Just curious what lighting equipment people use on a general regular basis for
engagement sessions
family portraits
baby photos
etc.

I've just been going out there with my camera and using ambient lighting. Once in awhile I will use my 580ex for indoor if the ceiling is white/low enough. There are so many great examples of amazing pictures on OSP I was curious as how folks paint the light


Thanks again!

I normally carry my camera and a reflector, but when I shoot indoors, I have carried my light. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

Hmmm I wonder if I should invest in a reflector? I am shooting as a beginner at this point and am trying to purchase equipment wisely (top quality but try to be as minimalistic as possible) Thanks for sharing!

For indoor studio sessions, I use Alien Bee's .I have four B800

For out door sessions, I use my 580EX with lightsphere and trying to remember to use a reflector if I have a helper to hold it!

I have a pretty extensive assortment of gear that I can use. It depends on what type of light I want. I have a Calumet outfit with 3 1500 watt second mono lights, a set of reflectors gobos. I also have 2 580ex's and the wirelesss transmitter. Lately though, I have been realing fealing avail light lately which is really defining the style im shooting right now.

If it's a static portrait, I'll use my DynaLite heads and packs. If the shoot is away from electricity, I'll put a couple SB-800s on a lightstand and usually bounce them into umbrellas. If the subject is going to be moving I just use my SB-800 and a bounce card.

hey mister! good to see you around. i soooooooo need to call you eventually.

Thanks everyone for your input! Keep em' coming!



Yeah I think I am looking for things like this possibly--I'm usually in places with no electricity outlet

If it is away from power I use a 580EX and/or a Agfatronic flash with pocket wizards into umbrellas. I always carry a 45 inch round reflector as well. For portraits, I try to only use one light if any at all. At weddings I usually have one on camera and one as a kicker. Another very handy lighting tool I carry that can have quite dynamic results is a video light.
If there is power I sometimes use 2 400w/s strobes but the Agfatronic and 580 are usually powerful enough that I don't need to lug them around.

A little off topic but....

One other trick up my sleeve is to use a DC-AC power inverter connected to my car and 150' of extension cable to get the AC power to the strobes at a remote site. I've measured the current draw of my DynaLite pack in order to determine how many Watts I need the inverter to provide.

In a nutshell, the inverter should be to supply a peak current of 8A (880 Watts @ 110VAC) at full power on a DynaLite 500XL (500WS). This peak lasts less than half a second as the capacitors charge to about 2/3 capacity, then it rapidly falls of to less than 1A ( 110W). A 450W inverter should be plenty powerful enough to to supply the very brief peak current. The current characteristics WILL be different for other packs, but I would expect it to be similar and fairly linear.

Selecting the best inverter for the job is a little tricky since they're designed for relatively constant power output. With some models, you might be able to get by with 25% of the peak (i.e. 220W with my pack), but I think a good general rule of thumb would be to use one that's at least 50% peak. It's always a good idea to consult the inverter specifications, which usually list the peak, but very rarely will they list for how long the peak current can be pulled (do they mean 10 seconds or 1/4 second?).

Do NOT run modeling lights off an inverter - They're normally rated at 250 or 500W (mine are the latter), and I measured the current draw for two modeling lights to be 9A (990W) - Just shy of 500W each, which is exactly what I expected.

Also, keep the car running so that the alternator is generating electricity and you're not sucking your battery dry (also bad for your battery's health).

The longer the extension cord, the more resistance and thus the higher the current draw. My measurements were taken with a 100' cord because that's primarily what I'll be using. You probably want to add at least 50W per 100' to be safe.

*** LEGAL ***
THIS IS NOT ADVICE. DO NOT TRY THIS. CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN. I AM NOT RESPONSIBILE IF YOU BLOW UP YOUR CAR OR BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN. I AM HAPPY TO SHARE MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES BUT I PROVIDE NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, FOR ANY PARTICULAR FITNESS OF USE OR REASONABLE SAFETY.

Hi Jill
It's okay -- I know you're just avoiding me

a quantum or sunpak works well....

WOW! ok no problem. haha good to keep that disclaimer handy eh? You definetly got your lighting systme down! I'll probably be starting off with simple things like reflectors and probably flash heads though for now. I'm assuming though that since weddings and family portraits are typically action packed most of the extra lighting for the images come from ambient light and the flash mounted to the camera (or do people follow the B&G around with a light stand??) (for those that don't have assistants)

At a wedding, it's been the KISS principle for me - SB-800 and bounce card, with the sole exception of the posed portraits, where I throw up a strobe and large umbrella for more even light. I've experimented with having a strobe set up in the corner at the reception, but haven't had good results so far (some people are able to produce some amazing stuff so I'd love to get feedback on this).

I generally carry two Canon 550EX flashes, one on camera and one slave when I have a good opportunity to use it. The camera one usually has a diffuser on it, the second is generally popping into the white ceiling, wall, or a diffuser.

For the formals, or for portraits if I know I'm going to be set up in one spot long enough to use them I'll carry a battery powered pair of Visatec (Hasselblad) strobes, generally shooting them in to umbrellas.

This is great information! Thank you all so much! Keep em' comin'!

A reflector helps in sooooo many situations. I have a $5 piece of foamcore that "lives" in my trunk, and it has saved my bacon a number of times.