Portrait Photography Studio Tour: Strobes, Reflectors, Softboxes, Beauty Dishes, and Backdrops

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Photography Buying Guide on Amazon: help.tc/b
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STARTER CAMERAS:
Basic Starter Camera ($280 used at Amazon): Canon T3 help.tc/t3
Better Starter Camera ($500 at Amazon): Nikon D5300 help.tc/d5300
Better Travel Camera ($500 at Amazon): Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II help.tc/em10ii
LANDSCAPE CAMERAS:
Good ($550 at Amazon): Sony a6000 help.tc/a6000
Better ($1,400) at Amazon: Nikon D5500 help.tc/D5500 & Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 help.tc/s35
Best ($3,150) at Amazon: Pentax K-1 help.tc/K1 & Pentax 24-70 f/2.8 help.tc/p24
PORTRAIT CAMERAS:
Beginner ($950 at Amazon): Canon T6i help.tc/t6i & Canon 50mm f/1.8 help.tc/c50
Better ($3,000 at Amazon): Nikon D610 help.tc/d610 & Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 help.tc/t200
Best ($5,300) at Amazon: Nikon D810 help.tc/d810 & Nikon 70-200 f/2.8E help.tc/n200e
WILDLIFE CAMERAS:
Starter ($1,100 at Amazon): Canon 7D help.tc/7D & Canon 400mm f/5.6 help.tc/c400
Great ($3,200 at Amazon): Nikon D500 help.tc/d500 & Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 help.tc/n500
VIDEO CAMERAS:
Beginner ($500 at Amazon): Panasonic G7 help.tc/g7 & Panasonic 14-42mm help.tc/p42
Better ($1,400 at Amazon): Panasonic GH4 amzn.to/2p5dAmD & Panasonic 14-140 f/3.5-5.6 help.tc/p140
Best ($4,300 at Amazon): Panasonic GH5 help.tc/gh5 & Metabones Speed Booster XL help.tc/mbxl & Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 help.tc/s35 & Sigma 50-100 f/1.8 help.tc/s100
DRONES:
Beginner ($400 at Amazon): DJI Phantom 3 help.tc/p3
Travel ($1,000 at Amazon): DJI Mavic Pro help.tc/Mavic
Better Image Quality ($1,500 at Amazon): DJI Phantom 4 Pro help.tc/p4p

[@TonyAndChelsea]

⭐ Light Modifiers⭐ Beauty Dish on Amazon: help.tc/BD Soft Boxes on Amazon: help.tc/SB

[@TheYankees1973]

You two are my MOST favorite tutorials! You are so down to earth, and very talented! And your wife is gorgeous! I'm a retired veteran spouse. I'm trying to start my own business to help support our family. My husband is disabled, and the videos really help understanding stressful things. Photography is so exciting and it makes me feel so happy!

[@TheJaniable]

Explaining the whole studio in one video! Very useful for beginners. I feel like such content doesn't exist anymore.

[@Neopulse00]

Kudos on the studio. You know what you're doing well with everything. And both of you look great together :)

[@ViroValentza]

Ten years later. Thank you Tony and Chelsea! Greetings from Indonesia!

[@ayouthwellspent]

Tony Northrup- proof that nice guys don't always finish last ;)

[@khurramkazim]

That picture mounted on wall, train moving, sun, and flare, excellent click!!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

You can get a very similar set of lights and a backdrop system for less than $1000. Check ebay; used lighting goes very cheap, and backdrops aren't much at all. You can even just buy a paper roll and tape it to your wall. We worked out of our garage for years before getting a proper studio, and most of the sample shots, including the magazine covers, were shot in the garage with less than $1k in lighting and backdrops..

[@TonyAndChelsea]

I do leave the lights on the stands. I definitely wish I had a larger studio space--it's a little crowded in there :). I will put away the softbox when I'm not using it--it's huge.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

She's smart, too. She edited the book and did the layout on the awesome iPad version that you're editing, as well as the print book, and she's an amazing photographer.

[@emburaman]

Great tour and very helpful for us beginer photographers to decide where/what to begin with... Thanks Tony and Chelsea!!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Well, regarding size, bigger is better, but my power pack is relatively small (600Ws) and it gets the job done. Buy a power pack used on ebay, and whatever you can find a good deal on will work fine.

