(Part 2) Top products from r/AskPhotography

>Should I just buy whatever is basic/cheapest? Or should I rather buy something that's pretty solid that can continue helping me when I advance?

Depends on your budget, and what you plan to do. But generally speaking, going super-cheap tends not to work out all that well. I'd recommend avoiding any sub-$100 flashes for your first speedlight. See this stackexchange Q&A on what flash features to look for and why you might want them.

>Basic lighting stand - I'd like one that's pretty sturdy. Would an amazon basic one suffice? or should I go for something else.

With lighting stands, as with tripods, you're going to be concerned with how much weight they can hold, how high they go, and how stable they are. Be aware, that lighting stands can be used for multiple purposes, not just holding the light (e.g., background stands). And in the future, you may want to dump something bigger than a speedlight onto one. Not saying you want to start with a C-stand, but a monolight probably needs something more substantial than a compact 7' lightstand that's perfectly fine for a speedlight.

Also, typical lighting, if you're, say, trying to duplicate something similar to sunlight, may have to be higher than your subjects. That's why a 6' lightstand may not be sufficient.

I'd also say look at whether or not the stand is air cushioned. But I've slammed my speedlights down on my fingers enough for that to be an issue. :)

>Bowen's Mount

The mount is a bayonet mount for modifiers on studio strobes. Speedlights typically have to be paired with a bracket in order to use a bowens mount modifier.

>Bowens mount softbox - what size should I go for?

Depends on what/how you plan to shoot.

>speed light - Probably most important part of the kit. Do I need one with TTL or high speed sync? I'd like it to just be able to take simple portraits.

This is just me, but everybody skips over learning on-camera flash bouncing when they read the Strobist, without realizing that when Hobby began that blog in 2006, he was aiming it towards other professional photojournalists who'd already hit the limits of on-camera bouncing and knew how to use TTL and speedlights.

So, I would recommend that you put aside thoughts of stands, modifiers, and triggers for now, get a Godox TT685 or V860II that matches your camera brand (so, in your case, $110 TT685-C or $180 V860II-C; both are quite a bit less expensive than a Canon 600EX II-RT), and learn to do on-camera flash, bouncing with TTL and M (Neil van Niekerk's Tangents is awesome for this). It won't take long, but you'll get a sense of how your camera metering works with flash; the elements of flash exposure, and how to balance the flash against the ambient. And more importantly, to pay attention to the quality, intensity, direction, and color of the light, as well as basic ways to control those four factors.

Getting flash exposure, TTL, HSS, etc. under your belt before you start taking a flash off-camera and onto a stand will make learning off-camera flash a whole lot easier than trying to figure out everything all at once.

Also, it's cheaper, faster, and easier to get started if all you have to buy/learn to use is the speedlight. And even after you're doing five-light setups, it's still going to come in handy for event/social shooting, chasing kids around the house, or travelling light. Off-camera flash means packing up a lighting bag to go with your camera bag, and can be a serious hassle.

>Wireless Trigger- Do these come with the speed light?

Some speedlights have radio triggering built in, others don't. Some can be used as transmitters or receivers; some can only be receivers. And some don't have any radio triggering at all, and will require you find add-on units to attach either via a sync port (which a speedlight might or might not have) or the flash foot.

The Godox speedlights I recommended have radio transceivers built-in, and do "dumb" optical slaving. And in the Canon/Nikon/Sony versions, they also do "smart" optical slave or master. And they have sync ports. So you have a lot of choices on how to trigger it. And the Godox system has a lot of expansion options if you decide not to shoot Canon any more, or to expand to bigger lights than speedlights.

The V860II uses a li-on rechargeable battery pack instead of 4xAA batteries. The pack has roughly 3x the capacity of a set of AAs, so if you plan on all-day shooting and need to take, say, a thousand flash images at a time (say, you're shooting a wedding all day long), then they can be awesome. As a hobbyist, I've only ever needed to swap out AAs once on a shoot, so i'm okay with the TT685-C instead.

>US based, so I can order from amazon or just B&H.

