Lighting up the way I want to shoot portraits with studio lights, but I’m worried it’ll be complicated and I’ll waste money. What would you advise?
There are things you will need to learn along the way – but with a set of home studio lights and a willing model, you will be surprised how quickly you can create some really professional-looking results. I don’t spend a lot of time using studio lights, but I bought myself a set of Elinchrom RX600 lights and accompanying softboxes a few years ago. This lighting kit serves me well when I need to use it.
If you shop around, you can get a basic kit for £300 to £400. I’d look to try and get a kit that has two lights rather than just one, as this will give you more lighting options as you progress, although of course you can still get good results with just one light and a reflector.
Another optional extra you might want to consider is a background stand and some different backgrounds, even if this is just white card. You can manage without, as a white wall will double as a background, but a stand will give you greater background flexibility.
Don’t be fooled into thinking you need a huge space to work in. It’s always nice if you have space to move around and re-position the lights, but it’s not essential. But I’ve known photographers go from buying their first home studio kit to having the garage converted to a studio within the space of two years, so you have been warned!
If you are still worried about making that investment, I’d also suggest you book yourself on a day course for studio photography. At least then you can learn the basics of the set-up before splashing out the cash.