D70 & Studio Lights.

[jvophotography]

Hey guys,

 

You've always been such a help in the past and now I need some more

info.

 

I have a D70 and the SB-600. Works great for most everything I want

to do on the run. However, I'm wanting to get into some studio work

shooting pictures of children. I have 2 of my own and love shooting

them. I have had a bunch of friends ask me to do their kids but I

haven't the lights for it.

 

What's the best bang for the buck for a Nikon D70 lighting

situation? Do I need stobes or do I need just regular lights and

reflectors? Do I need a softbox? I know little about teh subject

and am just getting into it.

 

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

[maroark]

Buy a medium sized or large white shoot-through umbrella ($20-30). Also buy a bracket to hold that umbrella on a lightstand with your SB-600 shooting into the umbrella ($14). You can make a lightstand by halfway filling a 5 gal bucket with quickcrete or plaster and leaving a pvc or metal pipe in the center facing up (length of pipe your choice). If you choose the right size pipe the umbrella bracket should mount right to it without any accessories. You could buy a lightstand that would be more portable/professional looking for maybe $60.

 

Use the built in flash on the D70 to trigger the SB-600 (i dont know if the SB-600 needs a peanut slave). If it did, you could buy a slave and pc-hotshoe cord for around $30.

 

Play with this setup until you achieve what you want. Write down the settings you are using so you can repeat the effect later (height of umbrella, distance from umbrella to subject, angle of umbrella to camera through subject).

 

Add reflectors, just about anything white (2x4' foamcore works great) or another flash when you are comfortable working with the first. Remeber though, some of the great portrait photographers used only one light source (Yousef Karsh for instance).

[scott_mcloughlin]

I bought one of the Alien Bee's "Kits." Two AB800's, stands, a shoot through and a silver reflector umbrella, sync cords, decent cases for lights and stands and so on. I got a Sekonic 358 flash meter (B&H had a good price) and a Wein safe sync for my D70 to give me a regular sync cord hook up.

 

I also bought Nikon Capture, which in addition to Raw processing, allows one to tether the D70 directly to a computer/monitor for immediate feedback on each shot. Radioshack longer USB cable and it works just great. Makes learning the use the lights a dream.

 

I 2nd the foamcore boards for reflectors. I often use just one light on the subject and a big piece of foamcore for a reflector. I use a big black sheet pinned to the wall and do mostly black background shots.

 

The 2nd light can come in handly as a hair light, backlight and what not. Lately I've been leaving the umbrellas in the case and just working with direct lights, the foamcore reflectors and harder shadows. I'm liking the effect.

 

Oh yea, a Wein peanut on my inexpensive Vivitar 285 can come in handy. Provided an extra hair light or whatnot. I imagine the SB600 could be used similarly (I have an SB800, but haven't futzed with it in this way).

 

Lastly, you can do quite alot, IMHO, with nice even flat lighting just bouncing an SB800 or SB600 off the ceiling. Maybe with something to direct a bit of the flash light toward the subject. An inexpensive Stroboframe and SC17 off camera flash cord can make this more flexible and/or convenient depending upon what one is doing.

 

I use a tripod and the little cheap remote to trigger the shutter.

 

Really a world of possibilities. Have fun!

 

Scott

[arthur_m.]

If you want to dip your toe in the water, I'll second the vote for starting out with an umbrella. Although you might want to pay just a bit more for one that's convertible between bounce or shoot-thru. That's how I started when I decided to try my hand at a little "studio" portraiture. Got some pretty decent results too.

 

And you can easily get a non "pro" light stand that will be very serviceable for about $30. A cheap tripod could also do the job in a pinch, but a real lightstand gives you more options.

 

The mount for the umbrella and your flash is sometimes called a "multiclamp" or "swivel bracket" by different companies.

 

Aside from bouncing flash off the ceiling, you could bounce if off a nearby white wall as well. Not exactly a softbox, but there's no free lunches.

 

Make notes and shoot lots.

[jvophotography]

Thank you all for the info. I started checking out the AlienBee stuff. Are they worth the money? They have a kitt for $599 (I'd have to save) that looks worthwhile.

 

The thing I don't really understand is that you have strobes and then you have lights that are just on. These are called fills?? Do I need lights to light the subject with first and then use the strobes? Do I just use room light or available light and then the strobes?

 

I'm sure these are silly questions, but it's a total new area for me.

[garry edwards]

Joe,

 

The lights that are just 'on' are called modelling lights. Their purpose is to give you an indication of the effect the flash will be, and they make no contribution to the actual exposure at normal shutter speeds (although they would have some effect if you were to use very long shutter speeds for some reason).

 

The brighter the modelling lamps are, the better, because dim ones give a poor indication of the contrast that the flash will produce. Unfortunately, the cheaper flash units usually tend to have dim modelling lamps.

 

This forum produced a series of Lighting Themes that you may find helpful. Here is a list of them http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00BjHh

 

The last one on the list, about choosing studio flash, may be helpful with your choice

[garry edwards]

I forgot to mention, the term 'fill' simply means an extra light (or a reflector) that is used to 'fill' shadow areas, reducing the contrast and adding detail

[steve_roark]

Even if you only use the SB600, I encourage you get a small softbox for it. I built one out of foamcore and a sheet of Rosco frost filter. You can get them at B&H for about 6 bucks. Mine mounts on top of the SB600 so that the flash head shoots strait up and bounces off the back wall of the foamcore. It looks a lot softer and more natural than typical on-camera flash photos. I also have the sc-28 cable ($55) which allows you to move the SB600 off-camera. You can also do this wirelessly with the D70 and SB600, but I found the sc-28 to be more idiot-proof. I have "hot" lights and a couple of nice monolights, but because I don't have a dedicated studio area, I have to assemble, position, and meter them each time. If you want good kid shots you gotta be able to keep up with them and their constantly changing moods, so I keep the SB600/softbox mounted on my camera at all times, just in case...

[jvophotography]

WOW! Thanks for all teh great info. It's a slow learning process for me and you guys are my #1 source. :-)

[twmeyer]

"<i>you guys are my #1 source</i>"<p>That may be a problem, as there are several sources here. There can only be one number one, unless you like the decision by committee process. Try starting with <a href="http://www.photo.net/learn/studio/primer">this primer on photo.net</a>. It's a little outdated and quaint (for instance, strobes are called "cold lights" which I've never heard before), but it will get you started. Then you can come back here and get really confused by us and all our personal preferences... t

[jvophotography]

Thanks Tom. Let me clarify what I mean by #1 source (as you hinted at.) I understand that there are a lot of personal preferences going on and that's why the collective becomes my #1 source. :-) I read a lot. I enjoy researching something and it's all the little quirky suggestions that make for a wonderful, richer, range of knowledge. So many people have great little tips and it's excellent to store those away.

 

I'm currently reading the 30 something pages that I printed out that was reference by Gary that came in multiple parts. Very informative stuff. Now I have another link that you've given. :-)

 

All smiles here. I love to get every one's take. In the end, I'll probably get something that was a mix of suggestions or perhaps something completely different but it will be an informed decision none the less.

 

Again,

 

Thanks for taking the time and trouble to share some knowledge. It's a wonderful thing.