B&H sells them as Godox. Adorama (who also are a seller on Amazon) sells them as "Flashpoint R2 TTL" flashes. Both B&H and Adorama will cover the unit for the warranty period; other retailers may not.

[edited for typos and to add in monolight considerations on lightstands].

• I'm probably posting a cliche photography gift here but I absolutely love mine: Lens Mug
  
  
  
• Can't go wrong with a BlackRapid Strap
  
  
  
• If your brother takes a lot of landscapes and doesn't already have this must have tool in his gear which he should: Camera Remote Timer
  
  
  
• If he's always on the go and seems struggle w/ carrying his tripod everywhere, I recommend getting him a Gorilla Pod
  
  
• If he doesn't already have a great backpack for travelling while he is shooting his landscapes, I recommend Amazons Backpack for holding his gear. It's essentially a generic version of Canon's basic backpack.
  
  
  You can also find some fairly cheap "like new" film cameras on Craigslist along with some film.
  Film cameras are the best and it will probably be very nostalgic to the person you are gifting it to.
  
  
  I'm making the assumption that he has a Canon DSLR but you can find most of this gear if he has something like a Nikon, Sony, etc... One thing I love to receive to as a photography gift is more batteries! I use to shoot a lot of landscapes and I could never have enough of these.
  
  Anyways, hopefully you find something for your brother! Good luck!

I have a Rebel T3i. I got my lens kit with it and was soon looking for more lenses, too. For cheap next lenses, two that I would highly recommend are the Nifty Fifty or the EF-S 24mm f/2.8.

The nifty fifty is a great lens and one that many pros even recommend. It's a good focal length to have to portraits and such and will work on even full frame cameras if she gets one in the future. The 24mm lens only works on crop sensor cameras (like the T5 your girlfriend has). But it's still a great cheap addition to her kit. I just used mine recently for a photoshoot with a model and the shots came out great. The focal length is good for portraits on a crop sensor. With the 50mm, I sometimes have to back away further than I'd like to frame the shot right. But the 24mm in the same situation doesn't limit me.

The 50mm also has the advantage of having a f/1.8. This allows some great shallow depth of field in the images she can take (blurry backgrounds) if she so chooses. It makes the subject pop more. Both are lenses I'm very happy to have in my bag. I don't think you can go wrong with either.

I would suggest a high-quality compact camera like the RX100 line from Sony. The Mark III is $750. If you want to save money you can get the mark I for $450 (the III has a better lens). Don't get the mark II, it's an in-between model not worth the extra money.

Another outstanding camera is the Fuji X-T20 with 18-55mm kit lens for $999. The extra $250 over the RX100 M3 is worth for the excellent colors that come out of a Fuji (everybody is in love with them) and the ability to change lenses if you'll ever need to.

00You can also get the RX100 M1 for $250, RX100 M3 for $400, RX100 M6 for $900 and the X-T20 for $900 from Amazon Warehouse. They're open box items in very good condition, with Amazon's money back guarantee.

I know canon equipment, not so much Nikon. Two lenses fit your requirements, inexpensive, very good, Manual focus.

One is the 28 f/2.8 AIS

The other is the 50mm f/1.8D

If you are going to be on stage, the first one is good. The second one is great for close ups from the front row, but no group shots except from further back. With small venue, wide angle may make sense. I have found the good, and unusual images are close ups. I use wide angle to fill in the gaps, but depend on the telephoto to make my work 'special', better than the average person. Honestly, either one is good, because I do not know how close you will be.

In post production, multiple images can be combined for a montage. I find that more effective than a plain group shot. I could make only the 50mm work, better than I could make only the 28mm. You will have to use your legs, shoot some from the back of the audience area.

Others with more knowledge of Nikon equipment could be helpful, but autofocus is not a requirement. Neither are zooms, that are expensive, over your budget.

To really figure this out (and or realize the limitations of what can be done), you may need a bit more education than a reply to a reddit post will get you.

In a nutshell:

Objects have different properties of how they react with light, reflection being the most important to us. Two main types of reflection are diffuse and direct. Something with mostly diffuse reflection will not show glare (think of a white piece of paper). The thing that most exemplifies direct reflection, is a mirror.

