Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Hello,

I know this may be a question more for sales/customer service, but I am looking for more detailed guidance than I have received from info@paulcbuff.com. Here is my dilemma:

I am entering my third year of portrait photography business and have been almost exclusively using natural light for all of my sessions. I have avoided purchasing an artificial lighting setup, because I love the look and ease of shooting with natural light. However, I have reached a point where I would like more consistent lighting from session to session - including exposure and color - as I am spending too much time fixing these things in post processing.

That being said, here are the challenges I face:

1) I am not very technically inclined and am looking for a solution that is easy to learn and use.

2) The space within our home I use to do photo sessions is fairly limited. I have been using our living room, which has great natural light from a large window and sliding glass door. If I continued using this space for photo sessions, it would require frequently setting up and taking down the lights, as this space is also our dining room. The alternative would be to set up in our basement, which is about the same size but has little natural light and slightly lower ceilings. The dimensions for these spaces are as follows:

Available living room space: 13x9' with approximately 8.5' ceiling
Available basement dimensions: 10x12' with approximately 7' 4" ceiling

3) I also use the bed in our guest bedroom (walls painted all white) for some shots. There is a window on the one side of the bed I use for available light. This may be too small of a space to use any flash equipment, but I would also like to improve the lighting in this setup as well. The bed sits toward the side of the room next to the window, and the dimensions from the wall to the other side of the bed is about 7'. There are a few additional feet of available space beyond that. The other length of the room is 9', and the ceiling is 8' tall.

Some additional information you may find helpful:

1) I have a 580 EX II and 420 EX Canon Speedlight.
2) I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III.
3) I have a 43" round reflector (with white, gold, black and silver surfaces)
4) I shoot a variety of portrait types - family, newborn/baby, children, seniors, couples, etc. (no weddings, however)
5) I frequently do on-location shoots (both inside and outside).

I have come to regret buying lower quality equipment in the past. I know I want to start with at least one Einstein strobe, because I am willing to pay for versatile, quality equipment. Looking at both the "Busy Bee" and "Genius" packages, here is what I am considering purchasing:

2 Einstein E640 Studio Flash Units
1 Cyber Commander
2 CSXCV CyberSync Transceiver Modules
1 FOB47 Foldable Large Octabox (47in.) with attached speedring $169.95
1 G47 Large Foldable Octabox Grid (for the FOB47)
1 LS3050 10-foot General Purpose Stand
2 Baby Boomer Offset Arms
1 PLM64-WFDF PLM Front Diffuser Fabric, 64in White
1 PLM64U-S 64-inch Parabolic Umbrella Extreme Silver with Buff Speedring
1 RBH2566 Reflector Kit Mounting Arm (assuming this will work with my Neewer reflector?)
2 TS13AC 13-foot Air-Cushioned Stands

Total: $1811.64 after discount/shipping.

My questions are:

1) Is this lighting package overkill for my needs and space?
2) Because of my space limitations, to focus the light more, would I be better off buying multiple softboxes rather than the PLM/softbox combo?
3) Would the basement provide adequate space (the room is larger than what I mentioned, but a couch/TV occupies the other side), or is the ceiling too low?
4) How easy is setting up/taking down a lighting setup like this? I ask, because I am wondering how feasible it will be to set it up in the living room and take it down every time we have a photo shoot. (We could leave it set up in the basement most of the time.)

I appreciate any insight and recommendations you can provide for my situation. Please let me know if you need any additional information.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Sarah

I was in a similar situation and went with just about the list you have. Concerns I would have are about the size of the PLM and octaboxes in your space. If you choose to use umbrellas you will most likely want to add some reflectors (I went with 7AB/Rs) to help control the light spill from the strobes. I also added Vagabond minis since I do location work.

No, it is not overkill, especially since you will need to shoot outdoors. The E640 is the most versatile light we have and goes the lowest, which you will likely use often.

I would not suggest reflectors with the PLM's as they are designed to work without them.

7' 4" is high enough for children and newborns. Also fine for adults sitting on the floor and maybe sitting on, say, a stool. This is not high enough for standing adults. 8.5' is pushing it as it is. With either the softbox or PLM, the light will be roughly 2 feet below the ceiling.

It is not hard to set up, though it can be time consuming. If you shoot once a week or more, you may want to leave it set up, moving it as needed. Otherwise, it can be temporary.

There is nothing wrong with using a softbox/octabox and a PLM together. Though I would suggest the Soft Silver over the extreme silver. And I would suggest an 8mm rod version of it.

