Amateur Photography (Lighting studio kits and backdrops)

[north-ict]

I have a canon 550d and I have been using it a while now. I want to practice taking portrait shots in a studio environment. I want to set up something up in my shed and also set up a make shift studio anywhere. I have been looking on amazon and ebay etc. I thought I would ask you guys and gals since some of you have a passion for this too. I am also making a macro studio out of some plastic sheets and would be an idea to use the Lighting for that also. Nothing crazily expensive just a decent backdrop and lighting kit.

 

 

 

All suggestions welcome

[jinnantonnixx]

I made a very nice backdrop with an old large projector screen (£2 from a car boot sale) and blue poster paint (£1 from The Works) applied with a sponge. I can post an example of a photo with this setup when I get home tonight.

 

As for lights, I've got a couple of Jessops 336VM lights. These are budget studio lights, and have never let me down. They fit on lighting stands I bought from Amazon for £10. I think the lights cost me £60 second hand.

 

Another option is to buy non-dedicated flashguns, with manual control. I've got a couple of these (a Sunpak 555, 3600 and a GX4500). These are hugely powerful and quite cheap (under £30 each). I put these on the lighting stands and trigger them with a remote trigger system. I bought a Yonguo RF-602 trigger system which also allows me to trigger my Canon EOS remotely with the supplied trigger. I'm sure this will come in useful one day. If you go down this route, be very careful of the trigger voltages - the RF-602 can only handle 12v, the trigger voltage on the Sunpak 3600 is close to 200v so it will fry the trigger. The Sunpak 555 has a trigger voltage of 6v so it's quite safe.

[Ric_]

I have one of these... Elinchrom BXRi 500 Twin Flash Head Kit (20751.2) - Wex Photographic plus a backdrop stand and paper rolls. It works quite nicely and the built in Skyport is rather handy.

 

Top tips... avoid continuous lighting and be prepared to spend a little bit extra for decent brands because some of the cheaper stuff is truly awful.

 

(I should really upload some shots using the gear - most are portraits I did for people)

[north-ict]

Thanks I forgot to mention i also have a speedlite 430 EX II and a trigger remote. I also bought a few years back a 18-200 EFS 72mm lens which I love. The prime lens i got is the 50mm EF.

[north-ict]

I have one of these... Elinchrom BXRi 500 Twin Flash Head Kit (20751.2) - Wex Photographic plus a backdrop stand and paper rolls. It works quite nicely and the built in Skyport is rather handy.

 

Top tips... avoid continuous lighting and be prepared to spend a little bit extra for decent brands because some of the cheaper stuff is truly awful.

 

(I should really upload some shots using the gear - most are portraits I did for people)

 

 

Totally out of my budget but that does look good. I Know and agree you pay for quality but right now I cant.

[north-ict]

I made a very nice backdrop with an old large projector screen (£2 from a car boot sale) and blue poster paint (£1 from The Works) applied with a sponge. I can post an example of a photo with this setup when I get home tonight.

 

As for lights, I've got a couple of Jessops 336VM lights. These are budget studio lights, and have never let me down. They fit on lighting stands I bought from Amazon for £10. I think the lights cost me £60 second hand.

 

Another option is to buy non-dedicated flashguns, with manual control. I've got a couple of these (a Sunpak 555, 3600 and a GX4500). These are hugely powerful and quite cheap (under £30 each). I put these on the lighting stands and trigger them with a remote trigger system. I bought a Yonguo RF-602 trigger system which also allows me to trigger my Canon EOS remotely with the supplied trigger. I'm sure this will come in useful one day. If you go down this route, be very careful of the trigger voltages - the RF-602 can only handle 12v, the trigger voltage on the Sunpak 3600 is close to 200v so it will fry the trigger. The Sunpak 555 has a trigger voltage of 6v so it's quite safe.

 

 

I think theres an old projector screen at the school I will ask about.

[mattx]

Some good tips from Gavin here:

 

 

and

 

[Oaktech]

you can't go far wrong with the CPC lighting pack... Browse for Products | CPC

[jinnantonnixx]

You won't regret spending time looking at this site:

Strobist

 

Their philosophy is quite different to studio techniques.

One thing you won't find are "studio lighting tips." A studio is a plain, empty box. Lighting is not about working in a studio. It is about being able to use your flashes anywhere. The world is your studio.

 

And do check out their assignment write-ups.

http://strobist.blogspot.co.uk/2006/03/on-assignment.html

 

The Strobist 101 guide lighting here:

Strobist: Lighting 101

Edited December 10, 2012 by jinnantonnixx

[Oaktech]

check out the various strobist groups on flickr also for good ideas (and some terrible ones!)

 

 

This is 60.2 sec ƒ/6.3 ISO 200 20 mm 3 strobes from a single metz 45af

[mattx]

check out the various strobist groups on flickr also for good ideas (and some terrible ones!)

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16285[/ATTACH]

 

This is 60.2 sec ƒ/6.3 ISO 200 20 mm 3 strobes from a single metz 45af

 

Interesting photo - it's great what effects you can get. I prefer Macro stuff myself - The World's Best Photos by MattX27 - Flickr Hive Mind

[Oaktech]

I've always been too tight to part with money for a good enough macro lens to explore the medium! Fair play to you!

[mattx]

I've always been too tight to part with money for a good enough macro lens to explore the medium! Fair play to you!

 

You don't need an expensive lens - a normal kit lens will do or the 50mm macro [ which is not too much ] + a set of extension tubes will do it. I have some extension tubes on my 100mm Macro [ I don't use all of them ] - and you get some great results.