After buying 3 AB 800s, I'm learning that ONE 800 and some good reflectors do the job quit nicely. This is especially true in my small area, since I need to get the stop down to 2.8 sometimes. It's almost impossible with two or three lights, even when turned all the way down.

Just thought I would mention that for those interested in their first studio strobes.

That's why I got a pair of 400s and a pair of 800s; I have more flexibility to select the light with the power level appropriate to the task.

I originally was going to get two 400s and one 800. But it's workable. I can use Gobos to reduce light and reflectors instead of a second light.

By the way, Jon, do you have any ideas on what would make good makeshift reflectors and gobos? I checked out the car windshield reflectors today, the fold away nylon type. They look like they may work by hanging them on stands etc. I need to check for colors though. I can only find so far black and silver. I'd like to have a white one also, and perhaps a gold.

Any clever ideas about gobos too and how to use them with stands?

I'm trying to cut some costs, but even teh winshield reflectors are 12 bucks a pair. If it looks like I'll be spending 50% of total cost on makeshifts, I'll probably just buy the dedicated setup.

We use construction paper and artists board in black or white. It's cheap and the white is white. You can cut it, fold it, tape it, clamp it, whatever. If you ever need to use your slaved strobes in bright outdoor light, you can also fashion hoods over the slave to shade them from the sun or use white to reflect light into slaves in awkward locations. Best of all, the material is available in art supply stores wherever you travel.

Yeah, that stuff is probably the best makeshift. last night I used an old T shirt wrapped about a peice of thin plywood, for lack of anything else in arms reach. Worked great. I like the foam board too in white and black. Seems to work nicely and is light.

I bought a stand and boom set from B&H last night too wiht a 5-1 reflector kit for solo operation. I think I'm pretty good to go, except for one thing. I need a way to REDUCE light now. Alienbees sells ND filters for the lights. I may have to go that route. Or, I can use the new boom and use a peice of traslucent material between the light and subject. I'll probably do that so I can use cheap pieces of material in differing densities. Works as a diffuser too I would guess.

We use ND gels (Roscoe, available in rolls or sheets) for lights or ND filters (a polarizer will sub in a pinch) on lenses. Space-available, I have also resorted to pointing the bare light away from a subject and into a reflector. The greater the distance between the light and the reflector, the less light is thrown back on the subject. The latter works best if there's a black wall behind the reflector so the light is redirected only by the reflector and not the wall behind.

Where can I look up ND filters in rolls?