Suggestions for single strobe portraits [Archive] - Large Format Photography Forum

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jasonjoo

23-Aug-2008, 11:16

Hey folks,

I'm starting to venture into the whole portrait side of photography. Before, with digital and smaller formats, I simply took candid portraits or snap shots of friends and family and focused most of my photos towards landscapes. Now that I'm shooting with a 4x5 camera, I have this sudden urge to take portraits!

Currently, I've been using window lighting in my hallway. While the light coming through is actually very good, I'm just not getting enough light. My last photos were taken at 1/30th, f5.6 (shallow DOF!) with ISO 100 film.

I am looking at a powerful, but affordable strobe with a modifier (mostly likely an octabox). For the time being, I am only planning on using a single strobe with modifier and perhaps a large sheet of white foam board as a reflector. Cost is key, but I have around $500 to spend. I understand SOME of the limitations with using a single strobe, but I really feel like I can make do with what I have. Once I master a single strobe, I plan on adding another, but this won't be for a while.

So with that said, I am looking at an Alien Bee 1600 with their large 47" octabox. Whiel I'm planning on only shooting 1 to 2 people at a time, I am hoping that I will be able to shoot at least 4 with a single light as well.

Other than the strobe and modifier itself, what are some other things I will be needing to get started? I believe my Copal 0 shutter (150mm Sironar-S lens) has a flash sync port (is that what you call it?). Will the Alien Bee strobe be able to connect directly to the shutter? Or will I need some kind of remote trigger such as a Pocket Wizard?

Sorry for being so wordy, but I would appreciate all the help that I can get! Thanks!

Jason

Walter Calahan

23-Aug-2008, 12:27

A long pc cord will do for firing the strobe with your shutter. No need for a PocketWizard. Get their 15 foot cord. http://www.alienbees.com/cords.html

Also look into a collapsible reflector. Not always needed, but is good to reflect the strobe light into the subject for fill. Something like this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/253064-REG/Impact_CRK_4272_5_in_1_Collapsible_Reflector_.html

jasonjoo

23-Aug-2008, 12:34

Hey Walter, the AB1600 comes with a 15 ft cord so I guess I'm set! It would be nice not to be tethered to the light, but it seems like those remote triggers get expensive really fast! Perhaps in the future...

As for reflectors, will a sheet of white foam core board work? If not, even one of those round reflectors used in automobiles? I'm trying to be as stingy as possible here :)

Thanks,

Jason

Steven Barall

23-Aug-2008, 12:41

I agree with Walter about the reflector. They are great tools to have and are generally inexpensive and light weight.

I got rid of my dynalites last year and switched to Alien Bees and I love them. You can always call Alien Bees with questions also. It really is maybe the most reputable company I have ever dealt with. Good luck.

jasonjoo

23-Aug-2008, 12:49

$100 bucks seems a little pricey for me at this point. I already own a reflector for my car :) So I'm going to give that a go first and perhaps even a sheet of white foam board!

The only problem now is there's going to be a lot of practice involved! I'd rather not waste sheet film (or the time in the darkroom to develop it!). Since I no longer own a digital camera, I'll have to test with my Rolleiflex TLR first!

Jason

lenser

23-Aug-2008, 12:58

Jason,

The foam core will work quite well. So will a 4x8 sheet of styrofoam insulation board if you want to go bigger and cheaper. Move it in or out as you need for more or less fill on the subjects.

Avoid the silver reflectors for car windows. They are WAY too specular for good portraiture. Almost like light glimmering off of water.

If you are considering a collapsible reflector, look into one that is soft gold on one side and white on the other. That way, if you decide to go color, the gold side warms up skin tone wonderfully.....as in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition warm glowing skin. Avoid gold foil for the same reasons as the metalic silver.

Since you are considering four or more people on large format, you might want to save up a bit more and look at the White Lightning x3200. Hellaciously good light unit with much more power so that you can then power down when you need to do so for single or couple head shots. Of course it fits the WL octabox. That extra power gives you much more flexibility for both portraits and any table top or commercial work you might decide to do.