Another property is absorption, which is how we get/see colors & black etc.

So if you have something that is highly reflective, it has lots of direct reflection, and if it's black like a Darth Vader helmet, then it probably has plenty of absorption (and thus less diffuse reflection).

So when it comes to lighting something like this, we need to consider what type of reflection we want to (or have to) use. If the item is mostly black, then it probably doesn't have enough diffuse reflection or the direct reflection properties are going to be dominant.

So when lighting something that is dominated by direct reflection, we need to understand the family of angles. Basically, you will see a reflection of the light source (usually glare) when the angle between the lens, object and light all line up.

When the object is flat (or has flat sides etc) it can be easy to 'hide' the lights by placing them (or the object) where the reflections won't be visible to the camera. Of course, if the object is rounded, your family of angle will essentially be anywhere in front of the object, which can make it impossible to 'hide' the light..

However, if the object is mostly direct reflection, you may need to use that reflection glare, because there is nothing else.

So the task for the photographer then becomes getting the best looking reflection, to achieve what they want for the photo. So we would find/create the right size and shape of light, and place it carefully. A good example is wine bottles. Using a square or round light would leave a square or round glare on the bottle, which doesn't look good. So a photographer may use a strip light and align it with the bottle, so that the reflection shows up as a vertical line on the bottle.

Sometimes, the solution is to make your light source as big as possible (relative to the object). So getting something big and/or getting it really close. This is why we might use a light tent, it basically puts the light source all around the object.

So what you will likely have to do, is experiment by moving the lights around (while viewing the object from the camera position). You may find a position that makes for better looking reflections. Changing the size & shape of your lights may also help.

Read this book... Light: Science & Magic.

Perhaps not what you're looking for as this UltraPod II is small, but it is sturdy and strong enough to easily support a DSLR camera with a speedlite mounted, and it fits in my bag very well. Here's a video review, and here you can find the included instructions. I don't dare to share with you the large tripod I have, because I rarely use it and honestly is light but not sturdy, and it has slided from time to time on slippery floors. Protip: I have noticed that using UltraPod it is easier for me to handle the camera when shooting videos, by simply mounting the camera on it but without opening its legs, as if it were a steadycam-thing.

I would go with a Canon t3i or t2i in your case over a D5100 only because of magic lantern. The pixel difference between 16 and 18 doesn't matter. If you go with Nikon you'll be just as happy and appreciate the boost in dynamic range.

As for lenses I'd recommend getting a Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 only $350 new on amazon. Manual focus only but much wider and faster than the kit lens. Abandoned buildings don't move very fast and It's available Nikon and Canon.

Canons 50mm f/1.8 are cheap and fast but pretty tight on a crop sensor for shooting indoors but worth $100.

A good tripod is also a good investment, and if you buy your camera body used you'll have more money to spend on one. Fredmiranda is a good forum to buy used.

wonderful cameras... very small... can put in your pocket.

I have the rx 100 iii and its a challenge for me to use... I have large hands and 64 year old eyes .... when I have my reading glasses I can see the settings a bit better.... but this is probably the best pocketable camera out there for that price range.

Assuming u are a lot younger than I am with good eyes... its a nice deal for you if you want to travel light

​

amazon warehouse has a whole bunch of em used for under 500

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00K7O2DJU/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all&qid=1573100162

First things that come to my mind:

1. This tripod is so absolutely fantastic, and cheap!
   
2. A fast lens or two. Either a zoom at f/2.8, or my suggestion would be a prime (50mm or 85mm -- or both) at f/1.4 or f/1.8. These primes will yield incredible results, and are reasonably priced.
   
3. A flash. Something that can be used off or on camera. Something you can slave/master would be best.
   
4. A polarizer for your best lens(es). Polarizers make a huge difference when taking landscape photos or photos with a lot of reflections.
   
5. One of these two backpacks could make being mobile so much easier! This one or this one. I have owned the first for a couple years now -- taken it all around the world, don't have a single complaint.
   
