studio set up

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Might it be an idea for Ian to post examples of the kind of results he'd like to achieve? Might be easier for people to point him in the right direction of the kit being used.
 
A beauty dish is a light modifier that usually fits onto a studio head . I wouldn't just rush out and by one though as their not the be all end all . You need to slow things down and learn how to manipulate the light available to you . If your determined to use your flash have a look on the strobist blog at the flash 101 section , there is a lot on there to get you going .
 
BigJohn said:
A beauty dish is a light modifier that usually fits onto a studio head . I wouldn't just rush out and by one though as their not the be all end all . You need to slow things down and learn how to manipulate the light available to you . If your determined to use your flash have a look on the strobist blog at the flash 101 section , there is a lot on there to get you going .
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Yes I no but just looking at things I think will help. When i undestand all this lighting talk.

S.S
 
A good light setup for you would be something like four Elinchroms go for 500w or more (you can never have enough power).
As for modifiers grab a couple of deep octo boxes again go big or go home!!!! Defiantly get a beauty dish you need one, they make everything beautiful.
Basically all you will need to do is point everything at your model and it will look great especially if you get a 5d and a 70-200, man you can't go wrong it's all in the gear!!!!!
 
There's no reason why you can't have a look at the numerous links and try to replicate what you have just seen . Keep shooting changing setup until you get the same result , but stand back and have a look at what is going on what is effecting the light / shot . Learn from replication, and then take it from there .
 
ok now I am getting my head round all this light think what light heads would I need and how many 3. 2 for softboxs and 1 for beauty dish. let me no if thats all ok and I can get it ordered then try another shoot.

S.S
 
Ok, I along with a lot more people I'm sure give up . Your just not listening , it wouldn't matter if you had the most well equipped studio on the planet . Your still not going to get the results you hope for as you don't know what to do with them .
 
StaceysStudio said:
Thank you mate that video was the best bit of advice I have received on here so far.

S.S
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Really - is it the moving pictures, because in my first post I linked to the differences between all the types of modifier:thinking:

Phil V said:
Have you already bought or decided on a flash?

Are you thinking strobist or going for studio flash with modelling lights?

What's your budget?

The truth is that you can start with one flash but you'll soon want another one, and some reflectors, and a choice of modifiers, brollies, snoots and softoxes, maybe a beauty dish.
If you know the kind of thing you're hoping to achieve, then this might help you decide what to buy.
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Instead of answering my other questions (designed to help you), you just offered abuse...
StaceysStudio said:
Lets get this right the user name was changed to start a fresh that was all that changed.
But if you cant forget about it then don't VISIT MY POSTS.
Phil V
You say about lighting and I am here asking what is the best lights to do what I have said.
I don't have a budget.
As said before I only ask for help I don't need all the silly comments.

REMEMBER I AM STARTING A FRESH SO SHOULD YOU BUT IF YOU CANT DON'T VISIT MY POSTS.

S.S
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You'll note - you never asked about lights, you asked about softboxes:thinking:
I was trying to help you by clarifying what lighting you wanted to fit them to, and what your budget was?
Again - you never answered a straight question.

You treat this like people who are asking you questions are trying to trip you up. We're trying to help you:bang:

StaceysStudio said:
I have now been looking at Beauty Dish is it just a dish that fits over the light or is the light part of the dish.
someone help me out. any links would be a help.

S.S
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A beauty dish, umbrella or softbox are all light modifiers that attach to lighting to change it's behaviour.

What's your budget for lights? Not having a budget could mean you have no money to spend or you have a massive pile? We don't know - we can't guess, so what sort of figure are you contemplating spending on lighting for your studio, and how many lights / modifiers are you hoping to get with it?

They're simple enough questions to help us help you surely:)

It'd help if you read my posts for what they are rather than as the forefront of some battle to make you think differently. I'm trying to help you with the answer to your questions - did you ever follow a single link or look up any photographer I suggested? - it would appear from the above post you never did, as I'd posted the same information as someone else who seems to have offered "the best bit of advice I have received on here so far.":bang:
 
StaceysStudio said:
ok now I am getting my head round all this light think what light heads would I need and how many 3. 2 for softboxs and 1 for beauty dish. let me no if thats all ok and I can get it ordered then try another shoot.

