ive been using incandescent lights but they 'blow out' the highlights on skin I only skimmed through the thread, so I may have missed some important facts. It's not really the type of light, but the size and positioning that causes too high contrast. Bouncing off of an umbrella or large card reflector should help. For B&W, the idea of using a bank of flourescents is interesting. Several tubes should give soft but directional shadows, without much heat. May wany to buy special "daylight" bulbs, or maybe mix a couple with different color temperatures. Even if using B&W, sometimes flourescents can make skin tones look strange. Be VERY careful of breakage; sharp glass and mercury vapor. Don't forget that artists have for years used window light from the side. Maybe with shear curtains for softening.