   Hope some of these ideas help.

For some comparison, I shot for 2 weeks in the pacific northwest (primarily Columbia River Gorge) with my 60D, which has better weather sealing but is, like the D3300, far from weatherproof.

It actually held up very well to mist and light drizzle. But by the end of 2 weeks, I definitely had some fogging in my top LCD screen.

But you can solve that for $15-20 at Amazon and get a camera rain cover. Especially if you are shooting general landscape/nature stuff, you dont need access to every control at a moments notice. Would be tougher for shooting action though

If you wan't to take photos without a flash, especially of action, you're going to want a larger aperture (smaller F number). Defiantly not a pro myself, but the Canon 50 mm f/1.8 is a fantastic lens for $100. The large aperture will allow you to capture more light allowing you to use a faster shutter speed (and freeze motion, reducing blur). For about the same price as the lens you have selected, you can get a 2.8 zoom, the [Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8] (http://www.amazon.ca/Tamron-28-75mm-Canon-Aspherical-Digital/dp/B0000A1G05/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395673544&sr=8-2&keywords=tamron+28-75mm+f28). That will give you some room to zoom, but will not be able to go as wide as the 18-55 kit lens I assume you use currently. Hope that helps!

I'm going to assume this is your first entry into digital photography.

The camera body is fine.

The 18-55mm kit lens will take a decent to good photo in most circumstances. An external flash will improve your results in low light situations.

The 70-300mm will only be useful (hand held) in bright daylight because of it's narrow apeture and lack of image stabilization. A monopod or tripod will help. I'd also recommend a remote to further minimize vibration.

I highly recommend getting a nifty-fifty. I have basically the same lens on my Canon and it takes a higher quality picture than all my other lenses, some of which cost nearly $1000.

Soft-boxes are different than umbrellas. I used basic 60x60cm soft-boxes and they worked fine. It's smaller, which is good for stability and portability, but produces good results for portraiture.

Godox also makes umbrella style octaboxes. Those are a bit easier to pack and transport, but also a bit more fragile and fiddly to adjust. I like em, though. For those, get an umbrella adapter for the speedlight rather than the S-Bracket. It's difficult to install these over the godox s-bracket.

Normal umbrellas work fine with the S-Bracket. They are cheap and easy to use, but spill a lot of light.

Yes, a Sony RX100 mark 1 used. Those with seller "Amazon Warehouse" are backed by Amazon's guarantee, you have a return period and everything. "Very good" and "like new" are usually in almost perfect condition.

If you can afford both the 35mm 1.8 and 50mm 1.8 I would buy them both. They both go down to 1.8 which means the aperture is open very with and will let a ton of light in. These are both prime lenses so they don't zoom but that is not as important as you probably think.

I am assuming here that you don't want to spend 1500+ on a fast professional zoom lens, that would also be okay.

The 35 mm is 200 and I just bought it myself: https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-AF-S-NIKKOR-Focus-Cameras/dp/B001S2PPT0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491578988&sr=8-3&keywords=35mm+nikon+dx

The 50mm can be had for 131: https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-NIKKOR-50mm-Focus-Cameras/dp/B00005LEN4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1491579288&sr=8-4&keywords=50mm+nikon

You can also just go with what you have, but you will probably need to crank the ISO up pretty high.

Suggested settings:

1. Put the camera in aperture priority (A on the dial) and set it to the lowest number it will go. (1.8 on the suggested lenses, 3.5-5.6 on the kit lenses).
   
   
2. Take pictures of the subject, look at the shutter speed the camera is choosing.
   
   
3. Increase the ISO until the shutter speed is around 1/200 at minimum (if the subject is moving)
   
   
4. Take some pictures with a higher ISO to get shutter speed at 1/400 just in case 1/200 was not fast enough. (1/200 should be plenty fast if they are not running and jumping all over)
   
   The reason for the suggested lenses is at 1.8, your ISO can be much lower than 3.5 and this will result in less noise. One last time: shoot raw if you can since it is a tricky situation. GOOD LUCK!
   

