Seeking Portable Portraiture Studio Advice

[acroreef]

I'm seeking advice for creating a portable (able to fit into my car trunk) portrait studio. Quality that will endure transport, fairly easy to setup and teardown. Gear for headshots, corporate group shots, etc. Lighting, (lights with a built in battery or is it better with a external power source?), stands, a portable backdrop, modifiers...(I have a Sony A7R and a 36-70 lens. I will be purchasing an 85. I also have a sturdy tripod).

If all things are equal, I would rather save a few dollars with an "off" brand. But quality, durability, realability are more important than price. Thanks in advance.

[rpcrowe]

I won't necessarily recommend a specific brand but, rather some tips to guide you..

First off, I would definitely go with REAL STUDIO STROBES! This, IMO, rules out selecting continuous lights or hotshoe flashes (Strobist type of lighting)

Studio strobes have modeling lights which gives you WYSIWYG (what you see id what you get) lighting. This negates any advantage that a continuous light may have and certainly is head and shoulders over hotshoe lighting. Seeing my lighting through the use of the modeling light enables me to set up my lights without using a meter. I can "see" if the light is too flat or too contrasty.

Studio strobes are usually powered by AC current which gives you a continuous fast recycle time. The time doesn't get longer and longer through out your photo session because the puny AC batteries powering the hotshoe flashes are wearing out. Of course, you are limited to where you have AC power. Battery operated studio type strobes are quite expensive.

In order to get a decent shutter speed and f/stop with continuous lights, they need to be very bright which is hard on our subject's eyes. The modeling lights of the studio strobes are less bothersome for your subject. Additionally, when shooting with studio strobes, you do not have to worry about your shutter speed as long a it is within the sync capability of your camera (usually 1/200 to 1/250 second). I use older studio strobes and do my indoor portraits at 1/60 second. Subject movement is of no consequence shooting this way because the modeling lights go off as the flash is tripped.

Studio strobes, as opposed to hotshoe flashes, are equipped to be mounted on stands and to have modifiers attached. Hotshoes are not.

You CAN shoot portraits with a single strobe and reflectors (heck you CAN shoot portraits using window light) but, I like at least three lights:
1. main light
2. fill light
3. background light or hair light
a fourth light can be added so that you have BOTH a hair and a background light.

You need modifiers for main and fill light, softboxes are quite nice but, you can do the job with umbrellas. A snoot and a baffle can help with you background and hair lights.

Stands should be sturdy and I do like working with a boom because I can get the main light in closer.

You don't necessarily need terribly powerful lights for head and shoulder portraiture because the closer your softboxes are to your subject; the softer the light. If you want to do full length portraiture or group portraiture, you might benefit from some extra power.

I have a varied kit of different strobes which do quite well for me. I use everything from an original White Lightning "Coffee Can" models, a travel set of four German Made Ultrablitz (which are neatly packed in a suitcase-like case), a couple of small and cheap Chinese strobes and a 400-watt Sunpak strobe with a large 36" x 48" softbox which I use on a boom!

I don't worry about the slight differences between the color of different brands of strobes.

As far as triggering your strobes, there are several radio triggers which will not break the bank. These are Godox and their branded equivalents: Flashpoint from Adorama.

However, if your camera has an onboard flash which can trigger strobes, the built-in optical slave of the studio strobe is a way to do that. Before I got radio triggers, I used a very inexpensive (it was less than $20 USD new) infra red trigger.



These IR triggers and onboard camera flashes work just great as long as there are not other photographers firing off strobes and as long as you have line of sight between the IR trigger and at least one of your studio strobes.

Here is a set that I might look into as a starter...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Godox-E300-9...g/262725076024

I have some Godox equipment as well as the equivalent Flashpoint equipment and this band works great for me. I might not choose it if I were shooting 8-hours a day, 5-days a week but, for my intermittent use, Godox or Flashpoint is a great buy!

You COULD add another small Chinese strobe as a hair or background light along with a small light stand. If you have one handy, you can use a small tabletop tripod as a light stand.

You do not require a flash meter but, it makes life a bit easier. It is also nice to shoot your portraits with your camera connected to a laptop computer. Canon cameras can be connected using just a long USB cord and the Canon software that comes with the camera. I think that for other brand cameras you need to purchase some accessories...

BTW: folks who are brainwashed into the Strobist philosophy are going to scream "USE HOTSHOE FLASHES MODIFIED INTO PSEUDO STUDIO FLASHES. - YOU CAN SHOOT GOOD PORTRAITS THIS WAY"

Sure you can, but you can also make a cup of tea by boiling ice cubes but, that is not necessarily the best or most efficient way to brew your tea!

BTW: your 85mm lens whould work great on a crop camera but, I like at least 100mm on a full frame camera. I use the 70-200mm f/4L IS lens on a Canon 5D MkII full-frame camera for both my human and my dog portraits. I do just fine with an f/4 aperture and can blur the background nicely when using a long focal length.

165mm at f/4 with a crop format camera...

[Mike Buckley]

Wow! If I had asked the same question, I sure would have been glad to see Richard's immensely informative post.