Eventually, you may want to go for the remote flash trigger just to get one more obstacle out of your way. But then, I'm clumsy so I use a camera stand instead of tripod, and rail mounted lights to get light stands and cords off the floor and away from being tripping hazards for me and for clients. Those also offer a lot more space for me to move around and get to whatever I'm shooting to make adjustments without having to contort around stuff.

Tim

Peter De Smidt

23-Aug-2008, 13:18

I agree with Tim about the reflector. Use white foam core or styrofoam. Silvered reflectors can be really hard on models. I haven't used Alien Bees, but they have a good reputation. (I have Photogenic monolights, and we mainly use Speedo's abd Dyna-lites at work.) You might seriously consider a big umbrella. They are fairly inexpensive, quick to set-up, and compact when closed. You can also adjust the light by moving the umbrella closer or farther from the light. Another option would be a Westcott Halo, http://www.fjwestcott.com/productcategorylmall.cfm?catname=lightmodifiers I have one, and it's pretty nice. Because the white difusor bows out from the front, you might need to put a flag (something opaque) between the light and the camera lens. If you'd like something smaller, I made a 20" beauty dish out of a large stainless steel salad bowl, a cheap monolight ring, and some frosted mylar. I like it better then the "real" 20" dishes we use at work.

Also check out: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/42419-REG/Photek_SL5000_Umbrella_Softliter_II.html
If you use anything outside, make sure to secure the stands,either with a sandbag or two, a Bogen magic arm, or...? You don't want anyone to get hurt. (I've had to run to a light stand even though it was sandbagged because the wind suddenly picked up.) Soft boxs, umbrellas and silks all make great sails.

Oh yeah, pocket wizards are great. Get the classic ones, and not the super complicated ones. The less cords the better. That said, assuming your monolight has a built in slave, which it probably does, you can put a small flash on your camera aimed at the monolight. This small amount of light will set off your big flash. Since most people have at least one on camera style flash, this is a cheap way to go cordless.

Frank Petronio

23-Aug-2008, 14:08

FWIW, I use older Dynalites (the 25-year old D-series) and I just picked another 805 pack with two blower heads for $305. They are approximately 33% heavier than the current models, which would cost close to $1500 retail. Not to knock the popular Alien Bees and other inexpensive monolights, but Dynalites, Speedotrons, Normans, etc. are very durable and professional quality -- and they don't have the ugly decals on their sides.

Umbrellas are really versatile, underrated, and inexpensive. It would be better to get a big 48" one for bigger stuff and a small 24-30" for single people. Use them as close as possible to the subject. Learn how to use an umbrella before spending $$$ on the fancy stuff that, umm, does the same thing only differently, not always better.

If you use a shallow depth of field, you can spill light onto a background placed close to the subject so one light can illuminate both beautifully. Check the work of William Coupon for good one light examples.

Umm and my stuff too - I often use one light.

Except I use ISO 400 film, a single 300-500 watt tungsten (not strobe) or your proverbial window light -- and I can easily shoot at 1/60 or 1/125 at f/5.6-8. Which is ideal, simple, fast, etc.

Especially for learning, constant light is so much better than strobe. But most people think you "need" to have strobe and nobody listens to me here anyways ;-)

One word of caution with strobe if you are using a dslr for proofing (since Polaroid is ridiculous) -- get a "strobe safe" connector so you don't accidently fry your camera from spikes in your sync voltage. It isn't as big an issue with mechanical shutters (unless it is really high and it melts them) but it can be fatal to delicate electronic-based cameras.

The eBay Chinese folding reflectors and wireless syncs are really cheap and not bad at all, so shine on the over-priced Pocket Wizards and Quantum Radio Slaves, they have always been a huge rip-off for a simple device -- so that's a case where I am glad to see some cheap Chinese competition.

Ole Tjugen

23-Aug-2008, 14:17

Keep it simple, and use Mortensen lighting. :)

jasonjoo

23-Aug-2008, 14:32

Tim, thanks! I took a look at the White Lightning website (guess it's the same parent company as Alien Bee) and the WL X3200 is out of my budget. However, comparing the WL X1600 and the AB1600, I can't really make out much of a difference, other than the 7-stop range. I'm not sure how much more this will be useful. All of the other specs seem the same. Physically, the WL X1600 is heavier and larger than the AB1600 as well. Are there any other benefits? The X3200 is out of budget, but I may be able to pony up for the X1600. One big benefit I see is that it seems more durable.

