In the beginning there was light, and the light was good....so we used it for photography...A lot of beginners in the photography world don't know how to discern the "must haves" from the "really should haves", but if you don't, try this. Alien Bees lights come in several ranges: 400, 800, and 1600. They are very affordable with an excellent customer service record, and are inexpensive strobes, which differ from constant lighting in that they are usually brighter, but because they're not on all of the time, produce less heat. The other dilemma of the Alien Bees are that the light isn't as consistent as some discerning photographers would like, but many (such as myself) use them and are happy with the results! They range in the $200-$400 RANGE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY INEXPENSIVE IN THE WORLD OF PHOTOGRAPHY. I own the 400 and a reflector, and so far they've done all that I've needed. I also own 3 light stands with 3 shoot through umbrellas and brackets that connect them all together, and 3 flashes. I can put a flash on a light stand with a shoot through umbrella and make an outside lighting set up that will accomplish a lot. I buy most of my equipment at B&H, and Alien Bees....including my remote flash triggers. It's not very interesting usuually to light everything evenly, as it tend to be less drama in the scene...shadows can be good...as long as they're controlled.