I'm wondering if you guys could help recommend which softbox/umbrella I should purchase for an "initial lighting setup" for portrait work. I'm not a professional, just want to get started with a setup for my home, taking family portraits. For sure I'm going to buy
2 - Alien Bees 400's
2- Impact air cushion stands
My question is should I buy 2 softboxes if so what brand or 1 softbox and 1 umbrella which ones. Don't want to spend a whole lot just enough to get the job done. I don't have a ton of money and want something to fit the alien bees.
I am a noob, but went through this a while ago.. Instead of buying 2 softboxes, get one large or maybe medium photoflex (how much space do you have?) and then spend the $100-150 that you would have spent on the second one on a convertable umbrella or two and a grid set. For the same about money you will be setup much better than 2 softboxes. You might find a style/method that you like that would not be possible with 2 boxes. I started out with a collection of umbrellas and a grid set and just recently added a box.
I would say get a 3x4' softbox for your main light and a 45" umbrella for fill. Not only is a second softbox more expensive, but you don't need it. The fill light is there to control your shadows, that it is. Often I'll just bounce my fill light straight back off a white wall and it works great.
Whether it is good enough for most portrait work, that is a different question.
With two lights, it is about the best you can expect. Personally, I would want a hair light and a background light. You could use your second light as a background or hairlight, and use a reflector for fill.
I was just getting ready to take some Christmas pics but the baby decided to go to sleep. So while we didn't get the shots done, I can't take a pic of the setup either for fear of waking him. However, the AB has a mount that sits on top of the light stand mount. It should be a standard 5/8" mount. Turn the thumbscrew on the AB mount and it's secure. The umbrella goes through a hole in the reflector and into a hole on the AB case. This, too, has a thumbscrew to secure the umbrella.
For an umbrella choice, I went with a 60" Photek Softlighter II. It's a silver backing inside like a number of umbrellas. However, the black back also comes off and you can use it as a shoot-thru. Or, you can put a diffuser on it and use it almost like a large softbox. Three in one. Very flexibile.
I just got the 60" Photek Softlighter II. HUGE BANG FOR THE BUCK! So far I've only tested it in the brolly box like configuration and it worked wonderfully as a single light settup. Unlike most softboxes, it sets up and breaks down in a minute or two. It attaches to the AB like an umbrella so there's no farting around with speedrings. Keep in mind that it is 60". If you're shooting in a room with 8' ceilings, you're not going to want to shoot an adult standing up. I also bought the next size down which comes with silver and gold inserts. The 60" doesn't come with the inserts. Haven't had a chance to play with the smaller one with the inserts yet. I will try and post some test shots I took with it in a bit.
Tell
Here are three shots I took the other night with the 60" Softlighter in the brolly box configuration. No reflectors or ambient light. I need to work on lighting the white background and hairlights now. A lot to learn, but I'm excited to see what just one light (AB 400) and an $80 60" Softlighter is capable of.
The room I have to shoot is 12x10 with 11 ft ceilings. I'm thinking I wouldn't need too much light to fill a room this small. 1-45"-48" umbrella maybe a brolly box,small softbox or smaller softlighter in a brolly configuration??
Tell is that all you are using 1 AB-400 and a softlighter in brolly config for those shots??
That's it, just an AB 400 and a 60 inch softlighter. I plan to be doing lot's of setting up and breaking down in other peoples homes and in temples (BarMitzvahs) so the Softlighter seemed to be the right product for me, light and quick. If you're thinking of having a semi-permanant home for your lights in your 12x10 foot room, you might want to look at the Photoflex octoboxes. They're more expensive, but you don't have a light stand in front of the light either. Using the Softlighter, the lightstand shows up in the catch lights when you've got it extremely close to the model.