Edit: Oops, the X1600 also has a brighter modeling light as well. I'm guessing that this will be useful when composing/focusing on the ground glass!

Peter and Frank, forgive me for asking such a beginner question, but why umbrellas over the octabox? I really don't know the difference between the two! I'm not even sure why I feel this way, but I would prefer a "shoot through" method rather than bouncing the light off an umbrella (though I'm aware that you can also you shoot-through umbrellas as well). I guess I was heavily influenced by the Ovation video special on Timothy Greenfield Sanders. I just remembered seeing a large octabox and it seemed to work well enough for him :)

BTW, for the time being, I don't think I'll ever shoot more than 4 people at once. I'm just hoping that the light I choose will be powerful enough to light 4 people... just in case. Photography is just a hobby for me, but I know once I invest in a strobe/light, family members are going to be asking for family portraits :)

Thanks for your help guys!

Jason

jasonjoo

23-Aug-2008, 14:36

Keep it simple, and use Mortensen lighting. :)

Hmm, I did a quick Google search on "Mortensen lightning" and didn't come up with anything substantial... Actually, one article said Ansel Adam's f64 group did not like Mortensen very much :) Care to explain Ole?

As for the issue of hot lamps vs strobes, I prefer strobes because I will most likely have to work in small areas and I don't want my subjects to be sweating up a storm (actually, I don't want to be sweating up a storm either!).

:)

Jason

Gordon Moat

23-Aug-2008, 14:37

If you are concerned about cords, you can try rigging a small slave set-up to fire your main light. Simply get a battery powered flash, connect to the sync cord, and set it as low as possible. Then set your monolight/strobe to slave, or attach a small slave receptor, and no worries about cords streaming across your floor. I have used a Nikon SB-27 in this manner to fire a monolight, though I recently switched to all battery powered Speedlights.

Reflectors, clamps, foam core, art boards, etc. are all items that can improve your control of light. Remember that the idea of most artificial lighting is to replicate daylight (unless you want a different effect). The bigger the reflector, then the more even will be your lighting.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

Ole Tjugen

23-Aug-2008, 14:51

Mortensen's portrait lighting consists of one single light, above and very close to the camera. Metering the highlights and opening up two stops ensures good exposure, and the modelling is provided by the edge effect.

Ansel Adams didn't much like Mortensen, and I feel that he wasted a lot of effort that could have been better spent: Adams' portraits stink, and Mortensens landscapes suck. Yet Adams' landscapes are great and his methods work wonderfully for that - and Mortensesn's portraits are great and his techniques work wonderfully for that.

Peter De Smidt

23-Aug-2008, 14:51

By "Mortensen Lighting", I assume that Ole meant the type of lighting that William Mortensen recommended in his book called Pictorial Lighting, Camera Craft Publishing, San Franscisco, 1935. Mortensen used two photofloods and a white background.

The following locations are for a 6.5" lens on a quarter plate camera, i.e. one with film 3.25x4.25".

The subject was placed 5 ft from the background, with the camera place 6 ft in front of the subject. He placed the first light as close to the front of the camera as possible, just a little to the side and above the lens. (He would've loved ring lights.) He placed the other photoflood 4 feet from the axis from the camera through the subject to the wall and 4 feet from the background. The background and the light area of the subject are equally illuminated.

His goal was to:
1. To produce a two-dimensional effect, a modified Notan.
2. To secure modelling without use of cast shadows.
3. To keep within the photographic range of luminosity.
4. To give full scope to the photographic range of halftones.
5. To present the image in the simplest, most direct manner possible.

Mortensen says that the basic light "is pre-eminently a form-revealing light, and emphasizes the static, impersonal, timeless aspects of the subject.

Oops. Ole beat me to it.

D. Bryant

23-Aug-2008, 14:56

Peter De Smidt

23-Aug-2008, 14:57

Why umbrellas instead of soft boxes? Umbrellas are cheaper, easier to set up, more compact when folded, lighter, can be used with all types of lights without special adapters, can be adjusted to make the light bigger or smaller (by changing the distance of the light in relation to the umbrella), and can often be used in spaces where a softbox won't fit. The downsides are light spill and visible rib/strobe body in catchlights. That said, if you follow some of the links I mentioned earlier, these characteristics can be minimized to a great extent with the right umbrella.