Dave: One way to save money without sacrificing performance quality is to purchase used equipment from reliable companies such as B&H and KEH that have no-questions-asked guarantees that allow you to return the equipment if you are unhappy with your purchase for any reason whatsoever.

[acroreef]

Thanks so much Richard and Mike. Wow is right!

I'll take some time to digest your info Richard. I appreciate your time and willingness to share your expertise.

[William W]

I'm seeking advice for creating a portable . . . portrait studio. Quality that will endure transport, fairly easy to setup and teardown. Gear for headshots, corporate group shots, etc.

The killer is in the detail.
> How big do you think these "corporate group shots" will be?
> Do you really mean that you want to set up "A Studio" for the "group" shoots? Or will the groups be shot in situ?
> What scenarios are encompassed by "etc"

* * *

If you mean a “Portable Studio” in its precise technical meaning, then I concur absolutely with the thrust of Richard’s commentary. FLASH is the only answer and do not consider continuous lighting.

For examples - Three lights are almost essential (Key, Fill and the Kicker, which will be used in a variety of ways).

A fourth light is mandatory, even if never used because it is back-up.

Studio Strobes are very more recommended than Speedlites if you want to make a portable Studio with the widest compass of uses. Studio (Flash) Lights are typically more powerful than Speedlites and that is an extreme plus for their use, both indoors in the portable Studio and also indoors and outdoors for Flash as Fill in Sunlight. Modelling Lights are a great assistance.

I use a system of Elinchrom. I have five heads. Five stands. Various umbrellas and modifiers. Lighting fits into three cases about 900x450x250mm, except the stands which fit in a carry bags.

I have two SETS of Paper Backdrop: one 2.7 and one 1.5 wide, including the stands extendable to about 5m, various paper rollers also various material backdrops with collapsible frames. Paper Backdrops rolls require a long carriage: a van or similar vehicle is necessary, an alternative, if you have a sedan car is to add roof racks and use cylinder carriage – 300mm dia. PVC Plumbing pipe with screw on ends stops works very well.

I also carry a few props, childrens' toys mainly and my "Talent Assistants" such as: varying height stools, back rests, neck rests, cushions.

BUT – “fairly easy to setup and teardown” – think carefully about that: just for one example and only on the point of modelling lights, these work great in a “studio” environment, but if you are doing these headshots in a city office where there is no existing method of window black-out, then you’ll need to paper those windows and also the internal glass walls to create your “studio”.

The other consideration (and question) is whether this is a business exercise, is so then careful consideration should be given to the realistic return on investment (ROI). Marketing and closing on contracts to shoot and supply Corporate Portraiture is diabolically difficult. In my experience more difficult than closing contracts to shoot and supply Real Estate Advertising Imagery.

If you are indeed contemplating this as a business venture, then it would bode well for you to have a read through this conversation, co-incidentally it is active now.

In summary, I think you need to enunciate precisely your expected outcomes and also the expected shooting scenarios so you might receive more detailed advice pursuant and specific to those more exact goals, before you spend any money.

WW

[William W]

. . . BTW: folks who are brainwashed into the Strobist philosophy are going to scream "USE HOTSHOE FLASHES MODIFIED INTO PSEUDO STUDIO FLASHES. - YOU CAN SHOOT GOOD PORTRAITS THIS WAY"

Sure you can, but you can also make a cup of tea by boiling ice cubes but, that is not necessarily the best or most efficient way to brew your tea!

Nice analogy.

BTW and for clarity of my meaning - I am not brainwashed into "Stobist Philosophy".

For my Flash Gear - I have a Set of Elinchrom Studio Flash Heads - AND - I also have several "Speedlites" - BOTH sets of Lighting Gear has its uses.

The point I was making was that maybe Dave has rushed into a DECISION that he NEEDS a "Portable Studio" and he might not need that, at all.

WW

[Manfred M]

A few more thoughts for you...

I would suggest a rethink of an 85mm lens; for the type of photography you are looking at, with a full-frame camera the focal lengths are far too short, especially if you get into headshots. The 36-70mm is probably okay, unless you are dealing with large groups, but you are going to want something much longer; a 70-200mm lens is the most common lens used in portraiture. You can save a few $ if you opt for the f/4 rather than the f/2.8 version. I think Sony offers both, but I am not 100% familiar with their product line.

When it comes to studio flash, take a look at the Paul C Buff line, especially the Alien Bees (AB). A lot of pros started off / made their name with these lights. Cost wise you are looking in the same type of money as some of the stuff coming out of China. Buff, by the way is the largest seller of studio flash in the USA. Cost wise, the AB lights are in the same price range as Sony hot shoe flashes for a lot more power. Used stuff is available on eBay quite often, and the offer a full line of accessories including radio flash triggers. Just as an aside, I own four Buff Einstein 640 studio lights, so have not issues recommending the company.

One thing that Richard did not mention is reflectors. Most of my portraits with one or two subjects are done with a single light and a white reflector as fill. I have a full array of reflectors and light modifier; soft boxes, umbrellas, etc. Reflector and light modifier size is dependent on the size of the subject. Umbrellas and octaboxes give nice round looking catchlights. From being portable, umbrellas are a lot easier to handle than studio lights, from a transportation viewpoint and are a lot less expensive than softboxes, but are not as robust as soft boxes.

