Any advice on learning studio photography and lighting?

[alex.blau]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm an amateur photographer with no formal training in technique whatsoever. I

shoot digitally (Canon EOS) and am very interested in setting up a small home

studio for shooting still lifes and eventually some portraiture. But I've got no

idea about how to start. Lighting especially is a mystery to me. So, I was

wondering if anyone could recommend a good way to get some experience with this

stuff short of buying or renting equipment and figuring it out on my own (I

tried renting a few hot lights for a long weekend and didn't have too much

success). Alternatively, if anyone shoots in the San Francisco Bay area and

would be willing to teach (or knows anyone who I could ask), I could pay for

lessons.

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Cheers,

Alex

[chad_worthman1]

<p>I'd start by reading everything on this website:

 

<br><br><a href="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html">http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html</a>

<p>Then I'd look at buying the "Starving Student off camera lighting kit":

<br><br>

<a href="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/05/round-up-starving-student-off-camera.html">http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/05/round-up-starving-student-off-camera.html</a>

[alex.blau]

Thanks Chad. I'll do just that!

[robert_hooper1]

Lots of free information here:

 

http://www.photoflexlightingschool.com/