I'm interested in taking photos of people but haven't got any professional lighting equipment.

If i rigged up some kind of lamp to a reflective umbrella would I get the same results as if i used pro gear?

and would the lamp have to be a halogen light or just a high wattage bulb?

[springtide]

Originally Posted by avp2501

I'm interested in taking photos of people but haven't got any professional lighting equipment.

If i rigged up some kind of lamp to a reflective umbrella would I get the same results as if i used pro gear?

and would the lamp have to be a halogen light or just a high wattage bulb?

The simple answer is no.

You'll struggle to get any kind of useful shutter speed even at high ISO's with a 500 watt halogen light.

A hotshoe flash mounted to an umbrella is probably the cheapest solution.

The other alternative is to use daylight - a large window works well and maybe a reflector for fill-in - which can be a white bit of cardboard if neccessary.

Lots of useful info at: Strobist