PBase

As a growing photographer I desire for the perfect shots but fail to come up with the cash for professional equipment.

Does anyone know of any thrifty lighting tricks? Is it worth the money to buy many filters?

In digital the only filter that you will probably need is a circular polarizer anything else can be done in Photoshop (if you are poor look into the GIMP).

Cheap lighting... Outdoors use the sun and get a cheap reflector (less than $30) or use a large piece of white styrofoam or even one of those automotive heat reflectors that go into the windshield (the silver type).

Indoor lighting.. Cheapest and best is a few halogen lights but watch out for the heat, others have used a couple of bells and 400-500 watt floods (about $20 each). Aim them away from the subject and use the reflectors (above). You may not get f8@ISO100 but that just makes you more creative .

...I desire for the perfect shots..

The fun of photgraphy is that you are always striving for better shots. If you ever do get a perfect shot I think the universe implodes or something...

i met a professional photographer once who used two long pieces of foam core standing up in an L shape on each side of the model and reflected i believe two 400-500 watt light on them and it created a very pleasing lighting condition.