How to Choose Lighting Stand for Photo Shoot

"Hi, I'm Rob Mitchell on behalf of Expert Village. Next on our list in building our studio and very important are the light stands. This is what's holding your light up. Again, we have three different types here. We've got very light weight, very simple construction. This one is a little bit sturdier, but very light weight, folds compact. This is part of our Novitron kit here, it travels well. Size and weight are the key factors in this. Then we can up to a much heavier duty light stand such as this. This one will extend up to eight feet high. You have a sturdy base. It's good for in the studio. I don't usually travel with this one as much as I do with the light weight Novitron unit. Some things that you really should remember whether you're in your studio or whether you're going on location and that's every time that your model or your subject comes into the studio, make them aware of their surroundings. They're not used to all this equipment being around. You've got to tell them that there are cords here. Please don't trip on them. Watch where you step. Guide them if you have to, right into the seat where they're going to be for their portrait or their photo shoot. Another thing that I quite often do is I tape light stands down. I'll tape some bright orange tape or even just some duct tape and tape that stands to the floor so that should somebody kick them, they're not going to go flying. They're not going to fall on anybody causing injury. One more things that I use quite often and I love the feel, literally in a field shooting, if I'm using lights, and you can get all sorts of these. Generally they're called sand bags. In this case, these are really handy ones because instead of being sand bags, they're filled with water. Which again, when you're traveling, empty them out, throw them in a suitcase, throw them in with your light kit, and you're not carrying around ten pounds of sand, literally. Fill them with water, hang them over the edge of the light stand and it give about an extra ten pounds of weight, which is going to keep your light stand from falling down should the winds build up or should somebody walk into it."