S.S
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Ian but that's the problem your not getting your head round it. What are you going to do with the lights when you get them? Point them where? How? In what direction? Etc etc until you know your just going to be throwing money in the bin.

Phil v has gave you tons of advice just like he did for me when I first joined and its in your best interest to start listening and learning from people who know more than you do.
 
Yes I have took it all in.
what I plan on doing. Is putting 1 softbox on the background with Fluorescent Light with no Diffuser on the front. And the other on wife at 45 degrees with the Diffuser on and the beauty dish with Honeycomb Grid on my wifes face. I will be taking portrait photos.
Let me no if I still have not got what was being said.
As for budget lets say £1800 for 3 lights 2 softboxes 1 beauty dish and 1 Honeycomb Grid and 3 backdrop (white/black/gary) and stand and also white and gray white balance cards.
Have I missed anything I might need.

S.S
 
This is a wind-up, surely?

Where did the fluorescent light come from?

I give up.
 
GHP said:
This is a wind-up, surely?

Where did the fluorescent light come from?

I give up.
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The fluorescent lights came from. I want continues lighting on and not to flash. The only light that will flash will be the from the beauty dish.

S.S
 
As for budget lets say £1800 for 3 lights 2 softboxes 1 beauty dish and 1 Honeycomb Grid and 3 backdrop (white/black/gary) and stand and also white and gray white balance cards.
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This is a wind-up, surely?

Where did the fluorescent light come from?

I give up.
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I don't know, apparently he's gonna use you as a back drop :P

(sorry couldn't resist)

Staceysstudio , what I would say as someone learning also, is master what you have THEN add complexity. Use your camera often, practice on composition and how things look with natural light.
Learn your camera inside out, then add lighting. The strobist blog is good to learn off camera flash, i've heard good things about the speedliters handbook too. Think of learning all this as a long term project and not something you can pick up in a few hours
 
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This
StaceysStudio said:
Yes I have took it all in.S.S
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And this...
StaceysStudio said:
what I plan on doing. Is putting 1 softbox on the background with Fluorescent Light with no Diffuser on the front. And the other on wife at 45 degrees with the Diffuser on and the beauty dish with Honeycomb Grid on my wifes face. I will be taking portrait photos.
Let me no if I still have not got what was being said.
As for budget lets say £1800 for 3 lights 2 softboxes 1 beauty dish and 1 Honeycomb Grid and 3 backdrop (white/black/gary) and stand and also white and gray white balance cards.
Have I missed anything I might need.

S.S
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Can't both be true.:) Any and all of the links I posted would have stopped you thinking like that. Not to mention the great help from others.

You can't really spend all that money on studio flash and then think you can contemplate using some of it as modelling lights and mix it with flourescent.

The colour temperatures will be all over the place.

One flash with a beauty dish (having worked out how to use it) will improve your picture 10 fold.

What you've described above is a dogs dinner, 3 different light colours and over complicated. Just like I said before - start simple. Learn what one light will do, before you think you can add 3 others. One coour at a time will help too.
 
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StaceysStudio said:
Yes I have took it all in.
what I plan on doing. Is putting 1 softbox on the background with Fluorescent Light with no Diffuser on the front. And the other on wife at 45 degrees with the Diffuser on and the beauty dish with Honeycomb Grid on my wifes face. I will be taking portrait photos.
Let me no if I still have not got what was being said.
As for budget lets say £1800 for 3 lights 2 softboxes 1 beauty dish and 1 Honeycomb Grid and 3 backdrop (white/black/gary) and stand and also white and gray white balance cards.
Have I missed anything I might need.

S.S
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That sounds like a good setup, you won't go wrong especially with a beauty dish all your shots will be beautiful.
It sounds like you have really taken everyone's advice onboard and know what's needed for your shots. Well done and good luck.
 
Ian, just because someone in the videos used 3 lights doesn't mean you can buy 3 lights, point then at a model and get the same result. The guy in the link I posted has been mastering this all his life.

Not sure why you now want to mix fluorescent light and studio flash? Are you sure your not thinking about modelling lights? Fluorescent lights with studio flash will give you all sorts of colour temperature problems.

I'm sorry but from what you have posted so far your basic photography skills are not yet established. Don't try to run before you can walk!
 
