How much light and the Panel Flashes?

[robert_meyers]

Hello all,

 

I am trying to decide how much light I need for setting up a fairly

portable studio flash setup. I need compact, but I also need enough

light. I have never done studio flash work and keep getting told I

need more light. So here is the big question. How much light? I

will be shooting up to maybe three people. In an enclosed space. I

basically have a one car garage I am converting into a studio.

 

Now comes the next question: Paterson Panel Flash? What are peoples

thoughts on these? I am considering setting up my first studio

lighting setup and am thinking of a 300 W/s Panel and a 500 W/s

Panel and using a more traditional lower power unit for a hair

light, probably in the 200 W/s range. Good idea? Bad idea? Thoughts,

comments, rants?

 

Thanks all!

[bill c.]

Robert-- Those Paterson panel flash units look interesting, and have some good features, but the largest is something like 13 x 17 inches or so. The wedding studio I shoot for requires 24" x 24" softboxes minimum for the posed portraits, and frankly, I regard anything less than that as not very useful for anything except very small product photography.

 

If you shoot a lot of that (small products), then you might be able to justify the expense. However, my guess is that you will very quickly start to desire larger and softer light sources for shooting people and etc. People photography, I find, requires larger light sources for more flattering results.

 

That's not to say that you might not discover some new and interesting technique that fits the panel flashes perfectly, but that's my view from years of studio experience.

 

Happy shooting. -BC-