Trying to set up photo studio?

Question

I'm on a budget, though.

Looking at this video, how much do these kind of lights cost and what kind of lights are they? How much is the background and where do I get one?

Thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W-szGsbk9U

Answer 1

They are using cheesey flood lights you can get at Home Depot for under $10 each and a wall which is either white or 18% grey. Really Mickey Mouse!

Answer 2

Those are trash lights. At least get some real studio lights, maybe a strobe, and umbrellas, probably want a soft box too. You should be able to do all that for under 450-500.
You wanted to know about tripod? Should be about 80-90, for a cheep one, or get used 80-90 should get you a pretty decent one.
Camera and portrait lens=2000
Background will be the cheapest. Find a room and paint two of the walls 18% and two white.
That will start you off, but you will also want to find some backdrops and hang them off a pipe, hung from the wall or ceiling. 150.
I figure you should be good for under 2700, if you alreay have a camera, you shouldn't be paying more than 8-900.

Answer 3

OMG.
Just goes to show that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. If that looked good to you, then maybe you need to get that cheap crap at the Home Depot or Wal-Mart.
(Sorry, bad photography really irks me).
AND IF that looks like the crap that it is to you, great!
Look, you don't need to spend alot of money on lights to get a good setup. However, you do need to have proper lighting to get the same great results everytime, otherwise it is a crap shoot due to power fluctuations. And that, costs a little.
A great company that sells awesome strobes is Paul C. Buff. He came out with a company that has the same great product he sells at higher prices at reasonable prices under a different name. The address is: www.alienbees.com.

To start, I would get two 800WS strobes with stands, and possibly a 400WS for background and or hair light.
Ideally, a 4 light system would suffice for almost any situation. Two is do-able but you'll wish you had a third. Remember how ugly the white wall looked without a light?
Each light head is under 300. And compared to the higher strobes, that is awesome. Also, these lights are self contained. That meaning directly plugged in to the power in the wall. You can purchase a separate power pack to take anywhere you wish, but not needed in the studio.
The background is a trick I use alot in my photography, a white wall. Backgrounds are available everywhere if you choose. But really. The lights in that video where just crap.
(sorry, ranting again).

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Those lights in that video are super cheap, and don't produce a lot of light, but you can get them at Home Depot. I started out doing studio photography with a very similar setup. But using two hot halogen lights, and a basement to a coop college house.

No worries about staying in a small budget, most high budget photography can be copied with much cheaper budget setups. You don't need to pay a lot to get a lot! Just go walk around in Home Depot, and let your imagination take charge!

I personally use two inexpensive Nikon strobes! (Which, may be out of your budget) I am looking to buy another very soon so i would have 3 in my arsenal. I was thinking about getting some Florescent lights from home depot for a video project (because strobes are not constrant). I learn a lot of my lighting techniques through online blogs, such as Strobist, and by writing about my own personal experiences on my own blog! I would recommend you doing the same. Strobist has a lot of actual classes available for you to walk yourself through free of charge!

So don't be afraid to be innovative, and make your own stuff. Lighting works a lot like common sense, just point the lights to where you want them to do specific lighting. Just imagine, and play! Don't worry about what these people said in this video about HOW to do the lighting, that was how everyone WANTS you to do your lighting!

GOOD LUCK!!! :)

Answer 5

Adorama.com
They have a lot of stuff at low cost.
I am also setting up a studio and I have used this site for equipment.
I built a backdrop system using pipe from a hardware store.
those can get a little spendy, but if you like to work with your hands, building on isn't hard, just takes some time and imagination. Costs hundreds less as well.

Answer 6

You Tube is not the place to get good or reliable information on photography.

If you are spending any kind of money do yourself a favour and get an expert in to show you the different lights you can buy. Always get the best you can afford and that which is appropriate for your needs.

The lighting set-up on this You Tube stream is knuj! I wouldn't spend a penny on it.

Answer 7

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