Family Portraits means multiple people in a shoot. I'd suggest against (2) AB-400's. They're a bit under powered for shooting many people (with a softbox on each). But then again AB-800's are harder to adjust for single person shoots. Maybe get one of each .
Octo boxes are about $120 and you can get a huge one. I find those the best. The fill light can just be a sheet or something like that. Or just use your other light with a BIG unbrella. And you'll need a background stand. Something that can handle a decent amount of weight. Maybe 30 or 40 pounds. I purcahsed a lighter one and can't use my seamless paper well with it.
Oh, a light weight stand (included in the package) wont be strong enough to support much equipment on it. I'd look into air cusioned stands. AlienBees is a bit expensive for stands but they do give you 20% off when you purcahse 2 lights (or was it 10% off).
JohnE: Excellent work. Thanks to you and the other great photographers on here (Squid Nick, etc.) for the excellent tips. This thread has inspired me to upgrade my 'studio' kit to the following:
1x AlienBees B800-Martian Pink
1x AlienBees B800-Mello Yello
3x AlienBees Carrying Bag
1x Four-Channel Wired Remote
2x 13-foot Heavy Duty Stand
1x 35” Octabox (with LGSR)
1x Medium Softbox (with LGSR)
I also have a small strobe (can't remember the brand name - 150ws) with a softbox that I would like to use as a hairlight above the shooting area. The space that I shoot in doesn't have high ceilings - any suggestions on setting this up? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Karim_Toronto wrote:
The space that I shoot in doesn't have high ceilings - any suggestions on setting this up? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Is the ceiling white, or can you attach some white card or foam to the roof? For detail in the hair, I usually bounce a flash unit off the (low) ceiling, above the model. Here's an example:
Not the nicest image, but just took it to test my lighting setup.
Thanks for the tip. That is a great idea. And yes, the ceiling is white.
Craig_H wrote:
Is the ceiling white, or can you attach some white card or foam to the roof? For detail in the hair, I usually bounce a flash unit off the (low) ceiling, above the model. Here's an example:
Not the nicest image, but just took it to test my lighting setup.
Karim_Toronto wrote:
JohnE: Excellent work. Thanks to you and the other great photographers on here (Squid Nick, etc.) for the excellent tips. This thread has inspired me to upgrade my 'studio' kit to the following:
1x AlienBees B800-Martian Pink
1x AlienBees B800-Mello Yello
3x AlienBees Carrying Bag
1x Four-Channel Wired Remote
2x 13-foot Heavy Duty Stand
1x 35” Octabox (with LGSR)
1x Medium Softbox (with LGSR)
I also have a small strobe (can't remember the brand name - 150ws) with a softbox that I would like to use as a hairlight above the shooting area. The space that I shoot in doesn't have high ceilings - any suggestions on setting this up? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
That's a nice selection of lighting equipment. Don't forget some good reflectors. If you can, pick up a combo unit that has siver and gold sides.
I have 8 to 8.5 foot ceilings. You can use a small strobe fitetd with a 10 degree grid or use a really small/low-profile softbox like the 8"x18" Photoflex half-dome.
That's a nice selection of lighting equipment. Don't forget some good reflectors. If you can, pick up a combo unit that has siver and gold sides.
I have 8 to 8.5 foot ceilings. You can use a small strobe fitetd with a 10 degree grid or use a really small/low-profile softbox like the 8"x18" Photoflex half-dome.
Best regards,
John
Thanks John. I do have a small silver/gold reflector, but I do plan on getting something bigger as well. I will try ouot your idea. BTW, thanks for the inspiration that I get from looking at your wrok.
Two B800's in different colors? I try to use the colors to tell their output, but maybe that's just for people who expect they're going to have different output lights. Yellow's are my 400's, green are my 800's, and if I were to get any 1600's I'd use red (or rather they call it pink).
