Beginner Photosel Equipment help.

Micallef

Micallef

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Ben
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Hello everybody, just needing your advice if anybody could help.

I have been Into photography for years now , and have recently purchased some lighting equipment to get me Into it, and being honest I have no idea of what I need to get some good shots. As I have never used studio lighting.

I purchased the kit (photosel) from a friend on the forum, it consists of.
Two umbrella stands (white umbrellas) that just plug into the mains ,
And then a stand with 3 backdrops. Also one of these is really heavy and seems abit much for the back drop support .

I have been asked by a doctors practice to get photos of the staff on Thursday .i was wondering will I be ok with this kit? The person before me showed me there portfolio where they used this set up, and got some great shots.

They also used a speedlite on camera and bounced it off the ceiling , I can also do this.

Am I better getting a separate soft box? Some more off camera flashes and stands? A reflector?

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks Ben
 
To be honest Ben it sounds like you're trying to throw equipment at a situation without knowing what you need for your situation yourself. Have you set this kit up that you bought and shot with it yet or will Thursday be the first time? If you have, what sort of results did you get? What sort of results do you want from the Thursday shoot? Completely white background and perfectly exposed people for example?

You say "more off camera flashes" but it doesn't sound like you have any at the moment, do you have continuous lighting?

If you're going for off camera flashes, how are you going to trigger them, what are you going to use to diffuse them and how many light sources are you going to be using at the same time? The 2 you've got, plus one on the camera and some more off camera flashes?
 
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Thanks welshnoob for your reply

I quickly put it together yesterday , but didn't really have enough space , iam doing it again today after I have moved some things around.

I normally go for natural light shots, but this time the doctor is wanting a white or black background, with well exposed portraits .

I only have one yn565 flash at the moment, but was going to buy a couple more and some triggers for them.

Just very confused on what ,and the best way to use what I have.
 
With a white or black background and the continuous lights on the subject you are not going to be getting pictures with a white or black background as strange as that may seem.

You can get portraits with 1 light and a reflector to keep it simple. Loads of tutorials on YouTube.
 
Thanks pal, so it's not really possible with my current set up? Could I just use one umbrella then and a reflector? I have got enough time to order the products I need before Thursday , is it worth getting a softbox to use with the umbrella stand? I am also going to order a few speed lights and remote flashes ( not specifically for this shoot) but would I get better results using then on the stands?

Sorry about all the questions , just really am a noob when it comes to lighting .
 
Need to know exactly what you've got before we can suggest what you should add to it.

Take into consideration even though it's not rocket science you're trying to run before you can walk, to light a background to perfect white you usually need at least 2 lights and enough separation between background and subject.

You'll also not want to mix continuous and flash, I just see that making your life harder.
 
Micallef said:
Thanks pal, so it's not really possible with my current set up? Could I just use one umbrella then and a reflector? I have got enough time to order the products I need before Thursday , is it worth getting a softbox to use with the umbrella stand? I am also going to order a few speed lights and remote flashes ( not specifically for this shoot) but would I get better results using then on the stands?

Sorry about all the questions , just really am a noob when it comes to lighting .
Click to expand...
I'll be blunt:

Phone them up and turn down the 'job'. It's not that you don't have the equipment, but you have no idea what you're doing.

You could get the best gear available delivered free tomorrow, but how much practice and research have you got time for?

In the time you've spent checking for answers here, you could have checked the strobist101 blog, read 20 insightful posts in this very forum or scoured YouTube for nuggets of information.

But instead you're concerned about having the magic list of gear, as if that will help. Do you really think it might?

Did you instantly become David Bailey when you picked up a DSLR? If I buy the right guitar tomorrow can I get to stand in for The Edge next weekend? If I have the proper football boots delivered before next Saturday can I get a game with Doncaster Rovers (I know they're s***e, the answer is still no).