I like soft boxes too, but good one's (Chimera, Plume...)are expensive and fairly bulky. I don't like Photoflex boxes.

jasonjoo

23-Aug-2008, 15:06

Ole and Peter, thanks for the explanation of Mortensen's lighting setup. I'm planning on sticking with a single light source for the time being too, so maybe it will be worthwhile to study his techniques a little more.

Don, I've looked through the Strobist site a few times, but I always thought most of their work was limited to the small Canon and Nikon strobes. I'll take a look into their techniques though.

Peter, do you have any experience with Alien Bees or White Lightning's soft boxes? Quality light boxes do seem very expensive, but I don't need the best of the best. This is just a hobby for me and while I want to make the best photos I can, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to make the most out of such expensive equipment! Alien Bee and White Lightning both offer an octabox that folds up like an umbrella. That was the one I was looking at.

Also, wouldn't a softbox also be able to change the characteristics of the light by positioning it at different distances? I've read that the closer a softbox to the subject, the softer the light...

Thanks,

Jason

Peter De Smidt

23-Aug-2008, 15:36

Hi Jason,

Yes, what matters for how soft a light is, i.e. how gentle the transitions for highlight to shadow are, is how big of an angle the light source covers of the subject. (360* would be even light from all around the subject. This would be the softest light source. As you cover less, the harder your source will be.) Since the closer the light source to the subject, the greater the percentage of the subject is lit by the light source, and the softer the light will be. Keeping the light source at the same location but making it bigger will also make the light softer. Yes, you can adjust the location with both soft boxes and strobes, but what I meant was that with an umbrella, you can move the light very close to umbrella, such that only a part of the umbrella acts as a light source, or you can move the head back, such that the whole umbrella will act as the light source. Hence to some extent you can control the hardness/softness of the the light with an umbrella by changing it's effective size instead of it's location.

I haven't used any White Lighting products, but I've heard good things their customer service, which is a good sign. With softboxes, you have to insert flexible rods into sleeves on the light box. Sometimes you have to flex things pretty dramatically. I once had a brand new Photoflex box rip setting it up the first time. The fabric seemed very flimsy to me. Maybe this has changed. (I bought that softbox over 10 years ago.) At work, we use Chimera softboxes every day, and they're very durable.

jasonjoo

23-Aug-2008, 15:41

Hey Peter,

Thanks for clearing that up for me. So I guess umbrellas have a little more flexibility in terms of changing the hardness of the light? Also, an octabox is very similar to an umbrella with the exception that I am not bouncing the strobe off of the inside of the umbrella and the "umbrella" is essentially covered with a white sheet of fabric... Is this some what right?

Thanks again for spending the time to explain these things to me!

Jason

Peter De Smidt

23-Aug-2008, 15:53

Hi Jason,

Just looked up the octoboxes. They look pretty nice. It all depends on how durable they are. (I expect they're fine for amateur use.)

With most softboxes, and also with the octobox, you can change the effective size of the box by removing the inner baffle.

Fred Leif

23-Aug-2008, 16:50

A couple things that folks touched on that might be useful in your thought process:

A good light stand can make a lot of difference in how easy it is to set up your light(s). Going with something light weight isn't necessarily the best investment. On the other hand they aren't trivial in expense and may tend to challenge your budget.

Whichever strobe you go with, proportional modeling lights are essential. You can see the effects of single/multiple light set ups. I use four venerable White Lighting Ultra 600 ... never a moments trouble. Most often lately I use an Ultra 600 in a 24" square soft box on a counterweighted Redwing pantograph type boom mounted on a heavy stand on casters. (I do a lot of smallish objects on a table top, and occasional portraits.) It makes those slight changes in the light position/direction easy. 6" this way or a foot that way is really quick to check. If it is hard to make changes and small adjustments ... the tendency might be to 'settle' rather than refine. I wish I'd bought this stand/boom/softbox arrangement the first time I bought lighting ... but I tried to save money. Not a good decision for me. But it is a budget stretcher. And, yes, sheets of foam core make fine reflectors.

