# help need it with first time indoor studio



## moshe (Jan 18, 2010)

Hi

 i am shooting images for the last 2 years i own a 40D and a 50D
580ex flash
canon 24-105 L lense
i only didn untill now outdoor or non formal indoor 
now i am trying to set up a studio indoor in my house to shoot formal shots of my wife and kids

so for satrter i bought the Imact EX100 kit and for the life of me i canot figure it out i feel i am where i was 2 years ago

wither the images are over exposed or under exposed cant get the perfect shot

i set up 1 light using the soft box and 1 light with the unbrella

can anyone give me an idea where to start in order to get rolling and what are the basic rulls


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## keith foster (Jan 18, 2010)

I feel your pain, I am just getting started with portraits as well.
Here is a website that will help you get going.  There are many, many more resources available and lots of great people on this forum.
Post a picture on the forum you have taken, explain your light set up  and ask how to improve the lighting.  

Welcome to the forum!

Foundations of Lighting Placement


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## moshe (Jan 19, 2010)

Than you very much for the link!
My question are more
How far from the subject to I put the light?
What's my best bet for the camera settings?
Where do I stand with the camera? same postion like light ? Behind the light? in fron of light?
What type of light do I use?
Just the flash? Or also model?
Softbox?
Unbrella?
Or direct?

Meanwhile I don't even get a shot that looks have normal


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## LearnMyShot (Jan 19, 2010)

I feel your pain....There is a website, mine, that may help with this...it's free and non commercial. We set this up to share ideas with the photo community....have a look and I hope it helps!!!!


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## moshe (Jan 19, 2010)

nice blog where do you talk about lighting?


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## gimp (Jan 19, 2010)

Here's how I would approach a basic setup. Assemble the monolight and softbox and put it on the lightstand. Assuming you are doing a portrait set up the model about 5-6 feet infront of the backdrop. Put the camera on a tripod if you have one and at about the same height as the model's head. Use a longer focal length that will fill the frame at about 6 feet from the model. Connect the camera and monolight with a sync cord [ assuming you are not using wireless controls ]. Place the sofbox about 4 feet away from the model slightly to one side and slightly above the model. Set the camera to manual and select a shutter speed of approx. 1/100 of a second. Set the aperture to f5.6. Set the power setting on the flash to mid-range.  Make a test exposure and check the histogram for proper exposure. Adjust the power setting on the flash to correct as necessary. If the flash does not have power settings you will have to change the distance or aperture as necessary to achieve a proper exposure. Experiment with this set-up until you get results you like. Master one light before going on to multiple light set-ups. Hope this helps you get started.


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## CraniumDesigns (Jan 19, 2010)

strobist.com


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## Derrel (Jan 19, 2010)

gimp said:


> Here's how I would approach a basic setup. Assemble the monolight and softbox and put it on the lightstand. Assuming you are doing a portrait set up the model about 5-6 feet infront of the backdrop. Put the camera on a tripod if you have one and at about the same height as the model's head. Use a longer focal length that will fill the frame at about 6 feet from the model. Connect the camera and monolight with a sync cord [ assuming you are not using wireless controls ]. Place the sofbox about 4 feet away from the model slightly to one side and slightly above the model. Set the camera to manual and select a shutter speed of approx. 1/100 of a second. Set the aperture to f5.6. Set the power setting on the flash to mid-range.  Make a test exposure and check the histogram for proper exposure. Adjust the power setting on the flash to correct as necessary. If the flash does not have power settings you will have to change the distance or aperture as necessary to achieve a proper exposure. Experiment with this set-up until you get results you like. Master one light before going on to multiple light set-ups. Hope this helps you get started.



Good advice for getting started!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## pbisfun (Jan 20, 2010)

I&#8217;m no pro, but what I found that helped a lot was I went down and got a Gray Paint sample card (it has three different colors of gray on it and it cost me nothing) from my local hard ware store. I adjust my camera until the Gray in the camera looks the same on the card. From there you can make small adjustments to get the look you want. Remember if you are using a zoom lens that does not have a constant f stop every time you zoom in or out you will need to look at your gray scale card again.

another thing that helped was going to the library and getting a book called "The Lighting Cookbook for Fashion and Beauty" by jenni bidner and Erick bean


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## transformed (Jan 20, 2010)

The BEST portrait investment for me was a light meter! It's absolutely crucial. It's nearly impossible to correctly gauge exposure just using the modeling lights on strobes.


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## gimp (Jan 20, 2010)

The modeling lights purpose is to help you get the lighting pattern you want. They in no way will assist you with the exposure. I assumed the OP did not have a flash meter. Without a flash meter the next best way to determine exposure is to make a few test exposures and use the histogram to assertain when the desired exposue is achieved. It would be a good idea to record all the settings and distances so the set-up can be repeated later in future sittings.


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