If you spend tomorrow's free time trying to get a decent shot with the gear you already have, you'll learn a great deal. At the moment you're not even clear about what you want to achieve.

(I have a cold, my reserves of sympathy have depleted)
 
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Hi

I'm sort of with @Phil V (again as he talks sense!) on this. I've seen the pics of a couple of friends on their practice website........they are less than flattering. I keep meaning to offer to update them when I have time. Did I say friend. I meant SWMBO [emoji1][emoji1]

I know that if I did it I'd go with one light, a reflector and look for a blank wall. Have the lighting/reflector set and then have them quickly come in and out - time is precious in an overstretched practice.

Where it would get more complicated is if you had to take pics of the various staff members in their actual roles. That would take a bit more thought and planning.

So with the greatest of respect, tell them that you're not ready/unavailable. If they don't need them urgently you may be able to go back once your more familiar with the kit/able to get good results.

Good Luck

Shaheed
 
Phil V said:
I'll be blunt:

Phone them up and turn down the 'job'. It's not that you don't have the equipment, but you have no idea what you're doing.

You could get the best gear available delivered free tomorrow, but how much practice and research have you got time for?

In the time you've spent checking for answers here, you could have checked the strobist101 blog, read 20 insightful posts in this very forum or scoured YouTube for nuggets of information.

But instead you're concerned about having the magic list of gear, as if that will help. Do you really think it might?

Did you instantly become David Bailey when you picked up a DSLR? If I buy the right guitar tomorrow can I get to stand in for The Edge next weekend? If I have the proper football boots delivered before next Saturday can I get a game with Doncaster Rovers (I know they're s***e, the answer is still no).

If you spend tomorrow's free time trying to get a decent shot
with the gear you already
have, you'll learn a great deal. At the moment you're not even clear about what you want to achieve.

(I have a cold, my reserves of sympathy have depleted)
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply , I agree I have never used a continuous light set up so don't feel super comftable with them, I have watched many videos and
tutorials over the last day or two and understand the basics. I know I can't just buy equipment
and expect my shots to be at a high level.

My mum works at the practice and her boss has seen my work and was happy with what she had seen . ( my other portraits using a speedlite )

I have ordered another speedlite as I needed one with hss, and some receivers . So I can always use these with the umbrellas , and can atleast change the power output when needed .

I don't think I can manage to get the day off work unless I get somebody to cover me, so may have to re schedule with them anyway. This will give me more time to figure out the best equipment to use.

I was originally wondering the best way to set up my lights that I currently have but didn't explain it well. After watching lots of videos I do understand them a tad more
 
The speed ights are a better bet, but if you're planning to do much of this stuff invest in some proper lighting.

People do amazing things with speedlights, but what they fail to mention is how much skill they have and how much easier studio lights are for the rest of us.
 
Sir SR said:
Hi

I'm sort of with @Phil V (again as he talks sense!) on this. I've seen the pics of a couple of friends on their practice website........they are less than flattering. I keep meaning to offer to update them when I have time. Did I say friend. I meant SWMBO [emoji1][emoji1]

I know that if I did it I'd go with one light, a reflector and look for a blank wall. Have the lighting/reflector set and then have them quickly come in and out - time is precious in an overstretched practice.

Where it would get more complicated is if you had to take pics of the various staff members in their actual roles. That would take a bit more thought and planning.

So with the greatest of respect, tell them that you're not ready/unavailable. If they don't need them urgently you may be able to go back once your more familiar with the kit/able to get good results.

Good Luck

Shaheed
Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice pal, the practice isn't open on Thursdays so would only be staff in the building , so would have plenty of areas I could set up in.

I have got a reflector so will try your suggestion. Also looking forward to using my flashes off camera . ( just ordered yn-622c triggers, and the transmitter along with a yn-568exII) so could use these on the umbrella stands .

I made the mistake and rushed into buying the continuous light set up, when I should have just read through some more tutorials and reviews.
 