A trustworthy meter for electronic flash is essential if you're shooting film.

Peter De Smidt

23-Aug-2008, 17:15

Fred makes a good point. Don't ignore the light stand. For location work, I recommend:http://www.giottos.com/LC.htm
I also have some Photogenic Talon stands which are a little nicer, but they're bigger, bulkier, heavier and more expensive. For studio work, C-stands are great.

If you need a small boom arm, a Matthew's mini boom work well. You hang the light on one end and a light sandbag on the other. I also have a small bogen boom arm, one with a sliding weight. These weights work ok on the really big studio booms, But I found it a real pita with the small boom. Fred's redwing boom is supposed to be really nice, but I've never used one.

Bob Salomon

23-Aug-2008, 17:22

Do a Google search for Monte or Monte Zucker. He was a master of one light portraits and there should be tons of articles that he did for various portrait and wedding magazines as well as lectures. You might also look for some of his video tapes and DVDs.

jasonjoo

23-Aug-2008, 18:27

lenser

23-Aug-2008, 19:05

Jason,

I can't tell you much about the Alien Bees but have used Ultras (no longer made) and the x series for years with almost no repairs (3 simple ones in 25+ years). One thing no one has thought of is the strength of the variable angle clamp on the light. If you are going with something heavier and twhich sticks way out like a big soft box or octabox (and I recommend those over umbrellas), you will have a lot of forward and downward force on the clamp. It can drift due to the torque. I know that the x series clamp is tough but I don't know if the AB's can stay really rigid where you set them. Check that out before you buy.

The AB clamp is also set in one position only whereas the x series have a clamp block that can be repositioned for center of gravity with whatever modifier you are using. That's a very big benefit!!!!

The modeling light issue is major with anything enclosed since you will be subtracting light as it goes through the fabric. That's especially important since looking at a ground glass is already dim compared to a regular viewfinder. That seven stop range is also a good tool as it gives you much more control of exactly what power setting you want.

Umbrellas are terrific for fill light, but it scatters light and I don't want one for a main.

The main is used up by the subject. That implies that it's closer to the background and that means that the scatter from the modeling light and flash burst will potentially leave a light pattern on whatever your background is. This is true whether for traditional or shoot through umbrellas. A soft box or octabox both enclose the light (softening it more) and thus can help you to completely control it's direction and where it falls. No spill unless you direct it.

My business partner loves his octabox, but I prefer my big Larson soft box as the soft box has a deeply recessed face that helps to completely control any edge spill. The octabox face is flat to the edge, but has the advantage of a collapsible inner frame that makes set up and tear down a bit easier. You can add the egg crate type of baffle to the octagox, but that's just more money for something that you personally may not need.

A bit of advice, the larger the soft box, the more gravity stress there is on the fabric face at all positions. Photoflex used to be made with fiber glass ribs which flexed enough to allow a lot of sag in the face in the large and extra large boxes, especially in a horizontal position (tabletop shooting) and still bad at vertical. I think they still are fiberglass as the boxes have a pronounced curve as the ribs flex along their paths. They are also VERY deep which adds to the forward stress for the clamp. They also take up much more space around your stands so allow for that in your thinking. Photoflex does give a beautiful light, I don't want to take away from that at all as I used one for about twenty years, but I feel that others are better engineered.

Larson uses aluminum rods and I think Plume and Chimera do so as well. Larson rods stay straight to the ends which means its a shallower profile and less stress on the clamp. Avoid any boxes that don't allow removal of the face to add or remove the internal baffle and access to the modeling light and (in some models) white, silver or gold side panels.

For stands, go for heavy duty and air cushioned to protect the strobe, and at least nine foot, preferably taller. You won't always be working in a low ceilinged living room so go for height if you can. Something that is seldom mentioned is leg spread. It's important for stability, especially as you use big soft boxes and as you go higher.
Be sure to check that out. Finally, sand bags or weights on the stand (as already mentioned) are a great idea for more stability. The definitely help to avoid the light and stand crashing over onto someones head or the family curio cabinet in someone's home.

Good luck.

Tim

Darren Kruger

23-Aug-2008, 22:09

Currently, I've been using window lighting in my hallway. While the light coming through is actually very good, I'm just not getting enough light. My last photos were taken at 1/30th, f5.6 (shallow DOF!) with ISO 100 film.

