Photographers Read This!! Equipment?!?

What equipment is needed for portrait photography? lighting? umbrella-thingeys? tripod? how many of each will you need and how much do they cost individually? whats good quality brands? just tell me everything cuz i havnt a clue what exactly to get for my daughters personal studio. i want it to be a surprise for her 18th!! :) helppp!

It all depends on what you want to spend. B and H has some great kits. So does Calumet Photo. White Lightings are great for portraits. I have several photographer friends who just love them. I like to have at least 3 lights when I shoot portraits but you can get by with 2 lights. Most kits you can ad more items to later. If you can get her a kit which is lite and easy to take on location that is a plus.

This kit has pretty much all you need to get started.
http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/CE1454/

It would be a nice birthday present for your daughter--if that is what she wants to do.

I assume she is good with photography--and is interested in setting up a portrait studio for income (and not just for fun)--because it's pleasant, but I can't say it's "fun".

Does she have the patience to put up with demanding clients (and / or their family)? Is she mature enough to deal with the time that she needs to spend to post-process the photos? What will you do with all the equipments if she quits-or if she finds out that it isn't what she wants to do?

Re: the hardware: I don't use an indoor studio with all that stuff (although I have it)--this one: http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_prod.ph... (it works quite well)--I prefer to shoot outdoor instead.

see http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c317/w...

This is what I do afterward:

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c317/w...

I use Tiltall tripod. Any tripod will do. I don't use tripod when I do portraits.

You would also have to invest in good program(s) to edit these photos. They don't come out perfectly well (they hardly do) from the camera. Adobe Photoshop CS3 costs at least $650 (or $999 for the "extended version"). Adobe Lightroom costs $300. Don't forget a fast computer (PC or a Mac) that she will use only for this (if you're planning to use it as a tax deduction)--and not for anything else. A decent camera is expensive, too. A point-and-shoot will not do for this. A good lens isn't cheap either. You will also have to set up a room in your house just for a studio.

And how much is she going to charge? How many photos will she be shooting for each session? How long will it be? An hour, two hours? Is she going to provide proof sheets? Does her fee includes postage and other supplies? Will she give the files to the client, or will they have to pay for them?

Then with all these things you will have to buy, you, or rather, she, will have to attract customers. That's the hardest part, I think. Every penny she earns and spends on the business, she must keep a precise record of it (IRS can easily call you in for an "interview" and it can get pretty messy.)

It really is a pain in the rear (others will agree). I have my day job already so I only do this on weekend (and only when I am free). For example, today I went to a party that lasted four hours. I took 1,400 photos and I was paid quite nicely (a few hundred dollars)--but I am still up converting RAW file and all that. So it's not just while the client is there in front of the camera--it's afterward that takes a while, too. Is she prepared for all that?

I am sorry to sound so negatively about this. I am not questioning your daughter's ability to take photos (as I don't know her nor have I seen her work), but I have known a few friends who wanted to get into photography (for pay)--and I show them exactly what is done. They could not believe how much work is involved. The pay (which is extra income for me) is nice, I admit, but it's a lot of work.

Nevertheless I'd like to wish you success.

A fully equiped, fully stocked studio will run you at least 20 to 60k USD and this does not include the rent and staff. A newly set up business like this is not likely to break even for at least a year and a half. Get your daughter a car and a makeup kit.

In the Oct. 2007 issue of Shutterbug Magazine there was a review of Interfit's EXD200 Lighting kit. You can read the review at shutterbug.com.

Good luck & happy birthday to your daughter.

You're looking at some pretty hefty prices if you are thinking of fully outfitting a studio. You can get a beginner set up, where she can learn about lighting and such at a relatively low price.

Alien Bees is one of my favorite companies for lighting http://www.alienbees.com/ they have great prices and quality equipment. The "Beginner Bee" would be my choice for a starter kit... $358.66 USD http://www.alienbees.com/beginner.html , she can add more gear later, as needed.

What a nice gift for your daughter. :) (get her a good tripod too)

Here ya go:

http://www.nagelhome.com/phototest/

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you'll see a nice, basic home portrait studio.

The lighting equipment is available at:

http://www.alienbees.com

Just e-mail 'em the above URL and they'll do the rest.

The backdrops and associated equipment are best bought at your local camera store as they are expensive to ship.

If you can't use alienbees, pro camera stores will carry similar lighting.

HTH
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