Recently I made a momentus purchase.  Previously when I have done more posed photography of my son and other babies I have been left to the whim of whatever natural light was available and the capabilities of my somewhat limited flashes.  However, I have finally purcahsed my first set of studio lighting for the lower level studio that is still under constrction on one half of our family room. 

I finally decided on a Smith Victor 500 watt 2 light kit, primarily because of its ease of use and the fact that it was available in a local camera store rather than online or in a catalogue, which allowed me to lay hands on it prior to purcahse and bring it home immediately.  Thus far I have been pleased with it-- the tripods are excellent and the umbrellas and light units adequate.  My big pet peeve has been the light bulbs themselves- one of which blew within 5 minutes of turning it on for the first time.  However, a simple replacement bulb from the hardware store later, and I was back in business.  I plan on adding a couple studio flashes and a softbox to my equipment, but I want to choose the remainder of it deliberately based upon the needs of my downstairs space. 

To accompany my new lighting we have been looking into a good source for backdrops for the studio portion of our family room, and I found that the easiest source was my local fabric store.  For about half the cost of a finished backdrop for sale I purchased 4 yards of bleached muslin.  I will have to finish the edges and install a pocket for hanging or gromets, but I can manage a simple straight stitch any day.  After we hang this sample backdrop I will be looking into buying fabric dye and creating a large black backdrop as well as other backgrounds suitable for smaller portraits. 

It is exciting to finally be moving ahead with this, and I can't wait to usher in my first subject once everything is complete.  The control and flexibility that this will give me will be so satisfying.