Honestly, that lens is not worth it, because it's a very awkward lens for most things on a 1.6x crop body, such as the 60D. 300mm on a 60d is the equivilent to >450mm on a full frame sensor, and is not really necessary. Even if it was nicer glass, it's just not a lens I'd want to own as one of my first lenses.

If you wanted a cheap lens, it's not the one I'd buy -- The "Nifty Fifty" -- http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU is even cheaper, and I'd prefer it. As I'd also prefer the Canon 40mm fixed lens.

If you want a telephoto lens, the kit lens Canon 55-250 is a much better buy, http://www.amazon.com/Canon-55-250mm-4-0-5-6-Telephoto-Digital/dp/B0011NVMO8 and can be found MUCH cheaper used, because it's practically given away in many kits. Amazon has their refurbished price as within $30 of each other.

I'm in the same boat with the 1100D, but I know that the body, while it does have it's limitations, is still an excellent camera. I've yet to reach it's full potential, but I know that with current kit lens and a 55-250mm lens, I could do better. I've been looking to get this lens.

> here's a hibiscus flower at roughy 1:1.

WHOA!

That's amazing ...

I have a few other examples of the kinds of pictures I have taken:

• Robin's Plantain
  
• some lichen
  
• amethyst deceiver
  
• some kind of waxy cap
  
  notice the last two I didn't use a 10x loupe at all, so there aren't close-up photos as much ...
  
  This "Tamron F004 90mm F/2.8 Macro VC USD Lens" ($350) looks like it may work, right? I was looking at a Canon T3 ($190) or SL1 ($230)
  
  I think you had recommended the Canon 50mm macro lens ($160) to be paired with the SL1 earlier in this thread, right?
  
  Hrm ...
  
  Seems like the cheapest option may be to go with the Canon EOS Rebel T3 + the Canon 50mm macro lens.
  

Not the other guy, but for $200 or just over, you can get really good images.

What you need:

• flash: try a godox tt685 ($110)
  
  
• trigger... x1t ($45)
  
  
• lightstand: just get some cheap amazon one ($15)
  
  
• try an umbrella soft box thing ($26)
  
  
• speedlight holder thing that holds an umbrella](https://www.amazon.com/Anwenk-Speedlite-Umbrella-Reflector-Holder/dp/B072JRNNTG/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=2C3FCKUUBCFAW&keywords=umbrella+flash+bracket&qid=1556913624&s=gateway&sprefix=umbrella+flash+&sr=8-2) ($10 - $15)
  
  
• something white to bounce light, like a sheet of poster board or just use a white wall. To fill in shadows.
  
  
• optional: a second flash for a hair light (anything cheap that has optical slave mode will do) + second light stand + flash holder bracket etc. Or just prop it up on a shelf.

Not sure what the model number and just left the house without my bag lol but here's the one I have on Amazon hope it helps!

Lowepro ProTactic 350 AW - A Professional Camera Backpack for 1-2 Pro DSLR Cameras and 13" Laptop
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ND21JW0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.Yx6CbX69MXJK

Thanks for the suggestion. Yes this camera will be used for top down shots. I was thinking about these 2:

Camera: https://www.amazon.com/Canon-700D-EF-S-18-55mm-3-5-5-6/dp/B00BYPW00I

Lens: https://www.amazon.ca/Canon-EF-S-24mm-2-8-Lens/dp/B00NI3BZ5K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550953260&sr=8-1&keywords=24mm+pancake

Will that lens fit on the camera? Don't know too much about this lol :)

That budget is going to mean compromises, but is doable.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074MNCRVJ/ - Flash brackets

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WS9XSSC - Light stands

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A47U22U - Wireless triggers

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I09WHLW - x2 - Flashes

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N05RL22/ - Batteries and charger

https://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Premium-Shoot-Through-Translucent-Umbrella/dp/B005ODKMOC - Umbrellas - x2

All of this will cost your right at 200. For a background, shoot against your plain wall and use photoshop to do a background overlay, Very easy to do, and the only way to stay in your budget.

