# Advice for: Small room Portrait Lighting



## aussie27 (Apr 27, 2013)

Hi everyone, this is my first post on TPF,

I'm a beginner and have very little knowledge on lighting.

I have only a very small space in my room so I wanted a single light setup. I prefer to use a continuous light with a softbox as I want to take portraits. 

I would really appreciate advice and suggestions on what type of light, what brands and also info on stands and softboxes.  I have a small budget but I'm willing to spend on quality.

Thanks guys.


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## texkam (Apr 27, 2013)

Start here: Strobist: Welcome to Strobist.


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## tirediron (Apr 27, 2013)

First of all, how small is the space, and second, how large is your budget? I would strongly recommend against continuous lights; while it seems like it would be easier, it really isn't. A nice, inexpensive strobe such as Adorama's Flashpoint 320 will do a FAR better job. You can also use a speedlight in a softbox and get very good results.

This image is a single speedlight fired into a medium softbox (okay, there is a hairlight, high, right background, but depending on the colour of your backdrop and the model's hair, that may well not be necessary):






If you go with eBay gear, such as Yongnuo flashes and triggers, the equipment (Speedlight, soft-box, trigger, and stand) can likely be had for ~$300. If you're a D-I-Y sort of person, you can save money by making your own SB, and even your own lightstand.

The minimum space that I would suggest for a bust or upper-body crop is about 8'w, 10'd and 8'h.


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