[taffy]

Hi folks i.m interested in you views on on small studio flash kits is there any benifits over Flash or fixed tungston types as im interested in purchasing one for kiddies portaits and not sure which way to go i currenty have a canon 350d
Cheers

[Dabhand16]

The answer to this question is not quite so easy as you might think.

Tungsten - pros - cheap - easy to see what lighting and shadows you are going to get - easy to control output.
Cons - heat generated - model might sweat - colour temperature - tiring
to sit under.

Flash - Pros - colour temperature - flash will 'freeze' movement - no heat build-up -
no effect on sitter.
Cons - cost - lack of 'preview' of lighting effect - needs careful set up to
replicate lighting.

Now it gets more complex. Some flash heads will have modelling lights built-in so you can see what effects you will get. They are, of course, dearer.

Also, if you stick to a standard flash set up, you will know what effect the lights will give.

So now we are back to square one. And that means how much do you want to spend?

[VinnyP]

A decent flash will always be able to output more than you (or your model) could stand to work under, modern digital flashes are very controllable. They demand a bit more to set up and even with a decent flash meter and modelling lights (which you will need to budget for) it can be tricky. At least with digital no need for a polaroid any more.

Tungsten can work with your cameras built in meter what you see is what you get. One last thing to consider is that flash has actually improved quite a lot recently but tungsten plateaued a good few years ago. So you can often pick up a good 2nd hand set up and sell it off if it is not for you without losing very much.

[taffy]

Thanks for your tips

[Les Meehan]

Taffy, since you specifically mentioned kiddies portraits the only sensible choice is flash for the reasons already stated.

The other, very important, reason to use flash rather than tungsten (which I personally adore and used for years in my London studio rather than flash which was only used when models were involved) is that with flash the pupils of your models eyes will be bigger. This is usually considered more flattering in photos of faces, especially with females and children. The maximum effect of this is achieved by turning the power of the modelling lights on the flash units down so the general level of light is low. The sitters pupils will be fuller under these conditions. When the flash fires it is too fast for the eyes to have time to close the pupils.

Although a flash meter is great it is not essential if using a DSLR since you have built-in polaroid in the form of a test shot before you take the actual shots. However, if your budget doesn't stretch to a flash meter it is possible to produce a 'flash factor' to determine exposure based on a normal light reading of the modelling lights using your TTL meter. I'll expand on this if anyone needs to know more.

[Dave Canon]

With some years of experience in using both at a Camera Club, I would strongly recommend flash. Tungsten lighting presents a safety and fire hazard which is particulalry relevant if you are dealing with children. I think you should use a flash meter as this gives you a good starting point. However, if you are usining a digital Camera you can quickly check images (and the histogram) to ensure correct exposure.