Studio Photography

Hi peeps, can anyone give me as much information on studio photography as poss e.g lenses flash as i am getting in to it slowly and im not sure where to start

Thanks Dave

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Permalink Reply by nathan mccreery on August 22, 2009 at 2:24pm

Apprentice yourself to a good studio guy for a period of time before you make any decisions. I preach this "gospel" all the time. Education is more improtant than equpiment. It's not a sexy message and equipment "junkies" rebel at it but I've been doing studio work longer than most of the people on this forum have been alive; everything from glamour, portraits, table top, small product, automotive etc. If you buy a bunch of junk before you know what to do with it you'll make a bunch of crummy photographs and won't know why they're junk. Education is more important than photographic toys. If you know what you're doing the kind of equipment doesn't matter as long as it works.

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Permalink Reply by Michelle on August 23, 2009 at 7:52pm

That's like asking me to recite Moby Dick.
Start with good lenses and a thorough education and knowledge of your camera and how it works. Then you will get a feel for a whole lot more. Each camera manufacturer makes a good, better and best series of lenses. Obviously the best ones are the expensive ones. I don't purchase anything with a variable aperture or an aperture slower (larger number) than f/2.8 as a rule.
Flash-start with a GOOD speedlight for your your camera. Get to know that intimately before thinking about studio flash and strobes. Once you can use it and bounce it, diffuse it, use it off camera... You will have a better feel of what YOU need for strobes. It all boils right back to education. Once you know what you don't know now, you will automatically have a feel for what you need next.

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Permalink Reply by nathan mccreery on August 24, 2009 at 7:59am

If you don't understand light and basic concepts of lighting, posing, and composition you're wasting your money on all the toys you get at the photographic toy store. Sorry, but it's the truth. HDR won't save you, a brand new shiny Canonikon and all the lastest and greatest lenses and all the electronic gadgets and Photoshop plugin programs and all the other gadgets won't save you, the biggest, baddest flash units won't save you. Only knowledge can make all of that junk work, becasue that's all it is if you don't understand light; it's just junk. The tragedy of the photographic professionals life is prople who buy a bunch of brand new junk thiniking it will make them a great photographer, and set up shop down the street to photograph the unsuspecting public at fire sale prices, and literally steal clientele from the experienced pro because the public says, "he has all this cool stuff, he must be good" and the clown (the guy with all the gizmos) down the street doesn't have a clue! All theat junk doesn't make you good. It only means that you spent a lot of money and still don't know anything. GET AN EDUCATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!