Here's what a quick set-up in my living room (which is huge, so that helps, aside from the ceiling) to test ouf my new background I made for a "formal headshot" shoot tomorrow afternoon. The CEO wanted blue, so he's getting a custom blue, isn't he so special. :-p
http://www.blueeyesphotography.com/3.jpg
*The cat on the left is real, the one on the right is fake. lol The light is a B1600 on a boom arm with a 11lb counter weight and a 13' heavy duty stand. The reflector is a Gold/White reflector with the boom arm from Alien Bee and a Raven lightstand. The background stand is a Savage 10 foot by 9 foot stand system and the background is a custom dyed background, beautiful ain't it? lol The tripod is a Bogen/Manfrotto stand and quick release ball head. It makes a great camera stand . . . lol Um, I thikn that's all the equipment I'm using here. Oh, the softbox is a large softbox from AB as well.
And then a shot of my roommate, doesn't she just love me, so I touched it up for here, but here's both anyways. If you want to know how I did it, PM or just demand it. lol
I couldn't decide on which color I wanted, so I went with one each. I will still be getting a B400 as well, in a different color also.
Squid Nick wrote:
Two B800's in different colors? I try to use the colors to tell their output, but maybe that's just for people who expect they're going to have different output lights. Yellow's are my 400's, green are my 800's, and if I were to get any 1600's I'd use red (or rather they call it pink).
After owning a couple of Alien Bees for maybe 8 to 10 months - but not really using them much, my wife agreed that I could convert our former family room into my studio.
So for the next year this will be my evolving studio space. Here it is...shot handheld with the Canon G3 point and shoot...on camera flash...no effort made to spruce it up for the shot.... http://www.lizardgeek.com/images/studio.jpg
The space is about 14' x 30...15' ceiling. Currently consisting of 2 Alien Bees, 1 800 and 1 400...3 light stands....couple of reflectors (1 home made)....A black and a white seamless background...Calumet background stand....Photek People Popper System with one gray background. Canon 10D, 20D, couple of L's.
Couple of recent shots to come out of there: http://www.lizardgeek.com/images/nate_et.jpg
the above is my son and his wife....forced into model duties in exchange for room and board
I finally got my set of AB strobe lights, plus decided to move my hobby -studio to another section of my basement where I have an extra foot of height.
Last night I had the opportunity to play with them a little. Keep in mind until now I’ve been a photographer of one ex580 flash and a reflector. Always worrying if there is enough light power.
From the test photos, well it seems, I no longer need to get my lights at full power to get the necessary light environment.
I can also see I have some issues including spill light problems of sort. I am confident with some practice I will learn how to use these puppies to my advantage.
Thanks all for the knowledge in this thread. I was able to utilize the information and turned my entire downstairs (apartment) into a studio. I have been working on the set up for close to a month now. I got the idea from you guys. I guess I should also thank you all for being broke.
I have two areas set up for shooting and pretty much keep the paper mounted at all times. What can I say I am single.
I change out the background color depending on the theme or mood I am trying to create in the shoot.
Special Thanks to you John E. I was so impress with your work that I boguht a lot of the stuff you listed down to the plexiglass. However, I have been pacing myself to learn the dynamics of each light by using mostly one or two light shoots. The shots I posted was only with a hairlight and a reflector (barn door and 20 degree grid attached).
This is a photo of the studio, Also I have posted a couple of photos taken last weekend (my first studio shoot. I also posted these in the People forum.
Thanks for the feedback. On the boom I have a Barn Door with 20 degree grid and Alien Bee DF6 diffusion filter in front of the grid. It is this white looking sheet of paper and I have it slotted in the AB mainframe in front of the grid and barn door.
The entire set up with AB part numbers are:
UMF - The LiteMod Unit Mainframe
LMBD4 - The LiteMod Barndoors
HG20 - 20° Honeycomb Grid
DF6 - Set of 6 Diffusion Filters
I use two of sheets of the DF6 (from the 6 that comes in the pack) to get a softer diffusion.
I use that set up mostly for creative type shots.
I also have a Photoflex Halfdome that I use most of the time for pure hair light. That wasn't shown. I just lower the stand (boom) and swap out the Halfdome for the Barn Door set up when I want to go that route. Not even a minute to switch things up, The hardest part is actually lowering the stand with the boom.
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