Good set-up for portraits/Outdoor-Modeling?

[DisasterDan]

Okay to start out, i am semi-new to photography. Now by semi-new i mean ive only been doing it for about two years now. I just recently upgraded my beginner Rebel XT to my new Fabulous T2i. Now i want to maybe take my new found hobby somewhere. So i decided to take some of my friends, and family members senior pictures and or modeling pictures. Now i know ive got an acceptable camera but i have nowhere near the lenses i will need. I have done some searching on here, and found that the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 has received much praise for this certain type of photography. Now im only 18, making about $500 a month. Ive been saving for expenses, but im pretty much on a budget of under $1300 to get two lenses and a decent flash for the purpose. I have seen people saying NOT to get another brand for a flash besides canon, but some of the Sigma flashes look pretty decent at half the cost.

These are pretty much what i was looking at-
Amazon.com: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo: Reviews, Prices & more -85mm f/1.8

Amazon.com: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD Aspherical Super Wide Angle Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo: Reviews, Prices & more -Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 Wide Angle

Amazon.com: Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo -Speedlite 430EX II Flash

I welcome any suggestions, i actually need them haha
Thanks for any help guys.

 

[ghache]

for 1300, this is what you could get for an outdoor portrait setup.
this is what i am using pretty much using right now and i think it works great is 99.9 % of the time

For the Speedlights, I have a couple of Sb-600s. I found that they work alot more better inside than outside on ITTL. ive had mixed result and i always end up using my Vivitar 285HV with my ctr-300p triggers. They are quite powerfull enough in most situation and are cheap working horse

Ive had the chance to work with a 85mm 1.8 a few times and it is a great lens.
For the price you cant go wrong.

I would get a couple light stands and medium size umbrella.


Wireless Flash Trigger 3 Receiver CTR-301 P w/ PC Cable on eBay.ca (item 160355552610 end time 06-Nov-10 19:54:00 EDT)

Vivitar 285HV Flash 233965 - B&H Photo Video 90$

Pearstone SB-4 AC Adapter 239404 - B&H Photo Video 15 $
These are cheap and usefull. its excellent for location shoot indoor. You save up on batteries and you get a better recycle time.

Impact Air Cushioned Heavy Duty Light Stand, Black - LS-13HAB - Some heavy duty light stands 70$ .

Impact Umbrella Bracket 3117 - B&H Photo Video umbrella brackets 17$

Bowens Umbrella - Silver and White, 46" BW-4046 - B&H Photo 40 $

this is what i am using right now as a portable lightning setup and this is what i recommend for someone who wants to get into portable lights on a budjet. its easy to use and its all the kind of stuff that even if you buy better lights/battery packs and more expensive stuff, you will still be able to use it.

2 flash/lightstands/bracket and umbrellas, triggers and lens would cost you around 900$.



www.photographybyguillaume.ca

 

[KmH]

I welcome any suggestions, i actually need them haha
Thanks for any help guys.

For portraiture you want to use light that is from off the camera or off-camera flash - OCF. Two or more lights, or a light and a reflector are better.

Most portrait shooters use strobed lighting (flash).

Speedlights can be used inside or outside, and can be triggered off the camera in 2 ways: optically or with a radio signal.

I believe your T2i has a rudimentary optical triggering system buit-in but a radio triggering system would be much more versatile and not very expensive.

Using a radio triggering sytem however would mean using manual mode with both the camera and which ever speedlights you use. That means you would no longer be married to the Canon brand and could save some significant money.

You can get a radio triggering system that can trigger up to 6 speedlights for $60: iShoot PT-04C Wireless Remote Radio Flash Trigger

and you can get Vivitar 285HV speedlights for $90 each plus shipping:
Vivitar 285HV Flash 233965 - B&H Photo Video

 

[Derrel]

ULTRA-wide angle lenses like 10-20mm are not very useful for people photography. I would definitely not spend scarce money on that lens if I were interested in portraiture...unless the subjects were airline pilots, truck drivers, or toll booth operators.

 

[DisasterDan]

Thank you guys, im going to definitely get the 85mm f/1.8 and a few slave flashes and a "radio triggering sytem" but as far as lighting goes as in umbrellas and such, i dont really see myself taking Professional shots, im just trying something new and adding more to my skills. Again thank you though, ive totally cut my list into different things, including no more wide angle lens

 

[KmH]

Thank you guys, im going to definitely get the 85mm f/1.8 and a few slave flashes and a "radio triggering sytem" but as far as lighting goes as in umbrellas and such, i dont really see myself taking Professional shots, im just trying something new and adding more to my skills. Again thank you though, ive totally cut my list into different things, including no more wide angle lens

It's not about "taking professional shots", it's about making nicely lit portrait and model images.

Small light sources, like speedlights, make harsh shadows. Umbrellas make a small light source, like a speedlight, appear a lot larger which softens the shadows and makes the light wrap the subject more. Photographic umbrellas are inexpensive. Pro's use monoblock lights, softboxes, and diffusion panels which are much more expensive.

If you want to add to your skills, get the books: Light: Science and Magic, An Introduction To Photographic Lighting by Hunter, Biver, and Faqua. Minimalist Lighting, Professional Techniques for Location Lighting by Kirk Tuck

And visit www.Strobist.com and explore the archives of Lighting 101.