Budget Lighting, Pro Results | LIVE with Gavin Hoey

Studio flashes from the big brand names are expensive for good reasons but they’re not the only option. If you’re a studio photographer that doesn’t need the latest and greatest flash technology and you don’t mind the build quality being a little less heavy-duty, budget flash heads might be the perfect option for a small home studio.
In this live-streamed photo session, Gavin Hoey gets his hands on a 3 flash studio kit that has everything he needs including light stands and softboxes from Flashpoint. Can he use just what comes in the BLAZ 300ws lighting kit to take professional-grade portraits? Will the lower specs compromise Gavin’s studio portrait photography?
Gavin will squeeze as much real-world experience using budget lighting as he can into an hour. Join the conversation, get your questions answered live, and help steer the session… or just watch along and enjoy.
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✘ PRODUCTS USED:
Flashpoint BLAZ 300-V Studio Flash (3 Light Kit)
www.adorama.com/fplfbl300vk3....
OM SYSTEM OM-1
www.adorama.com/iomom1.html
OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II
www.adorama.com/iom1240pb.html
Lexar Professional 1667x 64GB SDXC UHS-II/U3 Memory Card
www.adorama.com/ilxsd64g1667....
Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.2
www.adorama.com/iom4512.html
Sekonic L-308 Flash Meter
www.adorama.com/sksk401305.html
Sekonic L-308 Red Cover
www.adorama.com/sk401332.html
Savage Background Paper, 86" Thunder Gray, #27
www.adorama.com/sabgp8627.html
Manfrotto 6.5x7.5' EzyFrame Vintage Background Sage
www.adorama.com/bglb7932.html
IRIX Neutral Density ND32 Filter
www.adorama.com/irx58nd32.html
#budgetlighting #lightingtutorial #adorama
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Follow Gavin on
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Model and MUA Sophie Daly
/ sophie_daly
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THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING!

[@surfhawaiiwaves]

Love Gavin, he’s not only a brilliant photographer, he also has a great sense of humor, he always cracks me up lol.

[@legary2007]

I LOVE that you post the question LARGE so we can read it...too often in other videos, we can't really even HEAR the question, so THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT SO EASY!

[@TheAlibiTent]

Hey Gavin! Love your demos and teaching style. Also appreciate that you're not insistent that you have to pay top shelf in order to make quality photos. Thanks and look forward to your next video!

[@gvasquez330]

Always a pleasure watching the team work together😊 Even after the initial show date.

[@jaimesilva3934]

Another great live! It's always a pleasure to watch, and there's always something to learn. Thank you Gavin!

[@patrick8035]

Awesome as always - I like Gavin’s energy so there is never a dull moment on set. I love these demos as it shows what a pro can do with non-pro gear - I’ve clicked the notification button so hopefully I can catch the next one live 👍

[@andymcgarty3099]

A fantastic video. Some really great images and creative lighting. Thanks Gavin and Sophie.

[@charleyl264]

Though I'm not happy with the camera to PC transmission speed of WIFI, I found the tether cable on the floor to be a considerable safety problem. My solution was to run the cable from my PC up to the studio ceiling and across to roughly the center of my usual camera location with enough slack to allow me to move around most of the camera half of my 19 X 26' small studio. The cable still touches the floor, but rarely gets in the way or becomes a trip hazard this way. I have a spare tether cable and extension that I can use on the floor if the hanging one should ever be too short. I have a small black tool cart on wheels located camera left with drawer liner rubber on top to provide room for placing my cameras when not actually using them for a shoot. Drawers of the tool box provide places for filters and other frequently needed items (coffee cup?). My PC sits on a table in the back corner of the studio (camera right) with the tether cable dropping down from the ceiling to it. I have power outlets located left and right on the ceiling running from the usual camera shooting position to the background roller system. Lights on stands are usually left and right, so they receive power from the power outlets above them on the ceiling. Result = no power cables on the floor = no cable trip hazards. Except for occasional special requirements, I never have cables on my studio floor during a shoot. When I do need one or two, I place small carpets over them to hold them down and minimize chances of tripping. Just some free ideas to consider. Charley

[@911Polini]

the rubber tip!! brilliant! thx Gavin

[@nicoletanis3703]

Hello Gavin, I appreciate your hard work studio photography very much. Thank you!

