, and it took me places like the fashion week and wedding photoshoots. However, because of my limited (absent, really) budget and the fact I am only going to start invoicing for my photography, I have rarely touched lighting equipment. I have, back in university, when lighting was available and when there was one type of lamp (so we did not have to worry about which light to get). I know how to use lighting, I just do not know WHAT lighting equipment to get.

The rest of my life I have done very, very well (never had a dissatisfied "client" (I have always worked pro bono in photography but they're still clients, still work relationships) with natural lighting and when available, taking advantage of lights already in place (at the fashion week for instance).

Now that we are done with the explanation, would you be able to tone down the agressivity and actually answer my question?
 
swanseamale47 said:
A proper photobooth has the lights built in normally. I'm guessing your talking about a mini studio set up instead. I think your going to need more than £50 for half decent lighting.
Click to expand...

That sounds great but we aren't looking for something as complex as a mini studio and actual photobooth. I am just looking for a basic lighting equipment to use. Thank you however for your reply.
 
Call Lencarta and ask their advice.

It may be well worth you buying the equipment if you can afford it as you'll have it for future use.
 
Phil V said:
For one light (all you need) You can buy something for the cost of 4 days rental of that Profoto gear.
Click to expand...

This is interesting.

But what is the basic lighting you would get?

I have asked around and looked for a few months but people usually go over the top and advice for expensive equipment. I am looking for a basic studio light and could buy as you suggest.

Would something like that be wise to purchase?
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...&ved=0ahUKEwjPxKvM37LdAhVrLcAKHZiWAWcQ8wIIvAI
 
I've bought studio lighting from them and they were

1 Really knowledgeable
2 Good prices.

Best of luck in your endeavours.
 
Tamtam said:
Love the patronising happening here.

I take great photos, I'm an artist in other fields and I have an eye in photography that not many people have. I am excellent with photoshop. And I should not have to justify all this.

But unlike some of you, I do not have a budget. I shoot with my standard canon, and it took me places like the fashion week and wedding photoshoots. However, because of my limited (absent, really) budget and the fact I am only going to start invoicing for my photography, I have rarely touched lighting equipment. I have, back in university, when lighting was available and when there was one type of lamp (so we did not have to worry about which light to get). I know how to use lighting, I just do not know WHAT lighting equipment to get.

The rest of my life I have done very, very well (never had a dissatisfied "client" (I have always worked pro bono in photography but they're still clients, still work relationships) with natural lighting and when available, taking advantage of lights already in place (at the fashion week for instance).

Now that we are done with the explanation, would you be able to tone down the agressivity and actually answer my question?
Click to expand...

The thing is.. with lighting, just like with cameras, it's more about where you point it as what it is that you do the pointing with.
And like cameras, pretty much anything available from any of the main lighting manufacturers around today will do the job.

You've said you 'know how to use lighting' - but 'have rarely retouched lighting equipment'. Are you surprised that's getting a slightly narky response from folk who have put a lot more than 3 months of effort into learning how to use lighting?

To get back to the question: I could produce results like the second one above - I can't see the first one - with a Yongnuo 560III and an appropriate modifier for about £50.
I wouldn't want to do so at an event. I'd probably use something like the Godox AD600Pro and a smallish octa if I was starting from scratch but that's going to cost a bit more than £30.
 
Tamtam said:
This is interesting.

But what is the basic lighting you would get?

I have asked around and looked for a few months but people usually go over the top and advice for expensive equipment. I am looking for a basic studio light and could buy as you suggest.

Would something like that be wise to purchase?
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...&ved=0ahUKEwjPxKvM37LdAhVrLcAKHZiWAWcQ8wIIvAI
Click to expand...
No that’S terrible, continuous lighting isn’t a good start for photographing people, studio flash is the way to go.

Look at Lencarta, Bessel and Essential Photo

You’ll get some great advice here; just ignore @riddell he started with no knowledge and zero talent and has taken it upon himself to try to stop anyone else doing similar. It’s a strange outlook, but like I said, most other people are very helpful, if a little blunt and honest when it comes to business advice.
 
Tamtam said:
But unlike some of you, I do not have a budget. I have rarely touched lighting equipment.
Click to expand...

I don't get why you don't have a budget? You say you have done weddings and fashion week. It sounds like you now have an event booked?

Even as junior photographer you should have pulled in a good £500.00 for a wedding? Now with this event you'll be pulling in another few hundred, so why not invest in some proper lighting and learn how to use it properly?

