What lighting equipment do you use?

That question is for those who shoot mostly digital pics


I've shot with the ordinary 500W photofloods and now, I've made myself 750W halogen 3200K floods to be used with a silver umbrella.

I've also considered building myself 400W metal halide high frequency ballast lamps, but they would cost me approx 1000 CND a pop. While it's significantly cheaper than the 2500-5000USD a pop for ready made units, I still don't have time to experiment with them yet (and my machine shop is in shambles at the moment, my metal lathe is dismantled for repairs).

What lighting system are you using? Do you use gels to change color temperature ?

Are you bothering with more formal / technical lighting or are you just flooding the scene, TV-style, with as much light as you can afford ?

Anybody using photoflex-type reflectors ?

Who's shooting with an assistant and who's shooting alone ?

In short, I want to know your modus operandi.

Personally, I prefer to have an assistant, but absent a good one, I prefer to shoot alone.

In the past, I flooded the scene with even lighting, but I plan to change that.

I prefer to shoot unhurried, make less images but increase the quality.