[@kevindahlen]

Fun and informative tutorial, Gavin and crew. Thank you. :)

[@charleyl264]

Hi Gavin. I don't usually catch the live demos, but I'm here for this one.

[@johnclay7644]

Great photographic content Thanks Gavin.

[@GavinHoey]

Tha is John 👍

[@pablojcarranzafernandez4413]

Much fun learning session, as usual with Gavin n family 🥳

[@seaeagles6025]

Thanks Gavin for another fun video, very enjoyable

[@JoeMustang99]

Modern "box camera" session! Love it.

[@geraldinebryce594]

Another enjoyable session. Thanks got some great ideas 👏👏👏

[@sidneyjohnson6478]

Great to see you again

[@josephchan4198]

Wow!! Big improvement from 10 years ago. Awesome!!

[@silvinaslatopolsky2121]

Thank you Gavin! I'm in this situation and it really helps this video.

[@brittanyremington8486]

Really got some good information. Thank you for doing this!

[@arupian666]

55:39... absolutely brilliant ! I'm SO stealing that idea on my next studio shoot.

[@TrollHoleStudios]

Metering with the nd filter on the meter! Mind blown. That was the most important part for me!

[@markbunch3872]

Really enjoy these informative videos, and thankyou.

[@dexon555]

Very entertaining show as always.

[@mikecritchlow1114]

I only have one soft box with a grid but I will have to try out the last idea! Thanks Gavin!

[@intellisense4068]

its the presentation, yeah!

[@stevenjoseph9979]

Great information as always.

[@slyn4ogled1]

great video !!! thank you !!!

[@g-whiz9488]

very nice and instructional... thank you

[@kevinparkes417]

These strobes are re-branded Godox MS300s. If you buy them in the UK they come with 240v power as standard. I have two. They are amazing value.

[@user-bm4vm5xl4e]

Love to here from Australia

[@stevecraig9384]

It was fantastic 👏

[@nicknickerson4674]

Florida!

[@gentlegnt]

What's so amazing, is that Gaven will forget more than I will ever learn. Thank you so much, as always for your awesome and timely tutorials. I would not have been advanced in photography with your and the balance of the Adorama KZbin "Academy of Photography". ;-)

[@kirstyhepworth7343]

Great video Gavin

[@canucklehead28]

So good...

[@Tboorohn]

Watching from Atlanta

[@user-dx8in5yx9n]

Thanks

[@anthonyparsons4743]

This video is perfectly timed for me as I'm starting over again in regards to equipment dontbhave a big budget so having to build dp very slowly I've be looking on eba/joom etc and found some basic kits most with the twisty bulbs (most under £50 uk

[@KittyHurryUp]

Hi Gavin, Sam and Freya 👋🏼 every time I watch your videos it makes me smile, you’re such a sweet family! Besides I’m glad I that I can always learn something! Thank you! 😊

[@hassanmediainc3907]

watching from uganda

[@kennethnielsen3864]

Hallo Gavin, nice flashkit.

[@rodneywilliams7504]

Hi Gavin, I’ve watch many of your KZbin clips and find them highly educational, creative and well technically balanced. I’ve just finished to of your most recent live videos albeit not the live stream itself. My question is how do I join a live stream, where to I find this information in this as I’d really like to ask some technical questions. I understand aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance, these being wha pt you talk about during the shoot setups in manual mode. What I haven’t heard much on is what you set the focusing method on the camera. I use a mirrorless APS-C camera a few years old. It’s a good camera but does not have eye detection. For small studio portraits should I use single point focusing? I also assume being set in manual the metering mode is irrelevant or am I missing something. The basic studio kit is what I have but older technology. I’ve invested in a flash meter and new F1.4 30mm lens so every thing you’ve just discussed with ND filters has been perfect. Thanks for all the amazing videos. I’ve replicated as best I can using cheap gear to pleasing results. Cheers

[@dbj1113]

i use kinofoil to alter the size of the visible light on my soft boxes.i do have strip soft boxes,but i enjoy experimenting when i get the opportunity

[@sergiooliveira4351]

These kits are great for starting and even to run a small studio! yes... cables create a big mess but... it' s cheaper! These strobes are the same as godox and although they have the issue of minimum power, no TTL or HSS offer the radio which are really very good . I still have a neewer 300W head that do the discharge de cap alone but... no radio! For me the biggest issue is really the cables!! what a mess!!!! 😅 Love your videos!!