Phil V said:
The speed ights are a better bet, but if you're planning to do much of this stuff invest in some proper lighting.

People do amazing things with speedlights, but what they fail to mention is how much skill they have and how much easier studio lights are for the rest of us.
Click to expand...

Thanks bud. I shouldn't have rushed into buying it , but I did because if the timescale I had, I will eventually get a decent light set up, but I am going to need to use the equipment I currently have so I can do some shoots and buy it eventually.

This is my equipment at the moment.

Canon 5d mk3
Sigma 35mm art
Canon 135mm L

two continuous umbrella stands and lights.
Back drop with white and black back ground( then a large black one)
.Yongnuo yn565 flash.
.Yongnuo yn568exII.
.Neewer collapsible light reflector.
.Metal clamps for speed lights to go on umbrella stands.
.YongNuo YN-622C-TX E-TTL L

.2 Yongnuo YN-622C Wireless TTL Flash Trigger

What would be your recommendation out of the kit I have? I am probably just going to use the speed lights with my umbrellas, but just wondered if there was anything else you would recommend trying ?

Many thanks Ben
 
Micallef said:
My mum works at the practice and her boss has seen my work and was happy with what she had seen . ( my other portraits using a speedlite )
Click to expand...
Ok.. so the client has seen X and likes it.

Why are you rushing to spend money to do Y? - which you have no experience of, don't know how to do, haven' got the time to learn, and haven't got the kit for..


Time for a common sense check.. .. ;)

If you want a different set-up, take the time to research it properly to get what you will need - not what's cheap. And don't put yourself under pressure to learn how to use it whilst you're burning someone else's expensive time sitting for you. You won't do yourself or them any favours.
 
Its just for a local medical practice that my mum works at, she has seen pictures I have done with natural night and with my on camera flash ,and was happy with the standard . Then she said she would like me to use a back drop , so I rushed into buying that photosel kit as it was going cheap ( should have researched it) they said they used the kit to get going, so though it would be fine for me starting out.

They don't want to spend a lot for the pictures so would be doing it more as a favour, and then I can learn and build my portfolio up.

I realise that I shouldn't have rushed into it but that's one of my common mistakes.

I have also pushed it back a week until next Thursday
 
As she's helped you get yourself this into this muddle, I suggest you volunteer your Mum to be your practice model between now and next Thursday.

Watch the tutorials and practice, practice, practice.
 
Don't worry her and my girlfriend will be sick of me using them as models by next week.

I will watch as much tutorials as I can :)
 
Bear in mind that many of the youtube tutorials are misleading to say the least.
And that even the good ones are so heavily edited to make them short and watchable that the make it look like the results were obtained easily, and without experimentation.
 
Alastair said:
Ok.. so the client has seen X and likes it.

Why are you rushing to spend money to do Y? - which you have no experience of, don't know how to do, haven' got the time to learn, and haven't got the kit for..


Time for a common sense check.. .. ;)

If you want a different set-up, take the time to research it properly to get what you will need - not what's cheap. And don't put yourself under pressure to learn how to use it whilst you're burning someone else's expensive time sitting for you. You won't do yourself or them any favours.
Click to expand...
Post of the week!

As photographers we need to realise that non-photographers have no idea that x and y aren't the same thing.

All those 'they love my landscape work so they want me to shoot their wedding' posts don't mean that the couple understand the difference and are prepared to take a punt, they mean that they've seen an opportunity for cheap photo's. It doesn't occur to them that sitting and waiting for a cloud pattern to reflect perfectly in a lake is any different to posing an overweight bride to avoid back fat because she chose the wrong dress, or watching for the knowing glance from the FoB during the speeches. They just see clear sharp pictures and put it down to us being able to 'operate' a camera.

There's nothing wrong with pushing yourself and learning, it's how we all improve. But there's nothing smart about taking on a 'job' that's beyond our understanding, it creates stress and rarely achieves a happy outcome.
 
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