Photography lighting question
 

I am about to order my first light for my camera i have a Canon Rebel XT I am about to order a light from alien Bee as I have heard lots of good things about them For solo model photography whats better an umbrela light and reflect the light or a softbox and point it at the model?

would this be good most of the shoots will be done indoors with either white or light colored walls

1 AlienBees B800 Flash Unit
1 CB1 Single Light Carrying Bag
1 LS3050 10-foot General Purpose Light Stand
1 U48SW 48-inch Silver/White Reversible Bounce Umbrella

mmmmbaaalllsss

softbox is great :thumbsup

Thanks Al ill hit yo uup on icq

two lights are better. and a good book on exposure
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081...Fencoding=UTF8

That's the kit I got. Most the pictures you see of tassy against white or black are with that exact setup. I got the B1600 version.

I just ordered a second one, too.

I hired 5 muscualr men to stand in my bedroom, and hold candles.

I like the two 400 light kit..... and a softbox is a good idea.

Unless you are shooting in a studio, 800's are prolly too much light, even when bumped down on the unit. I would get the 2 - 400's with the softboxes unless you have a lot of room to space the light(s) out..

soft boxes and reflector boards...umbrellas is something you use when it rains..:winkwink:

If you don't want to get a softbox right away, you can also use the umbrella as a softbox by taking the black cover off and shooting the light thru the white. :2 cents:

Thanks Bill very helpful

I love threads that actually have usefull information. :thumbsup Ill be buying some new lighting soon. Thanks for the info everyone. :)

get the book understand light and flash then it wont be stumbling in the dark like most.

I started with some old reflectasol umbrellas I had left from shooting weddings... They were ok, but the trick we've come up with is to use 40x60 white foamcore board as reflectors... they really work nicely. Even diffused white light...

Ahh now thats a good cheap tip. Imma try that this weekend. :thumbsup

pete

theres a good thread on lightng only a few weeks ago, with a few of the bigger name shooters posting about what they use and giving tips ect - do a search on it youll be glad you did lots of good info

that book is the best tip he will get lol

im about to buy lights too.. thanks for the info..

It was Canon Mark II N which is a new version of Mark II and very pleasant to deal with.
And we also used Elinchrom light kit and I suggest this combination to everyone who wants to mix the work with joy :)

I use the AlienBees B800's as well. I also use the Rebel XT. But one thing I realized only after I purchased the XT, is that it doesn't have a sync-cord connection. This is what the camera uses to fire the lights.

So what you should do is find either a generic wireless trigger from Ebay (one of the Chinese versions that sell for about $30), or you should pick up a Pocket Wizard setup from B&H.

The only other alternative is to wire the camera to the lights, through a hot-shoe adapter which costs around $80. Personally I'd rather just go for the Chinese wireless setup than pay $80 to stay tethered to my lights.

You will enjoy the wireless freedom.

Alien bees sells an adapter for about $15. Its what we use with no problems. If anyone has a link to the ebay trigger that works, let me know!

I think that the answer to this will only truly come to you with experience. either can be fine when used properly, but will give different results.

A 24x36 softbox, for example, when placed about 1 meter from your model will give a much softer (less shadows) image than if you move the softbox 3 meters away. Or, more simply stated, the further the light source from the subject, the more specular the lighting.

As the light source approaches the subject(model) the shadows will become softer and the light will wrap around the model.

Tony404's suggestion of finding a good book is exactly what I would tell you as well. Flash photography is not as simple as people think, at least not if you're doing it well. And two lights are better than one, and three better than two, etc, but only when you understand what each of them are doing.

I would also agree with newbreed that the 800's are going to be too much if you are shooting in close quarters. However, you can always add a neutral density filter to your lens or a ND gel to your light. These are available from AlienBees as well, but I'd look to a local lighting supply place as they are probably cheaper.

Also keep in mind that since you are using a Rebel XT that you do not have a sync for it. I would recommend the Nikon AS-15. It works with the Canon camera and is better quality than others. You can pick one up for $20-$25 at a good camera shop.

hmm, bad grammer. ... but only when you understand what each of them is doing.

clueless here