Why not use a faster speed film? 400iso would get you up to f11.

Also, if you are unfamiliar with lighting portraits, a single hot light might be good to start out with. If you want cheap, a halogen flood light from a home improvement store works. this and a cheap foam core reflector will give you plenty of options to experiment with while you are figuring out what type of strobe to get.

since you are considering a strobe, do you already have a flash meter?

-Darren

jasonjoo

24-Aug-2008, 00:33

Hey Tim, thanks! I think I'll stick with the octabox for now :)

Darren, I have a Sekonic L-358 so I believe it should work just fine. Faster film speed would be nice, but I just bought 50 sheets of Arista.EDU Ultra 100 and another 50 in ISO 200. But, the next time I make it out to Freestyle, I'll be sure to pick up a box of HP5+. But I can't always shoot in the comforts of my own home (or in that specific hallway), so I think investing in a strobe will be a good move! :)

Jason

D. Bryant

24-Aug-2008, 05:36

Jason,

Don, I've looked through the Strobist site a few times, but I always thought most of their work was limited to the small Canon and Nikon strobes. I'll take a look into their techniques though.

Precisely my point, but besides that there are some good tips about stands reflectors, and lighting techniques.

Of course learninng expose and develop sheet film properly will be your first challenge.

Don Bryant

Jim C.

24-Aug-2008, 12:37

Thanks guys. Since I'm already ordering from either AlienBee or White Lightning, I figured I would order one of their light stands as well.

I'm still in between the AB1600 or the White Lightning X1600, but I read a good review on both, so I'll just have to see how deep my pockets are!

Jason

If you're budget conscious, why not get the AB 800 or 400 ? I own 2 800's and a 400 and I have yet to ever use them at full power in my studio.

Ron Marshall

24-Aug-2008, 13:13

The case, switches, connectors, clamps of the WL are heavier duty than those on the AB. AFAIK the guts are the same, except for the stronger modeling light on the WL.

I have WL 1600s and am very satisfied with them.

jasonjoo

24-Aug-2008, 14:00

Jason,

Precisely my point, but besides that there are some good tips about stands reflectors, and lighting techniques.

Of course learninng expose and develop sheet film properly will be your first challenge.

Don Bryant

Don, I'm going to stick with something more along the lines of an Alien Bee or White Lightning. I had a 580EX when I owned a DSLR and I'm not sure if it will meet my needs with a LF setup.

If you're budget conscious, why not get the AB 800 or 400 ? I own 2 800's and a 400 and I have yet to ever use them at full power in my studio.

Jim, if you were to use a single AB800, do you think you could sufficiently light a group of 4 (at the most)? I'm thinking about having one relatively strong light and then investing in perhaps AB400's along the way.

The case, switches, connectors, clamps of the WL are heavier duty than those on the AB. AFAIK the guts are the same, except for the stronger modeling light on the WL.

I have WL 1600s and am very satisfied with them.

The White Lightning lights also come with a 5 year warranty which seems really promising! I think I may go with the WL X1600!

Thanks all for your help! I really do appreciate your input and advice!

Jason

Jim C.

24-Aug-2008, 20:31

Jim, if you were to use a single AB800, do you think you could sufficiently light a group of 4 (at the most)? I'm thinking about having one relatively strong light and then investing in perhaps AB400's along the way.

I think that a single AB800 should be enough with power to spare depending on what
light modifier you're using.
Alien Bees has a very good upgrade policy if as you use the AB800 you need more
power, it has to be within the 2 year warranty and it's noted here ( bottom of the page )-

http://www.alienbees.com/guarantee.html (http://www.alienbees.com/guarantee.html)

J_Tardiff

25-Aug-2008, 06:28

Jason,

I'll toss in my $0.02 as someone who has traveled a similar path from MF to LF and has recently focused on portraits (mostly due to lack of travel opportunities :( ). I think I'm about a year further along on this journey. Count me among the "go simple and step up" crowd.

