# Request advice for quality home portrait lighting in tight space...



## koolman (Jan 31, 2013)

Hi,

I would like to step up my portrait photography - and maybe even have a little home photography business.

I have a limited space (my living room - about 20 square meters) and would like to purchase quality, small, lighting for portraits. The whole setup needs to be totally collapsible, and easy to setup /dismantle - so I can pull it out, do my thing, and put it away. I was thinking of LEDS on stands ? Can anyone guide me here to some kind of kit ? 
Any feedback is appreciated.


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## koolman (Jan 31, 2013)

Any help would be appreciated


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## dmosier (Jan 31, 2013)

You could try a Photo Basics kit off of Amazon. They aren't the most pro lights ever made but they sure would look like they were to someone getting their portraits taken.

They have small 3 light kits like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Photo-Basics-403-uLite-3-Light/dp/B0028K2TWM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=35FY3WZK3YHTR&coliid=IIYY0GWGL52QV

That's probably one of the cheapest 3 light kits I've seen. They also have some strobe kits that cost a little more. I have no idea how bright any of their lights are as I've never worked with them.


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## picturesbyme (Jan 31, 2013)

I use something similar to this except 2 lights have 5 bulbs and they can be turned on independently. (srry, had no time to search for it) The whole thing fits in a midsize bag. 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Linco-Studio-3-Color-Muslin-Backdrops-Video-Light-Lighting-Boom-Kit-New-CK008-/271117155808?pt=US_Photography_Background_Material&hash=item3f1fd77de0

On ebay you can find tons of these kits. I bought mine over a yr ago and had no probs, the stands are good quality w/springs. Obviously if you want to spend more you can find way better ones and now I might wold go for leds but they did/do the job so far.. 

http://youpic.com/#!/user/AtlanticPicture


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## Canada (Jan 31, 2013)

Check out the westcott apollo softbox. Its awesome for tight spaces and folds up nicely.


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## crasher8 (Jan 31, 2013)

Strobist has many kits available

http://mpex.com/strobist/strobist-kits.html


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## TrumpetPower! (Jan 31, 2013)

It's hard to go worng with AlienBees....

b&


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## danjwark (Jan 31, 2013)

I have found many of the ebay stands are of poor quality. I bought a set for a project and was very disappointed. They were rather flimsy and tipped over easily especially if using a soft box or umbrella. I ended up getting much better ones locally for not much more cost. They are much more sturdy. The last thing you want is for your lights to come crashing down.

As for lighting, I am in a similar situation with not a large space. I originally tried with some ebay monolights but the output control on them is terrible. I have switched to using speedlites and life is much easier. They are very portable and have plenty of power in a small space. Continuous lights might be easier for some situations but are more difficult to control the individual output. Just my 2 cents...


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## ablearcher (Jan 31, 2013)

Another vote for alienbees. No idea what your budget is though. One thing you will need to remember when buying your lights is how you are going to control them. Controlling light in a tight space can be challenging. Speedlights can also be a cheaper option but keep in mind recycle time. Might be a pain for longer sessions. I would stay away from continuous lights. Just my 2c


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## picturesbyme (Jan 31, 2013)

something like this could be useful too.
umbrella and softbox in one, but I would buy it locally. no more stuff from China for me...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261073491658?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649


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## awinphoto (Jan 31, 2013)

TrumpetPower! said:


> It's hard to go worng with AlienBees....
> 
> b&



+1 Solid flashes


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## Halfrack (Jan 31, 2013)

Look at the strobist kits and think about what Rick wrote. Depending on your intent, doing studio strobes can be a happy ending, but what if you want to take your show in the road? What is your current strobe situation - as in do you have any? A few Nissin Di622 mk2 with stands and umbrellas is a good start - cheap wireless triggers or eTTL if your body can do the ir control. Keep in mind there's lots of things you can do for cheap that work amazing.

For fun, check out http://diyphotography.net/the-diy-strip-light


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## agierke (Jan 31, 2013)

it really depends greatly on what kind of shots you want to do. studio photography can be much worse than available light photography in terms of acquiring gear because once you start there are a million different gadgets out there for specific looks or effects.

are you looking to do multiple light setups against muslin backgrounds or more stylized lighting against seemless or use the natural space of your home for more of an environmental look? many different directions you can take that would make you want to adjust your gear package.

without knowing any of that...i can simply suggest that you look at getting 2 Alien Bee Heads, a Softbox or two of different sizes (highly dependent upon what you want to shoot), and 2 quality convertible umbrellas (dont cheap out on umbrellas...they are already inexpensive compared to other photo gear so just get the best...they'll still be cheap relatively). 

work with that stuff and then you should quickly start to realize where your holes are and what purchases you will need to make next. i definitely wouldn't go all in on a bunch of stuff if you don't know what you are doing or what you need yet.


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## Neeneko (Jan 31, 2013)

I would actually argue that in this case, one can go wrong with AlienBees.

I love their stuff, it is what I usually use, but if space is tight they can make life difficult, esp if you want to play with setups.

For tight spaces I second the Strobist stuff. It is small, provides more then enough light (even the B400s are overkill), are easy to move around, and rather importantly can be clamped onto many surfaces with very little footprint.


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## DCM1024 (Feb 1, 2013)

I love my D-Lite 4 IT kit, which includes manfrotto stands, soft boxes and the skyport transmitter/receivers (no need to buy pocket wizards. The studio that I rent on occasion liked my elinchrom kit so much that they added the same.


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## wickidwombat (Feb 1, 2013)

koolman said:


> Hi,
> 
> I would like to step up my portrait photography - and maybe even have a little home photography business.
> 
> ...



http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/906651-REG/Elinchrom_EL_20852KIT_D_LITE_RX_4_400w.html

this is the best value for money proffessional grade kit you can get


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## pwp (Feb 3, 2013)

awinphoto said:


> TrumpetPower! said:
> 
> 
> > It's hard to go worng with AlienBees....
> ...


Another +1 for AB's. They're extraordinary value. http://www.paulcbuff.com/alienbees.php

-PW


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## jonathan7007 (Feb 10, 2013)

You will need eggcrate modifiers in small spaces because light bouncing around will reduce the effect you are trying to create.

I use two Cheetah Boxes 24x24 and the eggcrate (soft, foldable) comes with the unit. Bigger boxes are available with eggcrate, too. Look at the Fotodiox units, availalbe from Amazon or directly. 24 can be too small for portraits that include more of the body.

Buy simple muslins and black cloth, too, for light control.

jonathan7007


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