Hiya Xoteric...

Hot lights (redheads) are nice to have as additional lighting sources, as I find I still use them every now and again. If youre on a budget, and would like to experiment a little... consider buying some builders ligths... the kinds folks use a security lights outside their houses... The operate on Halogen lamps, which can probably fry a suckling pig in uder 15 mins... so Id go easy on them :) Try a 500 Watt, as the 1000 is just ridiculously hot... They have a u shaped bracket that you can screw onto a quick release plate of any sturdy tripod... I find I prefer using continuous lighting for rim effects etc... and sometimes pack shots... (remember to set your white balance accordingly before shooting under these) Other forms of "cold lighting" is are quartz lights or daylight balanced flourescents.... But they tend to give you a very "flat" type of lighting scenario, and takes out 2 dimensions... which isnt always great... it does have its uses though if you shoot jewellery etc etc...

However for digital I rather recommend strobe lighting... consider monoblock heads with built in modeling lamps... Look at Jinbei's... I in the past have used Elinchroms, Hensels, Electra's and Pro Photo's... but I still prefer Jinbei's... due to a number of reasons... The build is really good (steel casings, and built in fans for cooling... as opposed to the more expensive brands that dont have cooling) This comes in handy if youre using a snoot, for a long period... They use the same "3 claw" fitting as the VERY expensive Broncholor's... so the light modifiers (accesories) are interchangeable between the two brands.... The kits come with air cushioned stands, and they have stepless power... The best part is though... that theyre like maybe a 1/4 of the price of most of the other name brands....

I hope this helps :)
Thomas

"If toast
always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what
happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?"

Steven Wright