StaceysStudio said:
Yes I have took it all in.
what I plan on doing. Is putting 1 softbox on the background with Fluorescent Light with no Diffuser on the front. And the other on wife at 45 degrees with the Diffuser on and the beauty dish with Honeycomb Grid on my wifes face. I will be taking portrait photos.
Let me no if I still have not got what was being said.
As for budget lets say £1800 for 3 lights 2 softboxes 1 beauty dish and 1 Honeycomb Grid and 3 backdrop (white/black/gary) and stand and also white and gray white balance cards.
Have I missed anything I might need.

S.S
Click to expand...

Buying all that gear is a great idea. At least you will have all the bases covered.

If you want to know the best place to buy all the gear, just let me know. I know all about buying photography gear because I read about it once
 
Phil V said:
This

And this...

Can't both be true.:) Any and all of the links I posted would have stopped you thinking like that. Not to mention the great help from others.

You can't really spend all that money on studio flash and then think you can contemplate using some of it as modelling lights and mix it with flourescent.

The colour temperatures will be all over the place.

One flash with a beauty dish (having worked out how to use it) will improve your picture 10 fold.

What you've described above is a dogs dinner, 3 different light colours and over complicated. Just like I said before - start simple. Learn what one light will do, before you think you can add 3 others. One coour at a time will help too.
Click to expand...

So you are saying just get a beauty dish and use that for now and add other lights later. If so what would I use to light up background. what watt of light should I go for.

S.S
 
nigpd said:
Buying all that gear is a great idea. At least you will have all the bases covered.

If you want to know the best place to buy all the gear, just let me know. I know all about buying photography gear because I read about it once
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Yes mate let me no the best place to buy.

S.S
 
Nick_1981 said:
Ian, just because someone in the videos used 3 lights doesn't mean you can buy 3 lights, point then at a model and get the same result. The guy in the link I posted has been mastering this all his life.

Not sure why you now want to mix fluorescent light and studio flash? Are you sure your not thinking about modelling lights? Fluorescent lights with studio flash will give you all sorts of colour temperature problems.

I'm sorry but from what you have posted so far your basic photography skills are not yet established. Don't try to run before you can walk!
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I thought about Fluorescent lights because if they are on all the time for the shoot they will not give out much heat. What lights you think I would be better to use along with the beauty dish.

S.S
 
StaceysStudio said:
So you are saying just get a beauty dish and use that for now and add other lights later. If so what would I use to light up background. what watt of light should I go for.

S.S
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I never said just to buy one, I said learn how to use one first.
There's nothing to stop you buying a whole set of gear, but start by learning one light. You can use one light with a brolly, soft box or strip box, or a beauty dish.
Once you've got the one light figured you can add background lighting.

The modelling lights on flash aren't hot, they're designed to show you the effect of your lighting changes. They don't affect the exposure theyre a help.

Don't even think of mixing lights of different colours. Just set your camera to flash wire balance and take a photo of some paper under fluorescent light to see what the fluorescent will do to your pictures.

Has anyone mentioned that all light isn't equal?
 
Buy the most powerful lights you can afford eg 600 w plus, you just can't have enough power!!!
Remember you can always turn them down but when you need to go big you can, you might be able to get them modded then you can turn them all the way up to eleven!!!!!
 
Ian, assuming this thread is not just a wind up, the best advice is to go on a lighting course in a studio, preferably run by someone that produces the sort of images you like.

Alternatively just go buy some strobe lights and a a soft box and a brolly and go play.
 
Just my 2 penneths worth

I was in a similar boat a number of weeks ago re lighting. Its my first foray into this area so advice was greatly needed. This was the approach I took


• Post up the plan on here, with as much detail as I could add.
• Listen to all the advice given, even if I didn’t like it. (some tp members can be a little harsh but they are honest and upfront) Don’t forget these guys know their stuff and are sharing info and tips when they don’t really have to. They could easily not respond and say nothing. They are giving up their time to help you / me for which I was grateful and respectful.
• All the gear and no idea!!! I didn’t want this to apply to me so I have spent weeks and weeks studying youtube videos, reading books asking questions, contacting other togs. Generally getting to grips with terminology, understanding the equipment vs my needs and looking at costs etc
• Im now applying that knowledge (if it has sunk in) to understanding the gear I need for my particular circumstances. This is key. No one knows EXACTLY the circumstances / conditions I’m shooting in, effect I want. I can try to explain it but unless they are there on the day, with the changing light, model, tiny nuances of the shoot / set then the advice can only be a guide. A basis from which to build on
• Attend a course / workshop. They are fun and informative!
• Try before you buy. There are a number of places you can hire gear from. At good rates too. This may add a few quid to the overall cost should you then purchase but it but it could also save you from making massive costly mistakes / purchases. This stuff isn’t cheap!!
• Less can sometimes be more – Take a look at some of the tutorials by Damian Lovegrove, Gavin Hoey and my personal amusing favourite Michael Zelbell (quirky German dude!). These guys can create amazing images with a few speedlights and diffusers. Zelbel created a softbox / strip box from a small wardrobe and a showercurtain and 2 speedlights lol. IT WORKED!!

