Starter portrait set up

mark

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I am curious, what would be the necessary lighting setup for a beginner. The High school I work at wants a lighting set up. Money is an object but they don't want something that is going to be dead in a month.

I'm the guy they see "hanging out on the side of the road with a really big camera" so i obviously know everything.:rolleyes:

Since this is something I was recently wondering about myself I said I would ask around.

Yes I know available light is the cheapest, but they want a flash set up.
 

David A. Goldfarb

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Is this for an educational purpose (teaching photography and lighting) or so they can do simple in-house portraits (or something else)?
 

wfe

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Start with a single light with a soft box and a reflector. You can get double sided reflectors, gold and white would be a good start. Typically schools get a discount as well.

Cheers,
Bill
 

Jim Jones

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A cheap light stand with a T-bar across the top and draped with translucent fabric makes an inexpensive, compact, and versatile substitute for a light box. The modeling lights in my White Lightning track the strobe output close enough that I could get by with an incident light meter instead of a flash meter.
 
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mark

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Since they have a graphic arts department they decided those folks should be taking athlete portraits and other not as important portraits in house. Head shots, full body shots. The "Got Milk" ad campaign came up.

I don't think it will happen, but I said I would find out?

On the one light set up, how bright?
 

Rolleiflexible

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wfe said:
Start with a single light with a soft box and a reflector. You can get double sided reflectors, gold and white would be a good start. Typically schools get a discount as well.

Cheers,
Bill
Click to expand...

For a reflector, a bigger and cheaper alternative is a sheet of white foam core -- you should be able to buy one at any framer's shop for $20. Bigger is always better when it comes to bounce reflectors in portraiture.
 

David A. Goldfarb

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Probably better to have two lights--one for the main and one for the background--an umbrella (cheaper) or softbox (easier to use) for the main light, a reflector for fill, an optical slave, one tall stand and one short stand for the background light.

How powerful depends on the format--probably the format we don't talk about APUG I suspect, in which case it can be pretty small, even a couple of Vivitar 283s or smallish monolights with modeling lights to make things easier.
 

DKT

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polaroid ID camera. you can get them dirt cheap through federal surplus....
 
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mark

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I know they have a MF camera, at least I was told they did a couple years ago, and I know they have several 35mm manual cameras there, and yes, they will be shooting with the digital p&s they have. SO lets say MF. I don't know what kind.

These will be color portraits, if that makes any difference.
 

Christopher Nisperos

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Hi Mark,

What's the school's budget?

What's the teacher's curriculum? (For example, does he want to demonstrate more than "one light/one reflector" basic lighting? Or, does he perhaps want a couple more lights to show the effects of a fill-from-the-front or a background light?)

Is the school more concerned with buying the best equipment for the money, or demonstrating & teaching basic principles and use? (not a commentary, but a sincere question)

Will the cameras be digital or film?

If digital, why the absolute contraint for flash?

In my opinion, continuous light is better for teaching purposes anyway (whether with digital or film cameras), as well as being cheaper and therefore easier to replace once the inevitable damage occurs under student use (sorry, but I've worked in a school photography department . . . I've got my prejudices!)

Plus, with non-flash lighting, the teacher has a great opportunity to demonstrate color problems and show how to correct them. Lastly, this type of lighting falls squarely within your parameter of "beginner" !

Best,

Christopher
 
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mark

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I really can't answer your questions. I do know that there is no photography curriculum at all. I know the graphic arts department is in shambles, and I know that there was no thought put into this beyond asking me about it.

Put rational thought aside, act without thinking and then you will understand where this inquiry comes from.

I only asked because I was thinking about this same thing not to long ago, so, on a personal level, the two light and reflector idea sounds good. I already have one light.
 
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