If you plan on using the lights outside, a Vagabond Mini Lithium is definitely worth considering. Yes, you can use extension cords if you want, and if you are close enough to power.

This is exactly the time of advice I was looking for - thank you!

Since winter is approaching, I don't think I will probably need any lighting for outdoor shooting until next spring. And I have started limiting my sessions to mostly within our home. With that in mind, would I be able to get away with buying only one Einstein now and the other later, or would the ideal indoor setup still include both lights (for those uses I mentioned)?

Do you agree with the size of octabox/PLMs I was considering ordering? Why do you suggest the 8mm rod version of the soft silver PLM? A photographer reviewing the PLMs had this to say (which is why I'm asking):
I should mention that my testing was done using the supplied speed ring on a Buff Einstein unit. The PLMs are also supplied with rods for umbrella mounting. A note is in order here. These things are designed to be used with the light at a certain distance from the PLM and while there are instructions about how to achieve proper focus with the light, using a speed ring with a Buff or Elinchrom unit will automatically obtain the desired effect.

Sorry for all the questions - I just really want to make sure I have all my bases covered before making such a significant investment.

Sincerely,
Sarah

One light vs. two will really be a personal choice. If you know you will be buying a second light, go ahead and get the second light. You will get an additional discount on accessories. As for the image, one light will give you a different image than two. Many photographers exclusively use one light (including you, as the sun is a single source of light ;) ). Adding a second light will help bring out shadow detail, or add dimension if used as a kicker, or serve as a backup in case the first is dropped, lost, stolen, or otherwise becomes unusable.



The sizes are fine, and arguably the most popular. The 8mm rod is easier to set up and more forgiving. The speedring version is most beneficial with the Extreme Silver that can be more focused. The Soft Silver is still very efficient, but provides better shadows to the Extreme Silver, and is less likely to overpower your subjects, even at low power.

You bring up a good point about my using the sun as a single source of light. :) This got me thinking...If I decided to set up in our living room with the greater ceiling height, only having to set up one light would definitely save time (because we also have to set up backdrop, move furniture, etc. every session, and I have 1-2 sessions per week). This would also provide more room for me/clients to move within our limited space and the potential for standing portraits.

As I mentioned, we do have daylight coming through a large sliding glass door in the living room, which is typically directly behind me during family portrait sessions. This is where I do most indoor sessions in the winter. Could I perhaps use the sunlight from the sliding glass door as fill light, with one Einstein working as my key light? If so, in this setup, would the PLM or octabox work best to produce the most natural-looking light - while being flexible enough for family or newborn portraits?

As a side question - should I be concerned about the color of the paint on the walls?

I think I'm almost ready to make my decision!

Thanks,
Sarah

You can use the sun as a fill light, but remember the color temperature will be different than the flash. This is because the blue sky is your light source, not the "white" sun. You could try using action mode on the E640, as this will cause the color temperature to rise (go blue) as you dial down. You can then white balance to this blue color. While I cannot say there will be an exact match, it will be closer than leaving the Einstein in color mode.

Also, the intensity of the day light will be much lower than that of the flash unit. You may have to use slower shutter speeds to get the ambient to match the flash.

The PLM is probably a more versatile modifier overall, though I can't say that it will be better (or worse) than the octabox for your uses. The sole exception to that is the octa can be gridded, which is a plus for it. Otherwise, it is personal preference.

Should you be concerned about the paint? Yes and no. There is a chance it will show up., depending on placement of all the various components. If it is a wild color, it may be undesirable. If it is a warm color, like a brown or yellow, it may add some additional warmth. However, generally speaking, your lights will be so close to and directed at your subject, that by the time the light hits the walls and comes back to the subject, it will be at such a low intensity as to not be a problem.

One other consideration outdoors is that the PLM will be a giant sail if any wind is present...much like any umbrellas.

The octa works a bit better as long as you have the diffuser on, but best modifier outdoors is a beauty dish...

Sandbags. Sandbags are your friend. If you're outside use sandbags all the time. Possibly even use them inside as when you extend things with those MBAs the center of gravity shifts more than you expect.

As with anything, some common sense will need to be applied. Sand bags will definitely help in low wind. As the wind increases, the sandbags may keep the stand in place, but it can do damage as it tries to take the PLM, or softbox.

Certainly nothing says one cannot use a PLM (or anything else) outside. But one should be aware of the risks involved, minimize the risks, and understand the consequences (i.e. this type of damage is not covered under warranty).