Oh, and one last thing, listen to the guys on here (not sure I mentioned that lol). The likes of PhilV, DT01, Garry and Treeman (plus others) have been more than generous with helping me. I hope to be able to post up some results to demonstrate that I was listening to them !!

Perhaps a sticky is needed to explain how to go about posting a request for advice in way that ensures you really get the best out of the folks on here willing to pass on their knowledge.

The – “I want lights, what’s best?” request is never going to generate a good response. Requestors need to be willing to put in the effort to help others help them.

I hope the above goes someway to helping you / this thread.

All the best
 
Nick_1981 said:
THIS VIDEO is a direct comparison between softbox and beauty dish with side by side comparison of the results
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I'm pleased I started reading this thread. I've started to educate myself in the use of lights, modifiers and all things strobist, and having watched that video (although I'll be starting with one light, not three) plus the one Joel does using one light, I learned a lot in a short time. This, plus all of the advice in this thread and sub forum, plus the Speedliters Handbook by Syl Arena, is starting to give me a good understanding of what light does and how to (try and!) control it. As a novice I would urge the OP to read and watch and practise before spending any significant amount of money. I'm a much better cyclist than I am a photographer, and when I'm struggling up a big climb and my pals are complaining I always tell them that "if it was easy then everyone would do it", I think this also applies to having a good understanding of light.
 
Thing is Ian at the end of the day it's your money but don't make the same mistake as a lot of newbie photographers and go and spend thousands on gear have no idea how to use it. all your photos come out looking like crap you get fed up with your lack of progress so give up and sell your gear for pennies.

No point on spending a few grand on the same cam as I have when you won't need or use most of the features it has. The cam won't make your pictures any better. Your choice of lens isn't the best either.

I know you want a lens that cover all you think you will need but that's like using one tool out of a tool bag but wanting to do several jobs with it. You can't paper a wall with a hammer you need a specific tool to do specific jobs.

I'm not saying the lens you want is no good just not really a good choice for what you want to use it for in a studio. Same with the studio lights if you went and got a days training in a studio you may find that what you need isn't what you want.

There are photographers on here that have been taking pictures for 30yrs or more myself included and we are still learning so what your asking to archive by just buying what you think is the right gear and plonking it down and expecting to be David bailey isn't going to happen.

That's like you buying yourself a pair of football boots and expecting to outplay David beckham the first time you wear them. It's not going to happen is it so why do you do the right thing for yourself and go and do a one to one day in a studio or even book yourself on a course.

I have a feeling this post will fall on deaf ears and you will just disregard any and all posts that don't tell you what to buy and that of course is your choice. Like I said its your money do with it as you wish.
 
foto-paul said:
Remember you can always turn them down but when you need to go big you can, you might be able to get them modded then you can turn them all the way up to eleven!!!!!
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:suspect:
 
Do you think the OP has watched a video with some-one using a strip box, and thinks it's a fluorescent tube?
 
Has anyone missed they have a 400D at the moment. That's a huge step up and a big learning curve to a 5D mk3.

I used to think I was fortunate with a 11m x 5m studio space, but never used my 70-200 lens in there at all. I always used my 24-105, or sometimes my 50mm. Not sure why you'd want to stand all that far away.

What do you want to shoot outside that needs distance that's pushing you towards this lens?

Whereabouts are you in the UK? There are several good places that run lighting courses. There's a very good one near me that runs portrait weekends for £260 and will teach you how to light, position models, how to use the relevant equipment etc. I'd suggest that would be money well spent before you jump in and buy lots of kit.
 
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