Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I m getting B400 this weekend

and i plan to get B400, backlight stand, and three grids at great price.. would both lights suitable for dogs portrait and B800.... Please advice if i need more lights.. should i use umbrella or softbox for dogs portrait?

A quick reply would be APPRECIATED!! because time is limited right now and i plan to see the dude maybe this evening?

Fantastic photos can be made with one light, two lights, no lights, I have even seen 52 lights. Typically, folks start with one or two lights, and the number of lights is not the limiting factor. More lights may be helpful in getting a specific look or evenly/ interestingly covering a large subject. Good pictures can be made with one light. Good, but different pictures can be made with two.

TS is right on here.... you can make great portraits with just about any combination of lights and modifiers from bare bones to a huge kit. The best advice I can give you is to spend some time visualizing the image in your mind. Once you understand what you are trying to create then you can decide how to approach it and how many lights you need. As for modifiers, it really depends on the look you want, how much area you need to cover, and how much spill control you need. I hate to be so vague but there is no "right" answer to this question.

I've photographed a few dogs and mainly used two speedlights and a shoot-though umbrella (before I had my PCB gear). I set one light and umbrella for key and used the other light as a kicker/rim to separate the chocolate lab from the dark background. But... this is just one approach and was really driven by what the client was looking for in the final image.

Also, really pay attention to the dog's grooming and how much stuff is stuck in their coat (especially if they have a dark coat). It will save a lot of time manicuring them in photoshop later. :?

Good luck!