yep - i usually shoot in B&W, or if i dont i almost always end up desaturating or playing with the colors in the final image anyways (look at my latest gallery pics and youll see what type of pic im interested in). if possible id like to stick with mostly digital, and keep developing costs down :) the nikon CP5000 is pretty cool in that it has all the features of a manual camera (ie: control of shutter speed, film ISO, f-stop, etc) and produces sharper images (5mp). it works with nikon speedlights but unfortunately i cant afford one ATM nor do i really trust in camera-mounted flashes anyway. the rheostat idea is incredibly ingenous. i could create something like that very easily - can use an extension cord and put the rheostat inline so that i can control the entire set of lights plugged into it. i NEVER would have thought of that and thats the type of tips i was looking for when i started this thread :) ive also seen some excellent silhouette shots where a guy used an ordinary household flashlight to light the model from the front, and the results turned out EXCELLENT. so tonight im going to bust out my maglight and try some shots :) any tips for building a backdrop? was figuring just a simple stand to drape a long piece of cloth from.. if a piece of canvas that size costs too much at the fabric store ill just use a king-size sheet or two sewn discreetly end-to-end for the time being.