Starting a photo studio, easily and inexpensively.

Never shot with studio lighting? Want to create your own professional portraits in your home, garage or temporary studio? If your objective is to move into the next level of professional photography, I'll show you how easy it is.
I started out with a professional studio in 1978 and knew nothing about operating or using studio lighting. I bought some lights and had to learn the hard way, by mistake, trial and error. The school of hard knocks.....

I bought the wrong lights and over a period of time, rectified that situation and over a couple of years, purchased the correct type of equipment.

Let's start with what will give you the most professional results at the best possible price.
I recommend anyone starting out purchase one professional  studio light with a large white umbrella. This one light will enable the photographer to shoot individual portraits, group portraits, animals, and even some product photography. The type of images you may wish to do for Ebay auctions.

As all studio (electronic flash) lighting is basically the same, you should look for equipment that is reliable and covered by a guarantee so it will last for many years. As time goes on you build on your lighting by adding additional lights to make for more creative types of lighting.

I highly recommend the Backdrop Outlet Basic 200ws Light Kit, the cost on this light is $261. Using this one light with a fairly large white umbrella will move your photography into a professional level.

I do not recommend hot (constant) lighting as it is so much lower in intensity and many times a different color of light where it becomes more difficult to produce the quality in your imaging.

Once you have created some portraits with the one light kit and white umbrella on your light you will be ready to add a second light, I recommend purchasing the Basic background light kit, comes with a short but adjustable stand, colored gels to change the color of your background and only needs to be plugged into an outlet and you have a very creative two light set-up. Now your photos will look like you spent a lot of money creating them. The lighting is extremely creative and simple to accomplish.  The cost of the Basic background light kit is only $69.

So for slightly over $300 you now have an extremely professional lighting set-up that is easy to set-up, and make you a true professional photographer.

A few of my shots created with only one light and white umbrella, and in some cases with the addition of the Basic background light kit.

Got problems, write me and I'll do my best to show you how to improve your photographic lighting.

Art Ketchum
artketchum@sbcglobal.net