Simple Studio Portraiture on a Budget

by Sean Setters

Off-camera flash and light modifier solutions for studio photography can range from relatively inexpensive to I-need-to-take-out-a-second-mortgage expensive. With more of us able to afford the lower end of that spectrum, it's nice to know that you can get very good studio results with economical gear.

A couple of weeks ago I posted an image demonstrating how inexpensive LED lights could be used for creative portraiture. Today we'll be looking at another example of this technique along with an in-depth look at the gear necessary to produce similar images.

Let's take a look at the gear I used for a portrait session this weekend aside from the 5D Mark III, 85L II & 580EX speedlite flash (you could easily substitute any camera body, wide aperture telephoto prime and shoe mount flash for similar results) along with some links to gear which will provide comparable results and/or functionality at a fraction of the cost.

Lighting & Background Gear Used & Budget Alternatives

ItemGear Utilized
Cost
Comparable
Budget Item Cost
Photoflex Umbrella with Adjustable Frame (45")$36.95$14.95
Flash Radio Trigger & Receiver$129.90$29.00
Umbrella Swivel$17.99$21.95
Impact Collapsible Background - 5 x 7' (Black/White)$69.99$69.99
(3) Light Stands$357.00$98.85
Impact 40" Extension Grip Arm$29.95$29.95
Impact Super Clamp with T-Handle$19.95$19.95
Lastolite Magnetic Background Support$82.88$82.88
LED String Lights$19.99$19.99
Total$764.60$387.51

Note that I didn't link to specific versions of some of the gear due to unavailability (some are discontinued or not available at B&H), and I didn't list the white foam core board I used as a reflector (very low cost). Also note that the "budget version" umbrella swivel is slightly more than I paid for my version several years ago and prices are always subject to change.

As for the setup, one light stand and the background holder were supporting the collapsible background while another light stand with an extension arm and super clamp were holding the LED string lights in place. As for the main lighting on the subject, the flash was placed camera left and reflected into the white umbrella. The subject's fiancée held a white foam core board camera right to provide a degree of fill light.

Hunter Portrait Front Bokeh 2

Now let's consider the equipment I used to support the background and LED lights. Technically speaking, they weren't really necessary (though they certainly did make shooting more convenient). If we were to prop up the collapsible background in another way (maybe lean it against a wall or prop it up by boxes?), we could eliminate one of the light stands and the magnetic background support. And if we simply held the LED lights in front of the lens (or otherwise supported them with a DIY solution), then we could eliminate another light stand, the extension arm and the super clamp from the equation. With the aforementioned gear excluded, the investment cost would drop to $188.83.

But how about that background? Is it strictly necessary? While extremely convenient (and highly recommended), you could use a large piece of black fabric, black paper or otherwise shoot in an indoor location with more distance between the subject and the background (leaving the background unlit and, therefore, black at the camera's max flash sync speed). Therefore, if you have a substitute for the background, you can shave off another $69.99, for a total of $118.84.

If your DSLR features a master pop-up flash and your off-camera flash features built-in wireless (optical) communication, you can deduct another $29.00 for a ridiculously low final cost of $89.84.

That's right; assuming you have a camera, wide aperture telephoto prime and shoe mount flash already in your kit, you could theoretically create shots very similar to the examples above for less than $100.00, or to put it another way, less than the MSRP of Canon's least expensive lens. Of course, more expensive gear typically equates to higher quality and/or added convenience, but... for those on a budget, high quality portraiture is likely well within reach.

Posted: 5/22/2017 12:11:05 PM ET   Posted By: Sean
Posted to: Canon News, Sony News    Category: Photo Tips and Stories
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