will_a

<p>Thanks to both of you for these replies! I've found a "barely used" SB 800 for $330 in NYC. Thoughts on that one? Will</p>

<p>Thank you so much for this detailed response. VERY generous of you. And very appreciated! Cheers, Will</p>

<p>Thanks to both of you. And sorry about posting the same query in different sections. I honestly thought it was an efficient way to get the most exposure for the question. It won't happen again.</p>

<p>Hi all. I'm an NYC-based musician who's started playing around with photography. To say I'm a newbie is putting it mildly. But I’ve had some good results shooting individuals (mainly indie musicians) with my D3000 and the built-in flash. Very simple…black or white backdrop in the (very small) living room of my apartment.<br>

To my surprise, I’ve landed a paying gig…doing press shots for a female singer. And I want to up the ante a bit…and get a stronger flash. The look I’m going for is the Terry Richardson indie fashion thing. And yes, it’s getting a bit outdated at this point…but with the right accessories and model and attitude (and the simple fact that I have no space and am only shooting one person at a time)…it’s still one that can produce arresting images.<br>

SO…my question to all you good people is this. What should I get to help improve the lighting? Again, I’m going for a fairly stark look…and I don’t mind at all if shadows show. It’s kind of the opposite of the softbox vibe. I’ve seen conflicting info on other forums. One poster recommended Arri hotlights…while another swears to a dedicated flash with E-TTL cord (mind you, I barely know what these things mean).<br>

But for this specific task, what should I get? I don’t mind spending a bit of money…but I do need something fairly compact. And idiot-proof!<br>

Thank you! Will</p>

<p>Hi all. I'm an NYC-based musician who's started playing around with photography. To say I'm a newbie is putting it mildly. But I’ve had some good results shooting individuals (mainly indie musicians) with my D3000 and the built-in flash. Very simple…black or white backdrop in the (very small) living room of my apartment.<br>

To my surprise, I’ve landed a paying gig…doing press shots for a female singer. And I want to up the ante a bit…and get a stronger flash. The look I’m going for is the Terry Richardson indie fashion thing. And yes, it’s getting a bit outdated at this point…but with the right accessories and model and attitude (and the simple fact that I have no space and am only shooting one person at a time)…it’s still one that can produce arresting images.<br>

SO…my question to all you good people is this. What should I get to help improve the lighting? Again, I’m going for a fairly stark look…and I don’t mind at all if shadows show. It’s kind of the opposite of the softbox vibe. I’ve seen conflicting info on other forums. One poster recommended Arri hotlights…while another swears to a dedicated flash with E-TTL cord (mind you, I barely know what these things mean).<br>

But for this specific task, what should I get? I don’t mind spending a bit of money…but I do need something fairly compact. And idiot-proof!<br>

Thank you! Will</p>