Equipment Choice

[nikonboy]

Okay I have a small dilemma and I need your help. I am going to be

doing Christmas dog photos and some other portrait work in the coming

months. I currently do most of my work outside in parks, but since

winter is approaching and dog photos must be done inside I am in need

of more lighting equipment.

 

What I am trying to decide is if I can achieve a professional look by

adding some dedicated hot shoe flashes to my setup and mounting them

on tripods. The benefit here is that I can invest in a couple flash

guns that will migrate smoothly to digital bodies (namely the

SB-800/SB-600). So these would see a lot of use in the future at

weddings. But would these offer enough power?

 

Or should I just get some portable studio lighting? I have been

looking at Alien Bees (B400) and they seem to offer the most value for

the money. I would think that the only time these would be useful at a

wedding would be during formal shots and perhaps during a reception if

I added some Pocket Wizards to the mix.

Please share your thoughts. Thanks!

[shawn_hooper]

I have seen people that use both. So long as you get enough of what you buy. If you go the shoe mount, you may end up getting a few more (power) for a little less money. If you go with typical "studio" strobes, you will probably pay more, but you will get more durability, and won't have to worry as much with things like "Did they all fire?" or batteries.

Just my 2 cents.

Let us know what you do and how well it works out.