Is this a good lighting kit?

Question

I am starting to do some photography as a hobby.. I would like to take portraits.. would this kit be enough to get me started?
Two 12" Reflectors
One 5" Reflector
Three Socket & Cordsets with Stand Mounts
Two 33" White Umbrellas
Two UM-4 Umbrella Mounts
Three Raven RS8 8' Aluminum Stands
Three 3/8" Light Mount Studs
One MB110 Mini-Boom
Two ECT 500-Watt Photoflood Lamps
One ECA 250-Watt Photoflood Lamp
One Light Cart on Wheels
One Lighting Guide: Imaging with Light


If not, what do I need... Right now I am just starting, so I want something that I don't have alot of $$ in, so I can learn on it.

I will be shooting out of my home, so it will be a set up that will not have to be taken down or re-set.

FYI, I am enrolled in a photography school... classes start next month..... so yea, i do need "stinkin classes"

Answer 1

y'know i recently spent $160.oo on a pair of lights with stands, reflectors, umbrellas and mounts. that and the flash on the camera and the extra mountable flash, is all i can manage to cordinate and keep track of in this lifetime. and it is really quite a process to set up for an inside shoot with all that.

Answer 2

What a wonderful time we live in. Just buy an expensive camera and a couple of lenses and you're instantly a "professional photographer"! Buy a pre-packaged lighting kit and you're now a "professional portrait photographer".

Photography classes? We don't need no stinkin' classes.

Enroll in a photography class at your local high school or community college. Learn about light, composition, shutter speeds, f-stops and ISO. Learn how to pose people. If that isn't possible, enroll in the New York Institute of Photography (nyip.com) correspondence course. They've been in business since 1910 so they are legitimate.

Go to the library and look at the work done by Monte Zucker, a Master Portrait Photographer.

Spend your money on becoming educated in photography.

Answer 3

Just wondering, did you know that there are pro portrait photographers that use no lights whatsover? Just the natural light coming through windows and a bounce/fill reflector (or not). They do beautiful work.

Gareth Gridley
http://www.naturallight-photography.com/portraits.html

INMAGINE
http://www.inmagine.com/bl011/011054bl-photo

Stephanie Herzer here in my area
http://www.natural-light.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=slideshow%3ASlideshow&g2_itemId=101

Images by Hannah
http://www.imagesbyhannah.com/gallery.php

Starting with the simplest lighting setup, natural light and a reflector, or natural light by itself, will give you an incredible start in mastering portraiture and learning all the ins and outs of light. I recommend that you start this way.

Mastery is a step by step process. Study the great stuff others have done with this simplest of lighting situations and try and reproduce it. I mean really study it. Don't just look at it and think about how good it looks. Look at it and think 'How can I do this?'

Get a book on portrait lighting. Forget about the lighting setups. You will get to that later, but look at how they handle posing, shadows, lighting ratios, and do it as closely as possible with natural light. Rembrandt, closed loop, loop, butterfly and all most all the others can be done with natural light.

Here's the real kicker. You can start doing it now! With the equipment you have.

You can build up to more complex lighting over time (and it won't be all that long. Really) and you will find it a natural progression. You will also find your style of photography along the way and that will dictate what lighting equipment you need.

That's my recommendation. Opinions vary.

Oh! I forgot your lighting kit. It is actually more than you probably need. Be sure to run your lights off two seperately fused lines. You don't want to keep blowing things.

Vance