I spent a long time using just natural light (I also have basically one good window to use at home) and a simple reflector (one of the sets mentioned earlier in the thread). I found a couple of the basic books to be invaluable (I'm on the road so don't have titles with me) -- especially regarding the role each light source should play and the relationship between subject and background. I also strongly suggest the Strobist site (and their discussion group), I learned a ton there -- it's all about doing more with less. For example, I now use one of my nikon flashes as a hair or background light -- triggered off my AB800 main light in slave mode. The only extra cost was for a stand. This is a recent addition to my arsenal.

My first step up from natural light + reflector was a single AB800 and a Chimera softbox. I also have a couple of umbrellas. I am finally getting the sort of shots I want from this relatively simple approach (single main + reflector) -- frankly, it took a few months of fiddling in my spare time to even get close. I'm fully willing to admit that I may be a bit of a dunce, but I found the leap from natural light to strobe to be nontrivial. Ted Harris (among others) made me feel better about my seemingly endless learning curve with all of this -- but the end result has been some portraits that I am very happy with and I even finally invested in some 8x10 film to put my user Deardorff to work for portraits.

I went with the AB800 because my usual working space (hah-- my husband's "former" home office, he's thrilled ;) ) is relatively small and I wanted $$ left over for a sturdy stand and good quality softbox as others have suggested. I should also admit that I put my digital SLR (Nikon D2x) to work as I was learning about angles of light and positioning, *much* cheaper than film to start. And AB customer service is excellent, plus it's a nice modular system. Their forums are quite helpful as well.

By the way, it may just be me, but I have found shooting portraits of more than 2 people rather difficult... especially if you are going for more that just the straightforward "prom night" shots. Monte Zucker's book discusses these issues of rapport and positioning quite well.

Best of luck and enjoy your Chamonix, I love mine.

JT

jasonjoo

25-Aug-2008, 19:50

Thanks JT, that was helpful! I'm still torn between the AB or WL strobes. I need to make a decision soon though! I'd like to practice using these before grandma's birthday! I've made a goal to take a photo of my family members every year on their birthdays :)

Pat Hilander

26-Aug-2008, 10:15

Spend the extra money for the White Lightnings. They are a better build quality then the AB's.

Frank Petronio

26-Aug-2008, 10:53

Couple of things strike me -

100 watt modeling lamps are pretty dim to focus a 4x5 by. Strobes with 250 watt lamps are much easier. Of course you were worried about a 300 watt hot light melting your subjects (it won't happen) but the 250 watt lamps have been the mainstay of most professional systems.

Yes, umbrellas spill light more than recessed softboxes. But many times, especially with portraiture, the spill is a positive thing. Especially if you are trying to light a small group of people with one light -- you will want the light to spill around and open up the edges a little. Your most effective inexpensive lighting for a small group is going to be a large umbrella up high to the side... so get a big heavy stand.

Because monolights are so top-heavy, you may end up spending more (or wishing you did) on heavier stands than you think....

And finally, I think most photographers have a hard time "seeing" strobe light and as a result they tend to use it rather crudely. You can certainly start out using strobe but I think you'll find it clumsy, and spending times shooting w some constant light sources will pay you dividends while you figure this out.

Aahx

26-Aug-2008, 16:30

Franks on the money with the difference in focusing with at 250w lamp. It will make your job a ton easyer having the brighter source. Most portriat subjects have limited patience, so the less time you spend "messing with your gear" and more time interacting with them to get the expressions you want the better.

The White Lightnings do use 250w modeling lights. There ablity to adjust on the fly your light source is invaluable as well when time is of the essence. I have used WL lights since the late 80's and still have my old 1800 ultra's from back then. Though I primarly use 4 3200's in my studio now. They are very reliable systems with great coustomer support. But Frank is also correct in that they are heavy and will need more support. So a good stand will be needed for these units.

As to constant light sources. I use a Lowel Tota set and they are great illumination for focusing on the ground glass.. only problem I have had with constant lights for portrait subjects complaining from the brightness (ie too bright and hurts there eyes). But I use 500w tungsten bulbs... which also make the meter run faster come the end of the month electric bill. There are other options than the hot Tungsten systems though. You can look into fluorescent lamp systems which are much cooler and use less juice. Just remember that if the constant lights are too bright, the less comfortable your subjects can be under them. But they are very valid options, and esspecialy good for learning how to light your subjects.