One other accessory most people forget about are sandbags. I always sandbag my lightstands, and the larger the modifier, the more important it is to hold them down so that they do not topple over and break or fall on your clients! Long heavy duty extension cords are a must too. I do have battery power for shooting on locations where there is no power.

I have a background stand and I use seamless paper on it. Other background materials are just too finicky use "on the road". It's inexpensive and lasts a long time, as long as it is stored correctly.

[rpcrowe]

Nice analogy.

BTW and for clarity of my meaning - I am not brainwashed into "Stobist Philosophy".

For my Flash Gear - I have a Set of Elinchrom Studio Flash Heads - AND - I also have several "Speedlites" - BOTH sets of Lighting Gear has its uses.

The point I was making was that maybe Dave has rushed into a DECISION that he NEEDS a "Portable Studio" and he might not need that, at all.

WW

I, too have several Canon branded Speedlights including the Canon 600EX RT, 550EX, 430EX, a pair of 420EX and a Flashpoint manual flash with Integrated R2 transceiver. Additionally, I have a Flashpoint R2 TTL transceiver and a pair of Infra-Red hot shoe mounted flash triggers.

I will use this mixed bag where they can be best used, however for indoor portraiture, my studio strobes are the go-to tool.

For singe light run and gun portraiture, I use a hotshoe flash on a Stroboflash camera flip bracket modified with a Joe Demb Flash Doiffuser Pro.

For "some" outdoor shooting, I use a hotshoe flash and on the flash flip bracket modified with a 12x12 inch softbox.


BTW: Manfred...

I forgot backgrounds, carrying cases, and lots of other stuff.

I totally agree with you about the 70-200mm lens and I have just watched a YouTube comparing the 70-200mm f/4 lenses from both Canon and Sony. Pretty close comparison in IQ and size. The Sony version is a TAD heavier but, not so much that it would be a problem.

If I were shooting corporate shots, I would be shooting at f/5.6 or even f/8; so the f/4 aperture would not bother me a bit.

A agree about buying used. The Ultrablitz travel kit of four units with barn doors and other accessories cost me only $200 USD - used of course and they are in good shape. They are discontinued but are still supported. I recently purchased a flash tube to replace one that I carelessly broke...

The White Lightning "Coffee Can" WL 10,000 and WL 5,000 are certainly not portable to any great degree but I love these lights for my dog photography... I have been using two WL 5,000 units for well over 20-years and I BOUGHT THEM USED They are still working great...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Paul-Buff-Wh...3D222582703937
pro rated, they have cost me about ten cents per week!

This is a portrait of a Maltese show dog using one WL 5,000 bounced in an umbrella from straight overhead (on a boom) and a fill light at camera left, also bounced into an umbrella. I didn't use a meter for this - with this setup the exposure is "f/8 and there" as the news photographers from the old days used to say...

[William W]

I concur with Manfred and Richard. Rethink the 85mm lens. A 70 to 200 zoom would be far more useful as a companion to the 36 to 70: especially for the typical "headshot". If you absolutely must use a Prime then, 135 would be a better choice than an 85 as a mate for your existing zoom and for the tasks you describe.

Personally I am aching to understand whether this is a business venture, or otherwise. Understanding this point would skew my comments somewhat - for one example if business then you NEED a second camera body.

WW

[rpcrowe]

I totally agree that in ANY business venture, backup equipment is needed. This doesn't mean that your second camera HAS to be the equal of your "first-line" camera but, it should be capable of achieving the imagery that you need.

In fact, your first line camera doesn't have to be the latest issue, as long as it is capable of capturing the type of image that you are trying to achieve.

Portraiture, luckily, is one venue of photography in which the "latest and greatest" cameras/lenses are not required. My full frame camera is a Canon 5D Mark-2 which is an older model. However, it is perfectly capable of capturing excellent portraits. Newer model cameras have most of their upgrades in higher ISO capability, increased auto focus capability and increased video capabilities (all of which are not really necessary for a portrait camera).

As far as lenses go, I mentioned that I love my 70-200mm f/4L IS lens for most portraiture. However, if I were needing a backup lens, I would have no hesitation in using my 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. Many folks look down their noses at this lens but, it is capable of achieving some very nice imagery. I shot the below image using ISO 200 at f/8 and 1/60 second - with a Canon 10D and the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens at f/8... Note: this is a full color image and has not been converted to black and white...


I now use my Canon 5D2 and 70-200mm f/4L IS lens for most of my indoor portraiture. When I am shooting in more fluid, outdoor locations, I will often choose my 7D Mark-2 with the 70-200mm lens because of the more versatile auto focus capability of the 7D Mark-2 camera.

BTW: the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS lens is a TANK. I have dropped it, banged it and abused it in other ways and it is still going strong. I have been shooting with this lens since the Fall of 2006 and it is still going strong! It is a better portrait lens than the previous non-IS 70-200mm f/4L brcause, due to rounded aperture blades, t produces smoother bokeh...