What do I need to set up a studio

Where is a good place to buy lighting. I am wanting to set up a studio and am not sure about lighting or what I need. I have worked in fast food photography as I call it so never had to set anything up. Just had to point and shoot. (K-mart Portraits before digital and after, Expressly Portraits and Sears.) I love taking pictures but hate working for companies like this and would like to set up my own space. Just not sure what I would need or where to buy the items. Have done some looking on the internet but would like to hear from others who have experience in the field.

Any ideas or help would be welcomed.

One thing to remember is that setting our your own digs is considerably less automated than what you're probably used to. A few questions: What type of camera/lens will you be using? What is your budget for this endeavor? What type of images will you be creating? (I.E. portraits, still life, etc.)

Personally; I started with a lower-end kit I bought from Adorama which included 3 monolights and a few modifiers(some gels, snoot, barn doors, & a honeycomb)and paid only a few hundred dollars. If you're on a budget this works, but the 150w strobes you get are fairly limited.

One thing is for sure, much of your time/effort initially will be figuring out how to use them.

I was looking at http://www.alienbees.com/packages.html someone told me to check them out. Wasn't sure if it was a good price and which package I should look into.

I have a Nikon D60
thinking I might want to look into another camera and a new lens.

I also am looking at Picage http://www.pictage.com/client/main.dofor developing which someone from here mentioned.

I found this link for backdrops and props http://www.backdropoutlet.com

I am wanting to take portrait type pictures. I really don't want to do locations. I am looking at children, pets, and senior and pets.

Thanks again for any tips and idea's. I will look into the Adorama lights.

I have a Nikon D60 and i have alien bees lights. i didn;t get a package though. I haven't gotten everything i want from them yet but i didn't want one of the packages. I've used the lights and i love them. I am going to invest in a bigger camera later, but for now my D60 is fine and doing great. at least my clients think so. And thats all that matters really.

SallyG wrote:

I have a Nikon D60 and i have alien bees lights. i didn;t get a package though. I haven't gotten everything i want from them yet but i didn't want one of the packages. I've used the lights and i love them. I am going to invest in a bigger camera later, but for now my D60 is fine and doing great. at least my clients think so. And thats all that matters really.

What lens are you using with it?

right now i only have the 18-55mmVR but i am going to get some more to go with it. But for the in studio pictures or on location family pictures, i really don't ned to be a long ways away and zoom in. So for now it works. But i will get more when i have the funds You know what i mean.

Yes I understand we are trying to start with the basics and then hopefully move up. But I want things that work well. Would hate to put money into things that won't work from the start.

I have the same lens. I bought my Nikon D60 kit from Costco so I got the two lenses with it.

Sally what do you use for your processing company?

right now i use mpix. They work for me and my clients are satisfied with them. So i will use them until i find something better, or start printing my own.

Katyonka wrote:

Yes I understand we are trying to start with the basics and then hopefully move up. But I want things that work well. Would hate to put money into things that won't work from the start.

I have the same lens. I bought my Nikon D60 kit from Costco so I got the two lenses with it.

Sally what do you use for your processing company?

Katyonka,

I'm not sure if you're looking for a photo lab or an online place to sell your pics.

Since you have a membership to Costco, have you tired them for printing? I use them for everything but high-end portraits. As long as you do your own color-correction and use the sRGB color-space, Costco prints are very good quality and excellently priced.

With Costco do they have anything on them where your customers know they were developed at Costco?

I was also looking for a way my Customers could view the images on line and then tell me what they would like to order. Is there a site you use for this?

Katyonka wrote:

With Costco do they have anything on them where your customers know they were developed at Costco?

By default, Costco includes "Costco" in the information printed on the back, but you can override that with your own backprint information.

I have some customers who know full well I use Costco. Most of them, knowing Costco's print prices, were initially taken aback by what they thought was a huge profit margin, but most of them now realize that they're not paying for the print, they're paying for me to show up at the games, take great pictures, process them to make them better, and then take the time to make them conveniently accessible online. Most of the customers still realize they're getting a bargain.

Still, when I'm asked, I say I use Costco for some prints and a great custom print lab in Ashland, Oregon, for other prints... and I don't say which I use for which prints. Keep 'em guessing.

I was also looking for a way my Customers could view the images on line and then tell me what they would like to order. Is there a site you use for this?

Costco allows you to set up publicly accessible albums, but then your cover is blown, because your customers will soon figure out what your costs are.

I use PhotoReflect.com as my website's storefront backend. (In fact, I'm uploading last week's game photos as I compose this message.) They provide an online shopping cart and handle all the billing. And the photographer has the option of routing the print order to an online lab that will then print, package and mail the print[s] directly to the customer, or the photographer can save some $$$ and do the printing/packaging/mailing himself/herself. The online print labs take a pretty nasty chunk of the sale.

I'm modifying my online shopping cart to allow me to do the smaller prints that would net me very little profit if I let the online labs handle those jobs. Eventually I'll do them all myself, but still have PhotoReflect handle the billing.

Other people here use SmugMug and other services and seem pretty happy with them.

You can check out my website's backend storefront by hitting my website, then hitting the red-white target icon on the main page or by hitting direct-to-the-event buttons on the Events page. (Not all events have their own buttons, so you might want to use the target icon.)

www.orcabayimages.com

Thank you very much I will be checking out your site.

I use smugmug and absolutely love them. Not only do you have the option of choosing which lab to use *both are great!) but they also hel with all tax info and cutomers can buy strait from thier so they never know your margin!

I use Smugmug for prints, it has a start up fee but the prints are cheaper through the two labs they offer plus the prints look amazing!