Pretty new at this. I have been shooting mostly for my friends and family and do natural light portraits. I love working with natural light for the challenge of controlling it and being creative with it. Also, I go to people's houses to do these shoots and already have backdrop fabrics, reflectors...

I've been lurking in the Mpix community for a while and finally decided to dive in with a question. I've been a photographer for quite a while, and have the itch to start a part-time business to break even on gear if nothing else. I do have a full time job, plus operate an independent video production...

Is there anyone out there who uses "budget strobes" that they are pleased with. I want to hold out for the Alien Bees 800, however, i wanted to find out if there is something else out there that may be comparable in power and less expensive. Hold out for Alien Bees or buy cheaper????

Impressions: I do have to add that I am constantly amazed that people who don't understand the basics of exposure (f-stops and aperture, film speed and how they relate to each-other) are willing to spend money on even more equipment that they don't know how to use. Don't get me wrong, I didn't...

This book is suggested by the author of the blog I referenced above: Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers I can't vouch for it, but it certainly sounds like a good place for a lot of folks here to start...

FloridaJewel: Hi, I am trying to prioritize what to buy next. I have a Nikon D80 with a 18-135 lens and also a 70-300 lens.Looking for soe opinions and advice!Jewel, At only $100, every Nikon shooter should have a 50 1.8 in their bag. I don't think the additional $200 for a 50 1.4 is justified or...

Thanks. ... it's done did ... I haven't played with the aliens, yet, though ... after Christmas maybe. Merry Christmas!

I'm new to photography ... began in August of this year. After an inheritance, we invested in some photography equipment because it was something I had always wanted to do. I bought a Canon EOS 30D, a Canon Speedlite 430EX, 2 Alien Bees (400) with stands, a backdrop stand and a couple of backdrops...

Sauder: When you add other lights... does that cause you to make several changes in your camera settings? Had to think about this for a second. The answer depends on what you are doing. Lets say that you start off doing a simple, low-key portrait with one light and a reflector. You use a flash meter...