Originally Posted by Kevin-SFBucks

Someone said way up in the beginning that it's all about the resources and painting with light.... what do you feel like shooting with today?

Umbrellas, reflectors, ringlights, Kino's, boxes, octagons, etc, etc... I shoot with them all and it just depends on how I feel that day. Often, the speedlight and a wireless transmitter can make a great shot. Other days, you whip out all 15 lights and have fun playing like you are a Playboy photographer. (we heard the record at Playboy was like 55 lights.. damn!!)

Lights and shaping tools are resources.. nothing more. You can watch another photographer shoot and reproduce his setup and still not have a clue what you are doing.. or you can fuck around with your tools and learn them better than anyone else knows them. Then you become skilled.

I don't like umbrellas most of the time, but they travel better than a beauty dish and are easier to setup than a soft box. In a pinch or a time crunch, that umbrella pops up and connects quickly. The light will be a little more harsh than a softbox, but that can be compensated for by placing it closer to the subject.

Jay... why turn off your modeling lamps? Your strobes are much more powerful than the modeling lamps ever could be. Their color would be negligible if any. But then again, I do the Kino for focusing and catchlight trick as well.