When the Nikon D7100 is launched, many new owners will want to test their new body in a studio setting. Of course it is always preferable to use available light if you can, when shooting portraits or still-life pictures.If that isn't possible, the built-in flash will be more than adequate for fill-in work, or you could use a remotely fired flash gun. A little practise can get you some excellent results. But what if you want to go one step further? Setting up a home studios is not as expensive - or inconvenient - as it once was. 
Obviously you need a fair amount of space - particularly if you are going to photograph people. A high ceiling is good, and you must have a good 5 meters between the photographer and subject if you want to shoot people full-length. A basement or garage might just be big enough. With light being such an important factor, you cannot afford to let light in from the outside to contaminate your set. Cover all the doors and windows black out cloth and paint the walls black. This prevents the wall color reflecting back onto your subject. If the room is communal, and there are objections to black - it can be a bit depressing - try to get as dark a gray as possible. And try to ensure that you have a good supply of electrical sockets - you will need them.
Having closed out all external light sources, you can decide what lighting you want to have in your studio. Lighting falls into two categories - continuous or strobe. Continuous also has two options, either tungsten or fluorescent. Tungsten is very popular for portraiture because it gives good skin tones. It is naturally a 'warm' light, both in light and temperature (this can be a problem, if you make your subject sit under them for a long time). You would also want to use tungstens if you were shooting video.
Fluorescent lights are considered 'colder' because they have a blueish color to them that make them ideal for stock shots and inanimate objects. Of course, both types of lighting can be used for either live or stock shots, it's just a matter of what the photographer is trying to achieve. You will be able to set the white balance in the D7100 for either light source, but remember you want to have the lighting working for you rather than against you. You don't want to have to be compensating against it all the time. Sooner or later you will forget to do it and then have to catch up in your editing software.
The main benefit of continuous lighting is that you can easily see how it affects the subject as you set it up. This means that there are fewer surprises through the viewfinder and it allows you to worry about content and composition rather than wondering if the flash just went off or not. However, it isn't really compatible with action shots, where the subject may be moving around. And they do give off quite a bit of heat. It is most appropriate for portrait and still-life photography - and also video.
Strobe lighting can offer much more flexibility. You can adjust the intensity of your light to suit your needs, which means that you have more control over your shutter speeds. However, because of the blast that comes out of the strobes, they do take a short time to recharge, which can be frustrating.
If you are using two lights, I would suggest you use a soft box as the main light and the other light for the background. As the name suggests, the light from the soft box is less harsh and more even. It would be a wise investment to get some barn doors for the second light to help target the light from it more effectively. Set up your trigger on the front light and ensure that you have a trigger on both lights so that they both fire at the same time. Most decent lighting systems have built in slaves these days. Keep the soft box at least 2 meters away from the subject so that you keep the detail, and about 1 meter from the background so that the light spreads evenly.
I usually begin a shoot on a standard 1/125 at f8 with an ISO set at 200. This gives me enough flexibility to change things around gradually if I need to. Most studio lenses operate comfortably at f8 and the shutter speed will catch most fluid movement. If you find the lighting a bit flat, move the soft box out wide to get some more definition and shadow, but always be aware that more shadow can be very unflattering, particularly if the subject has an angular face or large nose. I always start by getting the standard shots done - the full length, half-length and then move in tighter for head and shoulders or portrait. By the time you want to try something more interesting your model will have relaxed and you will have become more confident in the equipment and you abilities.
Obviously you need a fair amount of space - particularly if you are going to photograph people. A high ceiling is good, and you must have a good 5 meters between the photographer and subject if you want to shoot people full-length. A basement or garage might just be big enough. With light being such an important factor, you cannot afford to let light in from the outside to contaminate your set. Cover all the doors and windows black out cloth and paint the walls black. This prevents the wall color reflecting back onto your subject. If the room is communal, and there are objections to black - it can be a bit depressing - try to get as dark a gray as possible. And try to ensure that you have a good supply of electrical sockets - you will need them.
Having closed out all external light sources, you can decide what lighting you want to have in your studio. Lighting falls into two categories - continuous or strobe. Continuous also has two options, either tungsten or fluorescent. Tungsten is very popular for portraiture because it gives good skin tones. It is naturally a 'warm' light, both in light and temperature (this can be a problem, if you make your subject sit under them for a long time). You would also want to use tungstens if you were shooting video.
Fluorescent lights are considered 'colder' because they have a blueish color to them that make them ideal for stock shots and inanimate objects. Of course, both types of lighting can be used for either live or stock shots, it's just a matter of what the photographer is trying to achieve. You will be able to set the white balance in the D7100 for either light source, but remember you want to have the lighting working for you rather than against you. You don't want to have to be compensating against it all the time. Sooner or later you will forget to do it and then have to catch up in your editing software.
The main benefit of continuous lighting is that you can easily see how it affects the subject as you set it up. This means that there are fewer surprises through the viewfinder and it allows you to worry about content and composition rather than wondering if the flash just went off or not. However, it isn't really compatible with action shots, where the subject may be moving around. And they do give off quite a bit of heat. It is most appropriate for portrait and still-life photography - and also video.
Strobe lighting can offer much more flexibility. You can adjust the intensity of your light to suit your needs, which means that you have more control over your shutter speeds. However, because of the blast that comes out of the strobes, they do take a short time to recharge, which can be frustrating.
If you are using two lights, I would suggest you use a soft box as the main light and the other light for the background. As the name suggests, the light from the soft box is less harsh and more even. It would be a wise investment to get some barn doors for the second light to help target the light from it more effectively. Set up your trigger on the front light and ensure that you have a trigger on both lights so that they both fire at the same time. Most decent lighting systems have built in slaves these days. Keep the soft box at least 2 meters away from the subject so that you keep the detail, and about 1 meter from the background so that the light spreads evenly.
I usually begin a shoot on a standard 1/125 at f8 with an ISO set at 200. This gives me enough flexibility to change things around gradually if I need to. Most studio lenses operate comfortably at f8 and the shutter speed will catch most fluid movement. If you find the lighting a bit flat, move the soft box out wide to get some more definition and shadow, but always be aware that more shadow can be very unflattering, particularly if the subject has an angular face or large nose. I always start by getting the standard shots done - the full length, half-length and then move in tighter for head and shoulders or portrait. By the time you want to try something more interesting your model will have relaxed and you will have become more confident in the equipment and you abilities.
About the Author:
Jeremy Bayston has worked in the photographic industry for over two decades. He has a particular interest in digital cameras and photography. Learn more about the new Nikon D7100 and its release date from his website. Regularly updated with news and advice, it can help you get better pictures from your D7100.