AboutSteve Meltzer Expertise I am a professional photographer and I've been shooting for newspapers, magazines, commercial clients and artists for over 30 years.
I have shot stock photography for dozens of years and in 1977 created West Stock (Seattle, WA) which was one of the first to produce stock photo CDs and later one of the first to establish an online stock photo slaes site.
I have a new book on digital photography "PHOTOGRAPHING ARTS, CRAFTS AND COLLECTIBLES (Lark Books, 2007)which is available at Amazon.com, eBay.com and in bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders. I have another book, CAPTURE THE LIGHT which will be puiblished in November, 2008.
I write 20-30 feature articles and columns for regional and national publications a year.
My education includes studying with photographers like Cornell Capa, Duane Michels and Oliver Gagliani (from the Ansel Adams Center.)
Expert: Steve Meltzer Date: 3/26/2007 Subject: studio lighting
Question QUESTION: Hi Steve
I would like to set up a studio for children portraiture in my home
and have couple of questions:
1.What is better Flash lighting or continuous lighting?
I know the difference between them and the advantages and disadvantages,
What I don't know is which one is better for a home based studio
(I am just a beginner and don't have much experience with lighting)
What would you choose?
2. I have a low budget, can you tell me what do you think is the most
essential equipment to start with?
I appreciate your time and any tips
Michelle
ANSWER: Michelle
No rocket science here. Get Strobes! Baby's and kids are active and you want to be able to shoot rapidly. Hot lights require exposure times that are too long to capture action. With strobes you are always shooting at a fast shutter speed and the flash is so brief its easy to capture a child's fleeting expressions of joy or comfort.
Hot lights are also HOT. Uncomfortable and dangerous.
And you need not get big strobes. A couple of 150 watt second flashes (and perhaps a small shoulder slave light and you are in business.)
I'd check out sites like www.adoram.com and www.bhphotovideo.com for gear. Both sell complete strobe systems-lights, stands etc-at reasonable prices.
If you are shooting digital you will need to use your camera in the manual mode and although a flashmeter helps to get the right exposure you usually can do without one. Simply set up the lights and take a test frame at f/11 at 1/125 sec. if its too light take another frame at f/16 or reduce the power of the flashes. Similarly if the frame is too dark open up the aperture. In just a few test shots you'll find the right exposure.
Steve
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi Steve
Thanks allot for making it seem so simple:)
I'm not sure I know what shoulder slave light means...
is that flash unit?
I have to admit there are so many options out there
that you sometimes wish you were a rocket science...
I hope it's not too much to ask
but would you please do me a big favor and check the following studio kits links and tell me what you think?
I live in Australia and did a check in the local stores but the prices are very expensive
so I thought I might get a good deal on ebay
but I'm a little afraid to invest so much money
on something useless
So I would really really appreciate your help
Answer Shoulder light is athird light placed behind the subject to seperatethe person from the background. you see it in movies all the time but aren't really aware of it.
Either of those kits will get you started okay.
here's another tip. Set up you stuff in a white room so there's lots of bounce of the lighting off the walls. This will help soften the pictures. and one way to make it ven better is to set up in a corner of a room with the background between the who walls. The walls will then act as big reflectors again softening the light.
