jimjjc Loc: Wisconsin

I am planning to setup a trial area in my basement to experiment with portrait shooting. I plan to use a mannequin head , etc. I have several sets of work lights I 'could' use for lighting, but am concerned about them being too intense, white balance, etc. Has anyone used work lights? I am talking about lights on a stand with those pencil sized fluorescent type of bulbs.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Yes!! Halogens not a good idea. the new LED lights may work but they intensity falls off very quickly, but they are safer.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

You are not using a person so there is no limit to your experimentation.

Too intense? Stare into the light, that will tell you what a potential model would do (squint, close eyes, sweat).

Now experiment with your lights, before you even use your decapitated heads. Takes images of your light hitting an even background, full on and from different angles (30 to 60 degrees). That will help you determine the hot-spot of each and possibly how to deal with that. It will also show you the light/reflector circle of diffusion.

Type of light and reflector? You are the limit, not the setup here.

Then I would be more concerned of learning what type of lighting one can produce using one, two, three more lights then learning how a reflector influences the light (orientation/color - even black). Add the umbrella mix to everything else and you have enough to pass this winter and likely the next one too!!!

White balance is a joke in portrait more than anywhere else as it is an entire part of the creative process. Once again, since you have models that will not complain you do whatever you want.

fedup

Sorry not sure what is amusing about white balance, please explain.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

There is a good bit of learning that can be done using "work lights", and more so using a mannequin. But ultimately you can't do good portrait photography, or learn how, with those tools.

The biggest problem with fluorescent lights is the inability to dim the light output. Or the other way to say it is that the biggest advantage of modern studio strobe lights is being able to adjust light intensity in 1/10 f/stop increments over a multiple f/stop range. The reason that is important relates to setting light ratios, where you might want a 2:1 or a 3:1 ratio of the light in bright areas to light in shadow areas. The more serious you become about studio portraits the more serious you will view light ratios and the ease of adjusting them.

Given the relatively low cost of strobe lights today, it is hard to justify anything else (even speedlights, which just a few years ago was a very reasonable economy). You actually can do a great deal of studio portrait work with a single strobe, plus a reflector. Check out this very well done tutorial:
But really, consider two or three inexpensive strobe lights. Here is another rather interesting video tutorial:
On eBay you can find 3 light kits, that include remote triggers, light stands, and umbrellas, for $300 total. Not the fanciest equipment around, but certainly very adequate for learning. As you progress along it is fairly easy to add better equipment one piece at a time, eventually leading to a very versatile kit. The original investment is not wasted either, because things like a hair light do not have to be high priced expensive lights, nor does a background light or the stand holding it. Hence when you graduate to a setup with three higher quality strobes, you will be able to shoot a scene using 6 strobes for very complex effects!

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

If you want to experiment with continuous lighting, try and find a place that will rent you a Lowell TotaLight kit - you can get 3 light or 4 lights, stands, cords, etc. all in a nice portable case. They are photographic lights, with a color temperature of 3200K. Their system has a range of modifiers like shades, scrims, flags gel holders, and the fixtures come with basic two leaf barn doors to control light spill. The 800w bulbs are bright enough to use with an umbrella. But I would not suggest you use them with a softbox or brolly box - they do get hot and would preset a fire hazard.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

WB is a joke as non important. Non issue, not as pleasantry.

WB settings are the same as everywhere else: You make it what you want/need, not the other way around.

jimjjc Loc: Wisconsin

Thanks to everyone for quality responses instead of the all too often snarky answers by the 'experts'.
I look forward to experimenting/learning. I never tried portrait before...I love to do nature/ landscape, but winter here in Wisconsin isn't always cooperative!

Coop1947

You might try filter the lights by directing them through a thins cloth stand in front of them to knock the intensity down. Or bounce them off a sheet of foam core or a white umbrella. Digital cameras don't needing light your intense light will be too harsh on tour peoples faces. Need to move them back far from the subject and bounce them so they are indirect lighting.

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

I don't do this type of photography, but I did spend several years in the lamp (bulb) manufacturing industry. I'm not sure, other than color temperature, why Halogens are not a "good idea" so long as you take care about the heat they generate. They are essentially an incandescent type lamp with the filament encased in a sealed quartz tube filled with an inert gas (I forget which one) for longevity.

LED's are a totally different beast and came out long after I left the lighting industry. A problem for photographers might be that they actually run on 12V DC, and if wired 'backwards' will not light. When you get one for 120V AC, it has a small transmitter built into it to convert the power from 120V AV to 12V DC and thus may flicker, and may also cause radio interference. You won't see the flicker--it's too fast for the human eye, but your camera may. They also vary in their shades of white output so you will probably have to do a custom white balance.

rburnsrlt

If you really want to learn, go to KelbyOne.com, can sign up for free trail period, watch class titled "Just One Flash" It will open your eyes to what it takes to make the light look beautiful and most of it is on the cheap. I have about 6 of the Yongnuo IV speedlite flash units. I think I bought 2 plus the flash controller for about a hundred dollars (for interior real estate). For inside that's all the power you will ever need. The main thing with flash is you need to use in-direct, that is with some type of modifier. I think the above suggested video shows a setups for under $100.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

One of the other good reasons to use strobe lighting for portraits is the ability to stop motion. With continuous lights you have to shoot at a high enough shutter speed to stop motion. Especially when using light modifiers liker reflectors, diffusers, or umbrellas, which suck up some of the light, you may have to raise your ISO higher than you would like to get high enough shutter speeds.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Don't bother. For flattering portraits, you need large, diffused sources such as umbrellas or soft boxes. You can use PHOTO GRADE flicker-free CFL lamps, or PHOTO GRADE LED panels, or electronic flash in them. Tungsten and quartz-halogen lights are hot, and waste energy.

Go to YouTube and look for portrait lighting tutorials.

Also go to www.fjwestcott.com and www.alzodigital.com and look at their lights and light modifiers.

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

Here is the light kit I'm using for both stills and video. Take a look. For the price and quality of light it's excellent.

https://www.amazon.com/Chromakey-Flourescent-lightstand-Fancierstudio-9004S-3/dp/B003Y31CAC/ref=sr_1_80?ie=UTF8&qid=1413650202&sr=8-80&keywords=photography+lighting+kits

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

Here's the light kit I'm using for stills and video. For the price and the quality of the light this is excellent.

https://www.amazon.com/Chromakey-Flourescent-lightstand-Fancierstudio-9004S-3/dp/B003Y31CAC/ref=sr_1_80?ie=UTF8&qid=1413650202&sr=8-80&keywords=photography+lighting+kits