You also contradict yourself 'I have rarely touched lighting equipment' yet you feel you know how to use it all. Since by your own confusion you've only used one type of lighting, without elaborating on it, how will you know how to control and set the lighting you hire as needed? What type have you used before?

There are loads of secondhand Elinchrom D lites on ebay for around £300.00, as a complete kit with stands, softboxes etc. Only basic kit, but good enough to start with.
 
A lot will depend on what your after. If it's the white background then you usually need to light the background to get it white, then light your subjects infront of it.
Looking at the pic posted it looks like it's lit with one light above and maybe slightly left of the camera (possibly even on camera with a softbox?) although I am looking at it small. Theres a shadow on the background which they look very close to.
Keep in mind if your doing this at events/weddings you'll probably end up in an akward corner with usually no sockets handy. Lighting stands need to be solid enough and stable enough not to get knocked over (sandbag sometimes) and cables need to be safe with no trip issues.
 
I think you're spreading it thin at £50. Even from wex all I could really see was the Bron kit at £44 per day. With damage waiver that I'd advise and vat you'll no doubt be over £60. You could get away with a speedlight, brolly, stand and triggers. Though I wouldn't go this way as you'd been changing batteries frequently, so would prefer mains power if possible. Cost wise a stand with a mount would be around £30-£40 for a heavy duty one. A brolly £10-£20 and then a speedlight and triggers I'd budget around £100. You then just need an abundance of rechargeable batteries. Bear in mind that once you have this kit it's yours. A basic setup like this is quite versatile and you can upgrade as and when funds allow. If you want a powered flash you could look at the Lencarta smartflash for £139.
 
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For more advice on lighting with speedlights check out the Strobists Blogspot and lighting 101.
 
Tamtam said:
That sounds great but we aren't looking for something as complex as a mini studio and actual photobooth. I am just looking for a basic lighting equipment to use. Thank you however for your reply.
Click to expand...


Um, so why show photos of exactly that?

It's like a bride sharing a PInterest collection of images that she wants, showing stunning images of beach weddings in Hawaii and California.

Except she's getting married in Scarborough.

In December.
 
Not sure what the op really wanted from this as he's not been on since the 14th
 
The effect in the pictures you have posted can be achieved with an off camera falsh on a light stand with a brolly attachment or a soft box, It looks processed to me, after the fact, IF you want a photo booth style shoot, then I assume you will want to print on site there and then too? IF so you need a laptop and a dye sub printer to add to your lighting.

Small form factor and light, portable you may need a few sets of batteries for an event but its a start and cheap too, IF you dont have a flash gun then, this will take a head as its Bowens S FIT softbox so you could buy a single head to replace flash gun?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Softbox-Diffuser-S-type-Bracket-Speedlite/dp/B01LEWKK98
 
Tamtam said:
Hello,

I am looking to rent lighting for an event photobooth. The idea is to have super bright photos like these

http://static.wixstatic.com/media/09aa20_e0f0836d2082e43e0e60fa3355885dea.jpg

https://images.pexels.com/photos/16...s-160420.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=350

I am really confused with lighting equipment as I only had a chance to use them for 3 months of photography class.

What would you recommend I get?

It would be a rental. Ideally the budget would be £30 but could go up to £50.

I found this website that has good reviews, is there anything on this site you would recommend for instance?

https://rental.wexphotovideo.com/lighting


Many thanks for your advice
Click to expand...

Both images are a long way from conventional studio portrait lighting.

First one is shot with a ring-flash - very distinctive look. Second one is with a pretty small softbox or equivalent, straight above the lens. Could be an on-camera flash diffuser device of some sort, eg Lumiquest, FlashBender etc. In both cases, the subjects are actually touching the backgound.

You won't get far with £50, even renting, and with studio work knowledge is key. You start with nothing, just an empty space, and have to create everything from the ground up. Without a good understanding of how light works and the huge variety of equipment options, you'll end up with a random mess. Photoshop can enhance an already good shot, but it can't create one from scratch. Rubbish in rubbish out, silk purse and sow's ear etc ;)

It's not that hard if you start with the basics and build from there, growing knowledge and understanding with experience. Something like a Lencarta Smartflash (stand and trigger etc) plus a medium-size softbox or umbrella is about as cheap as it gets, but it's decent gear and makes a solid foundation.
 
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