[@ValStylePhotography]

Hey from Bulgaria🎉

[@toptophe]

As always a good video with plain of advices and explanations! Concerning the light for the background for the 3 lights setup: can we use a cobra flash in order to get a lower power of light and avoid using ND filter?

[@davidclapham8078]

would love to see you use the led light panels like the 3 feet x 1 feet... such as the peter hurley setup for head shots...

[@sidneyjohnson6478]

South Carolina

[@truthsayers8725]

So I picked up this kit. I'm liking it so far. I only played around with it last night and today but here's my complaint. The stands are packed on the bottom requiring the "pocket separators" to be removed from the top "level". I wasn't then able to repack the kit into the case! You don't by any chance have a photo of how they come packed from the factory so you?!

[@ositobebe090254]

Hi from Chicago

[@KenCannon]

Hi from Oregon

[@mjpt57]

At the start it’s explained that the strobes are 110v. What gear did you use to run them out of your 240v outlets?

[@mma171]

Sophie is a superstar 🤩

[@ositobebe090254]

Luis 🎉 from Chicago, Illinois

[@kidglove55]

I always enjoy watching your tutorials. This model could be a double for Gal Gadot. Also, do you ever shoot with strobes on location? I bought a set of Neewer Vision 4 strobes. I like them even though they don't do high speed sync.

[@ronald6358]

Great lights for the money, I just bought 2. And a good idea of drilling holes in the cover to make a light strainer. But where to drill the holes and do they need to be all the same size. Just have 2 chances to screw it up. So Gavin help me out a bit please.

[@josepherwindiazCreatives]

hello omoni from philippines

[@DylanRichardson841]

Another great demo as always!

[@jean-francoisleger]

I guess the bottom line of this tutorial is : "know your gear". Thanks to Gavin, I now know that you can go very far with a starting kit. And , as a french speaking, let me guess what a "dump power" means...is it..naaaaaa! ;-)

[@conradkelsey5925]

Hi from South Africa. Watching the recording unfortunately, so I'm a bit late for the live comments.

[@SimonSummers]

Does anyone know if there is a UK version or equivalent of this kit? Thanks.

[@patrick8035]

Almost forgot to thank Sam, Freya and Sophie too! It must be hectic at the time, but you made it feel like it was all scripted and pre-planned! Well done!

[@nathanielgainey3663]

Hi Nate from NC

[@noordstede6408]

Always forget to take a dump when i lower rental strobes. My own seem to decrease automatically.

[@georgeelliottphotography3602]

Hi Gavin. I really like how you present your work. But, I am a little confused. You are an Englishman, working from an English home and yet, Adorama are purely based in the USA as I cannot find them in the UK. Regards George

[@Tmm_582]

Hello this Tariq from Saudi Arabia

[@ManuelCampilho]

Aperture

[@ALIALI-oc3cs]

Bahrain

[@ManuelCampilho]

Alo from Maia Portugal

[@user-nd1wn2lp4r]

From india

[@manoharmgr8235]

SUPER. SUPER , THE BEST VIDEOS நன்றாக இருக்கிறது வாழ்த்துக்கள் ,CHENNAI -R.MANOHAR(MGR) INDIA,*

[@ALIALI-oc3cs]

😅

[@billmcfadden4791]

KZbin censor may just listen and ban the dump lighting video lol

[@Tuttle64]

Can't put your finger on why they are from Godox

[@steveyoung2774]

The questions are a distraction

[@svitlophoto]

Budget light - budget picture. Not nice light for woman, she looks like older😢