I want to surprise my wife

penny

So talking to my wife, she wants to start up a business. This said I want to surprise her with a lighting kit. This would be her first kit. What am I looking for, what does she need (referring to photography equipment). Again this is her first kit/etc and a surprise. I tried going on line and called a few places, but I have no idea what I am looking for when it comes to photography equipment.

If you were wondering she has her basics or least I think she does. A a200 with 18-70/3.5-5.6, 55-200/4-5.6 and 50mm /1.4 with a promaster flash 7500edf.

Help! I need some direction

catspaw

Not sure what your budget is or what you mean by lighting 'kit', but for studio lighting to start with, look at Alien Bees. They have some great kits already put together.

http://www.alienbees.com/packages.html

penny

In other words what equipment does she need to start her endeavor?

catspaw

penny wrote:

In other words what equipment does she need to start her endeavor?

Without knowing what she's looking to do or has already, this is a bit tricky to guess at what she might need. If she's looking at wedding photography, she might need a good flash (or two) and a flash bracket, per the light-on-a-stick method or any others out there. If she wants to do sitting portraits, the Alien Bees kits I mentioned above will help a lot in that direction. There's a lot of different ways that light is used in photography.

ziggy53

Since you mention "studio" I would suggest monolights, light modifiers and backgrounds.

3-4 monolights to start:

Key light
Fill light
Highlight and/or rim light
Background light (this can be 1-4 lights depending upon the application)

A light meter is very helpful in setting up the lights' output.

A couple of softboxes are nice for the key and fill lights and some snoots, gobos and/or grids to help control the rim light and maybe an eggshell or barndoors for the background light(s).

Umbrellas are often used for a more portable configuration as well as octo-boxes and softlighters.

Light stands hold the lights and 10' to 12' stands are more valuable than shorter stands.

Backgrounds and stands are selected for the intended use and studio size. Wall mounted holders are nice for a permanent installation.

I use FlashPoint monolights and I'm pretty happy with their consistancy and repeatability.

divamum

Assuming she wants to take portraits, I can tell you what my "just getting started" lighting wishlist would be (since I am just getting started and this is what I would like!) That said, please take my suggestions with a grain of salt - I'm still pretty new at this myself!!!

• lightmeter (Sekonic L358 or similar)
• 2 strobes (3 even better if budget will stretch)
• 2 umbrellas OR 2 softboxes OR possibly two brollyboxes (to get the best of both worlds)
• 2 grids (or snoots) (not essential, but really, REALLY nice to have - this is currently my favorite light modifier, I think)
• 2 (or 3) stands
• medium double-sided bounce reflector and a stand/arm to hold it
• all necessary cables and, if budget will allow a "remote" box to allow both lights (and any future ones) to be controlled from the camera.

If the budget will allow, then a roll of black seamless paper and a stand to put it on wouldn't be so bad, either, but there are plenty of other ways to create a simple and uncluttered background.

Now, as people here know, I've been making do with a LOT less than this at home (what I use as lighting equipment at home is beyond makeshift), but now that I've had the chance to work in a well-equipped studio a 2-light setup of this nature would be what I'd want.

The other possibility would be to go the "strobist" approach and get her two really good portable hotshoe flashes with similar modifiers/cables/stands etc as listed above, and a set of pocketwizard or radiopopper remote control triggers to control them from the camera.

Sigh. Can you talk to my husband and convince him what a wonderful idea this is, please?!