[@geralddasylva]

Your video is awesome! Simple, to the point, very pertinent and intelligent. From now on, you are my "go to" youtube channel! Thanks!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Kinda, yeah. It took several hours, and I had to screw them in on that angled ceiling over my head, which was tiring, along with finding the studs and getting them the right distance from each other. It was kind of a pain, but I'm super glad I have it in place now.

[@lightnorthwind]

Very comprehensive and informative video. Studio / portrait lighting is a subject which frankly scares me a lot, so it's very good to have a great walk through like this.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Buy cheap used lighting. Start with the traditional softbox, hair light (small light with a snoot) and a backdrop light. Use a white backdrop. Upgrade only when you need it. I bet you can get started for under $750.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

I like them. Stark, but interesting. I'd seen them before but not thought about them much other than to think, "That's a really simple formula." Lighting looks like two small strip lights to the left and right of the subject, and shot with a fast wide-angle lens up close. Of course, most of the work is getting the person there and then getting the right expression out of them.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Your best bet is usually to start with self-portraits, then your friends and family. However, "Model Mayhem" is designed to connect photographers and models. I haven't used it personally, though.

[@Roldanni]

Tony.... Awesome instructional videos. Buying a new iPad soon and your eBook will be the first one in my library. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Yeah, it's rather a pain when we do low-key work. I have to cover them. It used to be a gym... pulling the mirrors off is definitely on our to-do list, though it is helpful for the models.

[@jackawang]

I've watched a lot of photography videos on KZbin. You are one of my favorite because: 1. You get right to the point. nice, clean and very informational. 2. good video quality. Yes, very few people shoot high quality videos. How can they convince people that they are good at photography when they shoot below average training videos?

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Oh, good. The ebook on the iPad is awesome; I promise you haven't seen a photography book like it :)

[@TonyAndChelsea]

It's a Manfrotto system, I want to say it was $250 or $300 in total at B&H. Get the metal chains; the plastic ones don't hold up.

[@joewakeford]

You guys have blossomed so much in confidence in front of the camera. As usual this is a great video and I hope you're enjoying your holiday :) Joe

[@SpartanDaveWave]

Great video. I own the ebook and it is a great resource. Highly recommend everyone picking it up.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Thanks! I think it's the Neewer model I see on Amazon ("collapsible reflector") for about $15.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Actually, he has a really shallow depth of field. If you're interested in understanding that, read Chapters 4 and 6 of my book. We've talked about translating it, but we don't have any short-term plans. It's rather a challenge since our model is to continually release new updates to the book.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Sure, maybe, are you in the southeastern CT area?

[@Savage1776_]

That's funny because this being an older video he said this used to be there gym and they turn it into a photography studio. About a year ago I had a KZbin channel and I bought some video and photography equipment. My wife wanted a gym in our second living room. So I bought her the Marcy Elite Jim. It is a massive full-size gym as well as some other gym equipment and turned this 20-foot by 30-foot room into a gym. The only thing is after a year I got really good with photography and she never used the gym but one time! so yesterday I sold off all the gym equipment to put towards lighting and lenses. Now I've got a beautiful home studio! Fortunately for me I didn't have to peel mirrors off the walls because we didn't do that. But I'm so proud to go into the new year having my own portrait studio! God has been very good to me and my family.

[@austindrawhorn7417]

Another great video. Informative, simple, to the point. Keep this up and you'll have another book sale before long.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

The T1i is a great option if you can find a good price for it. The only reason I don't cover it in the Buying Guide is that it hasn't been manufactured for quite some time. Thanks for reading, BTW!

[@maneimgood]

Very informative vid, just wondering would it be possible to just shadow you on a job to get a sense of what a typical day is like for a photographer. I am just picking it up as a hobby and possible more. Thanks

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Probably not, but the way you use speedlites and strobes is very different. Check Chapter 6 is Stunning Digital Photography for more information.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Bigger reflectors are more useful, but more cumbersome. Most of the time I use 4 foot collapsible reflectors.

[@AbercrombieArt]

Thank you Tony & Chelsea! Your videos are very helpful!

[@angelogc1]

You guys rock. The book is great and very informative. Keep it coming guys.

[@fidaamengal]

U guys are amazing .i am a beginner photographer and I watch your videos to improve my photography.such an awsum couple :)

[@MikeyNewJin]

Wow! More applicable to the prifessional that can afford this type of setup but very informative and interesting none-the-less:)

[@ricardoestrada1977]

Wow, thank you. I'm in the process of setting up a studio in my home. Even though I've worked as a photographer in a studio (and a lot of other ways) this is incredibly useful to me as a reference and a reminder of things I forgot. Thanks!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Thanks, Bryant!

