Need advice on lighting

Jamesbjenkins

Hey guys, I'm coming here for some good advice because I'm just getting confused shopping online.

I'm a semi-pro photographer with pro quality lens, but I don't have any lighting equipment beyond my SB-800 shoe mount flash.

I'm trying to get all the components for a studio style lighting setup (stands, softboxes/umbrellas, flashes, etc.). I shoot with a Nikon D90 right now, but I'll be moving to the D700 very soon.

Please give me advice on the best setup for this situation. It needs to be mobile, so I'll need a battery pack obviously. What all do I need to work properly with my stuff? I've seen stuff from Pocketwizard and other brands, but I don't have any idea what the best brands are for the lighting equipment.

I'd like to stay under a grand if at all possible. I don't mind paying for quality, and I really need stuff that doesn't have CRAP build quality.

PLEASE HELP!

ziggy53

Please be very specific with your intentions and needs.

Do you need to compete with sunlight?

How many lights total do you anticipate needing?

When you say "portable" and "I'll need a battery pack obviously" do you mean that you want something capable of both mains power "and" battery power operation?

Exactly what type of photography do you want to cover and, if it includes group portraiture, how many people for groups?

What is the largest area you will need to cover?

The more you tell us the more detailed we can be with our answers.

Jamesbjenkins

ziggy53 wrote: »

Please be very specific with your intentions and needs.

Do you need to compete with sunlight?

How many lights total do you anticipate needing?

When you say "portable" and "I'll need a battery pack obviously" do you mean that you want something capable of both mains power "and" battery power operation?

Exactly what type of photography do you want to cover and, if it includes group portraiture, how many people for groups?

What is the largest area you will need to cover?

The more you tell us the more detailed we can be with our answers.

Thanks for replying.

I'm not terribly concerned with competing with sunlight. My main concern is illumination and shadow fill.

The lights need to be capable of both strobe and full time on for shadow fill. The vast majority of my client work is portraits, with several weddings a year as well. I'm mainly concerned with shooting individuals, but I'd like the lights to be able to illuminate a group shot for my weddings too.

I anticipate having to buy 2 lights, potentially 3 if I need to have a smaller one for shadow fill. Everything I shoot is on-location, so the ability to use AC and DC for power is critical.

I really need the whole setup to work wirelessly, via Pocketwizard or something comparable.

Any advice you have is very much appreciated.

Sam

If you can get this within your $1000.00 budget without breaking the law, forward me the all the info!!!!

Sam

I can recommend Alien Bees. Probably the best bang for the buck. Check out there site: http://www.alienbees.com/flash.html

I just priced out a three light system, with 3 HD stands, portable battery pack, 3 umbrellas, One Cyber Commander wireless transmitter, and 3 receivers.

This came out to $1625.00

You may want to alter the component list up or down, and add $200.00 for incidentals to your budget.

Sam

Zerodog

You could go with 100% speed lights and the nikon CLS system for control with your D90.

Jamesbjenkins

Sam wrote: »

If you can get this within your $1000.00 budget without breaking the law, forward me the all the info!!!!

Sam

I can recommend Alien Bees. Probably the best bang for the buck. Check out there site: http://www.alienbees.com/flash.html

I just priced out a three light system, with 3 HD stands, portable battery pack, 3 umbrellas, One Cyber Commander wireless transmitter, and 3 receivers.

This came out to $1625.00

You may want to alter the component list up or down, and add $200.00 for incidentals to your budget.

Sam

Sam, thanks for the brand recommendation. I'll check it out. There's just so much information out there, I'm a little overwhelmed trying to sift through it all.

I've had a lot of issues with my SB800 firing properly once it gets warm, so I'm really hesitant to put my faith in Nikon's CLS. Also, it seems to be pretty pricey compared to many alternatives.

Sam

James,

Keep up with the research. Don't be in too big a rush to buy. See if you can locate someone in your area that has studio lighting and is doing the type of photography you plan on pursuing.

Sam

Jamesbjenkins

Sam wrote: »

James,

Keep up with the research. Don't be in too big a rush to buy. See if you can locate someone in your area that has studio lighting and is doing the type of photography you plan on pursuing.

Sam

HAHA, I'm certainly not in any rush! I've bought my arsenal one piece at a time over the last two years. My wife and I have an agreement that I don't buy more photography stuff until revenue from my photography work has covered it. This is still a side gig for me unfortunately, so I have to be patient.

Also, I'm buying a second body before I buy lighting. Switching lenses in the middle of a wedding is a major PITB.

Sam, thanks so much for your help. That was kind of you.