But with that gear, yes, you will be able to do shots like you have linked.

My current bag (which I absolutely love) is the AmazonBasics DSLR Bag. I've had it for over a year now and it's still in great condition, even after taking it for many hikes and beach trips. My only problem with it now is that I am running out of space as it is a kind of small bag.

Pros: Cheap, good camera and lens storage, has a tripod holder on the side, it's well organised

Cons: Small size, doesn't look that great.. Honestly, these are the only two cons I can think of, and they are both subjective.

​

If you think this could be a problem for you, there's also the bigger AmazonBasics DSLR and Laptop Bag. I haven't tried this bag, but I assume it is very similar to the smaller one (besides size, obviously).

I've also heard many good things about Lowepro 450AW.

​

I recently backed the Boundary Errant on Kickstarter. It's due to arrive around November, but I purchased this bag as an "all-rounder" bag so I could start carrying my camera everywhere with me, such as Uni, as it has an optional camera insert. It's a little pricier but I believe it will be a bag that can last for ages.

​

I couldn't find the rokinon 10-18 but the canon one is also like $300, is that one better than canon http://www.amazon.com/Canon-EF-S-10-18mm-4-5-5-6-Lens/dp/B00K899B9Y ?

Do you have any modifiers over your bulbs or can you place the light further away? That might help distribute the light more before it hits the painting. The usual 45° advice might not be sufficient if you're trying to avoid glossy highlights and you're using a relatively wide lens.

There was a really good discussion of how to do exactly this in this book: https://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0240812255. In particular, there's some good advice on how to use rake-lighting to accentuate texture in your art.

> recently I won an cheap Samsung P&S worth $80 which won't charge anymore.

What model is the camera? Can you pull the battery out or do you have to plug in the camera to charge? You can usually pick up a cheap china battery on eBay for $10 or less. It's good to have an extra point and shoot for snapshots when you're not lugging around a nicer camera.

>The camera can be a P&S if you find one better than a mirrorless, since there's no DSLR for $300.

Definitely look for used. I'm not sure how big your hands are, but I shoot a Canon 40D, and I got the Camera + memory cards + portrait grip for $300 over a year ago. With the clearancing of the Canon 60D, they're most certainly cheaper now. I see in another comment you were looking at a T3. You can actually buy a new one right now on Amazon for $299.99. Just as a heads up.

The Yongnuo flashes are very well rated, reliable flashes, but if you shoot Nikon, you'll get more flexibility out of the sb-600. Be aware, however, that the sb-600 lacks a flash sync port. If you wish to use radio triggers you'll need a hot shoe adapter or modify the flash to add a sync port. Check out the YN 560 III as well.

You'll want to use an off camera flash. As a general rule, you don't ever want to use your on-camera flash. For about $100, you can get a wireless-enabled flash and a wireless trigger for it. Make sure your you select an appropriate model for your camera brand.

You would take a test shot without the flash to make sure everything that isn't covered by the flash is pretty much all black, then with those settings, shoot with the flash until you find an appropriate power output for the effect you're going for.

1st Gen - Amazing Photos and Video. $340 Used / $500 New

2nd Gen - APV + MultiShoe + Wifi and PlayMemories. $480 Used / $650 New

3rd Gen - APV +WPM + EVF - MultiShoe. $730 Used / $800 New

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005ODKMOC/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_1

---

^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

I have the Lowepro ProTactic 350 AW, I absolutely love this camera bag. It is without a doubt the best camera accessory I've bought. I use my camera way more because I can take my gear anywhere.

I tend to switch out lenses a lot too, because this camera bag has side pockets I can swap lenses without having to completely remove my bag. I just swing it over my shoulder.

I think i'll follow your adive, what about this lens ?

And what do you think of the camera ? Thanks a lot for taking the time answering my questions !

What lens does she have with the camera? I wouldn't really call lenses "accessories". What does she like to photograph?

Does she have a nice camera bag? Does she need any memory cards? Lens cleaning cloths or a rocket blower? Circular polarizing filter? Extra batteries?