[@ClankyRochet]

Good Job she's is a very beautiful woman. By the way your book is great, bought it on iPad.

[@tonythomas5978]

Fantastic videos Tony, very informative and interesting. Nice work indeed, going take a look at them all, oh and get your book too. Cheers, Tony.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

I bought it all from B&H some years ago.

[@HD101PRODUCTIONS]

Great information... do you leave your lights on the stands all the time? Can you give an insight about how do you organize your lights without taking to much space?

[@bmichaelsn]

Hey Tony, question: Which one of your 70-200mm 2.8s do you enjoy more? Canon, Sigma or Tamron? I have the Canon 70-200mm f/4L and wanted to upgrade. Do you think it's worth it? Thanks! I'm about to post some of my pictures for you guys' weekly review! Love the eBook!

[@EyeOfDestiny18012000]

Hi, great supportive 'equipment memory jog' tutorial, nice stills work examples from the video, I know there much more from yourselves! Thank you, kind regards, Mike

[@ianodriscoll1219]

Hey Tony thank you for all the video information ive just subscribed and im a big fan of your work and simplicity

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Well, since you mentioned it, I have to apologize for the audio. My recorder failed for the introduction and summary, so i had to use the camera's mic. But for everything else I use a Sennheiser wireless lav mic. Note that I picked up some wicked interference when I was close to the power pack, either from the power pack or from the pocket wizard. Also, the studio is REALLY echoey. Anyway, sorry about the generally bad audio in this video, I'm usually better.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Thanks, Jack! Yeah, I started making videos specifically because every other photography video out there was terribly annoying. My other big annoyance is the awful music beds they always put behind the videos.

[@yaxl3y]

There is a high depth of field in his photos. I wonder which Focal Length I should use to get such an effect? Incidentally, are there any plans of translating your book to other languages?

[@StepphanMcPherson]

Beautiful studio,awesome team :) !

[@TuvozAmerica_AsuaVozAmerica]

Es grato ver que no tenían las condiciones técnicas como lo tienen ahora pero el corazón sigue siendo el mismo.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Sorry about that! Maybe the ebook is available to you through Amazon? Check the links in the description for how you can read it on a PC, Mac, or smartphone... I know it might not be ideal. We're working on a way to sell it better internationally, and should have something ready within a few weeks. Follow us on facebook (link also in the description) for updates.

[@hal1740]

Hi Tony, I like your videos very much. They are very informative. You and Chelsea make a wonderful team. I have a couple of questions pertaining to this video. What size is your beauty dish, 22" or 28"? And the second question is, what type of boom and stand are you using for the beauty dish. Im thinking about obtaining a 28" beauty dish and am thus trying to figure out what stand and boom I am going to need. I have a 500 / 1000 profoto D1 air for monos to use with the dish.

[@prikkles]

Hi I'm interested in the Speedotron Brown Line Power Supplies. What size do you use and who do I determine the size ? Can you do a video about it ?

[@solaris051]

Very nice couple!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

All my studio light modifiers have mounting rings designed specifically for my studio lights. However, you can buy beauty dishes and softboxes for use with speedlites, too. And, yes, lots more info in the book, link in the description :).

[@TonyAndChelsea]

What's PEI?

[@repairdrive]

The picture on the wall of the train looks familiar ;-) Great video as always guys.

[@AlexiLexi111]

Thanks, your tutorials are helpful. Do you think you can show a example of how a photo would look after introducing any given item? for example when you showed us the gold reflector. If not that's okay but i'm really new at this and it would really help to see examples.

[@felicianofoto]

Very helpful and informative. Thanks guys!

[@kelseyblair6309]

What brand/ model is that reflector youve got there that zips up with silver inside at 7:40? Ive been looking for that like exact thing and about that size too. Great video by btw. Very informative.

[@carlosmonkada]

You guys are great thanks.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

If price is no object, the Canon is the ultimate--but the two Tamron models are excellent options at their price points. Check my Photography Buying Guide (available using the 'worldwide' link in the description) for more info and detailed recommendations. I will add that f/4 to f/2.8 is a big difference, and you should be able to sell your f/4 for enough to get a Tamron...

[@yaxl3y]

Did you ever saw any of Martin Schoellers Close Up photographies? I like them, although they're a bit weird. What you think of them?

