Well, I got my 1st set of studio stuff in today. Thanks again to all those who gave advice on what to get and how to use it. I see the tips people gave going to work already!
At any rate, I got:
Impact heavy duty light 9.6' light stand
46" Softlighter
Manfrotto by Bogen Imaging 026 Swivel Umbrella Adapter
Morris MTH-202 Umbrella Tilt Head
The cool thing is the Morris tilt head has a side platform with a screw nob on it that I can use with my flash footstand (comes with the flash). By mounting the Morris head on the Manfrotto head, I can position my flash on almost the same axis as the umbrella shaft, a key feature when using the diffusion screen of the Softlighter.
I like the impact stand. Inexpensive, easy to use, very solid for my small setup, and all metal. The Manfrotto head is good and solid. The Morris head is lighter, but only supports the flash in my setup. The Softlighter is very well built and works as advertised. Now I have what I need to start practicing with a one-light set-up. Next year, a second flash and a repeat of the above.