Note, for the Rebel t7, the "nifty fifty" would actually be ~30mm. There is no Canon 30mm lens in your price range, but you could get the 24mm or 40mm instead. Each are $130. I would lean towards the 24mm.

I posted a response to someone else recently who had the same exact question (although he was trying to shoot bongs, not shoes ha).

First: Buy a copy of Light Science and Magic

What you're trying to accomplish falls into the category of "Some of the most technically difficult lighting challenges a photographer can have" so the solution is equally technical. That book contains the foundations you need - and frankly there are no quick solutions.

Second: Definitely DO NOT use a green background. It's murder for stills and fixing the color kickback you get if you don't light things perfectly is awful.

Last: Understand that glass is clear so more light doesn't help. For reflective objects, treat it light a mirror that the camera is looking into. Show the mirror the things you want the camera to see.

Want it to see a reflection? You've got to place the lights so the mirror bounces the reflection into the lens. Most likely you are not appreciating the fact that the rounded reflective surface sees entire world, so your light source needs to be much larger than you think in order for the reflections to show up the way you are hoping for. (product photography always seems to require about 5x more working space than people expect).

Good luck!

Cool. Would this be a good flash to get with my nikon d3200 and those triggers?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BXA7N6A/ref=pd_aw_sims_1?pi=SL500_SY115

Do you like this one?

https://www.amazon.com/Canon-EF-S-55-250mm-4-0-5-6-Telephoto/dp/B0011NVMO8

Thanks for this!

Did you mean this for the shoot through umbrella? (Your link was a 404) https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005ODKMOC/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502380838&sr=8-1-fkmr1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Photodiox+premium+shoot+through+umbrella

What I would have said as well. If you want a little extra reach could go Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 . It's technically for full frame (which some people have issue w/ on a crop body) but I used it exclusively on my apsc for years. I do more portraits so preferred the long end over the short end.

I bought this one for shooting a GWAR show. Worked fine. I haven't taken it out in the rain, but that's basically what it's for.

http://www.amazon.com/Altura-Photo-Professional-Cover-Cameras/dp/B004AH10K8

$179 - 2 pack flash with trigger

Umbrellas you already own

$150 - Calumet backdrop stand kit

$26 - cowboy 2 pack studio light stands

$19 - Godox S bracket bowens mount flash mount

Total price for home studio = $393 + plus what ever you'll spend on a backdrop.

Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM would work for portraits and macro.


Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM for ultra-wide landscapes.

What about the 350 AW model?

http://www.amazon.com/Yongnuo-Wireless-Trigger-Shutter-Transceiver/dp/B004YW79F4

http://www.amazon.com/Yongnuo-Wireless-Trigger-Shutter-Transceiver/dp/B004YW79F4

Try those. Buy yourself a couple spares and they'll be as reliable as you need.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004AH10K8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1451715634&sr=1-1&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A4132880011&pi=SY200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=51jWcH-8VbL&ref=plSrch

Manfrotto Mini Tripod and Pedco UltraPod are the 2 that are about the same size.

There are several more conventional tripods that are made for travel and fairly small, but that would depend on your budget.

On the cheap I strongly recommend the yongnuo unit. Also works as a wireless shutter release, and very well reviewed for the price.


If you've got the coin, the pocketwizards are worth it, but for just starting out the yongnuo's are a steal.

So you think a 70-200 would be good enough alone for just starting out?

No need to buy a 50mm prime lens?

This is the 70-200 I was thinking about buying for her. There is also this one. I'm not really sure the difference except for price.

This is the 50mm

Oops, my bad. This is the one I bought from Amazon

Are you aware that neither the Canon equivalent, nor the Nikon equivalent has stabilization, right?

For what I've read (And tested, as a coworker lend me for a weekend the Canon 50), both lenses are more or less equivalent. The only thing the Yongnuo is inferior is the materials used for the construction. The only problem I see with this kind of lens is that is a very, very limiting lens: too much light can put you on chromatic aberration avenue, get yourself in low light condition and you will go through shaking street.

But go for those close up, almost macro shots, and you will get some quality stuff.