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View Full Version : SMALL studio HIGH-KEY lighting on a budget!



Jordan
12-27-2012, 09:08 PM
Okay, so I'm going to attempt to have my cake and eat it too!

I'm not stranger to photography but studio-ish lighting and indoor photography isn't where my experience is. What I'm looking to do is get a quick little studio-setup in my apartment (it's a small studio) or just outside in the hall where there is a huge space and no one really walks. Both places have a white wall that if I blow enough light at, I can blow it out without needing a paper background.

The image below was taken of myself in my apartment (as was this one (http://about.me/jordan_murphy)). I want to get this headshot workflow down but I'm wondering what other gear I need as I feel I need more lighting. My current lighting is: 1 580EXII, 1 270EXII, 1 60" silver reflective umbrella, 2 43" white shoot-through umbrellas, 2 Manfrotto lightstands both with umbrella clamps. I have Cowboy triggers that work amazingly (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IQRMN4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER) for the price!

My non-lighting gear is: Vanguard carbon-fiber tripod, Canon 5DMk3, EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM, Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX and Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 VC.

What I'm looking to do is use the 70-200 to shoot f/8-11-ish portraits at the lowest ISO I can shoot at (currently it's about ISO 320, which is fine but ISO 50 is always nice!)

I'm looking at investing in a very nice studio strobe, but what are my Speedlight options? Amazon has some YongNuo flashes (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JEU83I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATJ1HHEILSBYQ) that are great for this sort of thing, I'd imagine. Cost less than Canon speedlights and I think I can get away with them versus a $1k studio strobe head if I have several of them, no?

Any input from experienced high-key photographers would be a plus, thanks! :)

- Jordan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freshphotolive/
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8058/8246075584_a58031aafa_c.jpg

MrGreenBug
02-19-2013, 02:20 AM
IMHO, the attached photo and at the about page looks great! I ain't experienced high-key photographer but those YongNuo flashes are nice based from experience. I got one for myself as a second speedlight. At the time I bought my YongNuo was only about 1/7th of the Canon 580 EXII which I think is great. I made a side-by-side comaprison fo the YN560 and the 580EXII and at full power, they are indistinguishable but as I power down (1 -> 1/2 power), the YN560 was about -1/3 of a stop which I think is not bad.

I ain't sure if this helps or just a buzz.

Anyway, best wishes on your photography business.