[@iPhoneiPadReview]

Great video sir! Could you please leave a link for the lenses and cameras in the studio?

[@danielhpinho]

Excellent video! Thanks.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Most people won't ever notice the difference between the 5D2 and 5D3 video quality, and I use them interchangeably. If video quality is that critical for you, you might look at the BlackMagic Cinema Camera instead. Same cost as the 5D3, uses Canon lenses, and it's a far better video camera than any of the Canon DSLRs (because it's designed for video). Overall, most people are better off spending the money on lenses.

[@auxmike718]

Tony always look the same. Chelsea is stunning in these older videos!

[@FrozenFilmsByParis]

You guys got it going on. Wow

[@iacosta71]

Talking about your Photography Buying Guide, I bought the book as soon as came out in Amazon and I posted this same question for you in my profile is Stunning community. In the book you pointed the Canon T3i as your starter point for portrait, so that means that the T1i is a very low standard to start portrait?

[@jaytube227]

geez you guys are good looking! :)

[@prikkles]

Thanks for the quick feedback !

[@joker4835]

Great Studio, your Facebook fan.

[@PawanThapabobby]

Short and sweet.

[@einsteindrieu]

Super Super Video U 2 !!!,Nice Studio !

[@sameng309]

Hello anthony great video's ! Do you also ship your book to holland ? I can't find it anywere in a dutch book store. And i thought maybe amazone.co.uk could deliver to holland but that was not possible :( .....

[@TheTnp360]

Great job

[@nicoleroyce1050]

Could you use LED lights as studio lights for say product photography etc? If not, why? Thanks! Love you guys!

[@KMURRA]

Tony, is there a difference between a beauty dish for speedlites and strobes?

[@glennalamphere8203]

Do you guys ever do workshops? Weekend or week long? Would love to be part of something like that.

[@jskoobdizzle5000]

there it is. thanks.

[@kennethjosylvejerano3311]

Hi I love your videos so much Some of tutorials helped me so much with my camera I'm just a beginner My camera is Canon Eos 1500D

[@virgincoconutoilsite]

great pics of your girl and practical info in video - thanks

[@nomad7734]

Nicely done :)

[@jc9240]

Nice Audio Echo Effect on your Voices!

[@panicos68]

Thanks for your very informative video. Can you tell me what power bank you are using for your strobes?

[@warbread]

You seem to have a lot of mirrors in there. Does that affect the photography much?

[@p400k]

love this channel.....

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Must be some place else; I've never been to PEI.

[@marcelloaquino8820]

Hello Tony and Chelsea! I'm really enjoying your videos! Thank you so much for sharing so generously! I noticed that you replaced the cardboard core of your paper backdrop with a PVC pipe. Is it working for you? Do you use a 107" roll or a smaller version? I just installed the same backdrop system and the paper rolls are sagging so badly! I thought about using a conduit (metal pipe) but a PVC pipe seems to be a lot easier to install. Thanks in advance!

[@harleyrose2548]

Great video, Thank you.

[@mnash3]

Nice! I really enjoyed your video. I have been watching a number of your reviews. The camera comparisons everything has been wonderful! I also learned that I do not know jack about photography, but that is cool as I am excited about restarting the journey. lol... More to say, but another time. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this video in particular and I will be working on my sundries, props, and additional gear.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

mnash3 thanks!

[@mnash3]

Tony Northrup - You are very welcome. Like I said, I really enjoyed everything! I have also decided to hold out for a Mark III, but here is where I would likely lose cool points. I want it for the head jack! Yep!!! A $1,000 head jack! lol... By the way, I do have a dedicated Sony Z5U for video; I just tend to buy for the long term. Long story... I still have to get the other things that I mentioned.... But thanks for the prompt response and good luck on your book. The odd thing is that I am having trouble finding a mark iii paired with a ef 85 mm and a ef 28-105 f/4 lense. I thought everything was on Amazon... Well.... lol.... Have a nice day....

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Oh, I always try to shop at Amazon first, but B&H carries everything if Amazon doesn't have it.

[@chimeralighting6844]

Awesome tips, thanks for this great video!

[@lenggangkaki]

Hi Tony, Please review sports photos. Thx

[@melissahall7009]

Thank you!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

[@ThinkCriticallyNow]

Outstanding as usual. Thanks.

[@BananaMan592]

what software do you use when editing pictures? lets say whats the best in terms of price