This is my first post and I am glad it can be on the subject of photography
I have been into photography for years and am an avid DIY'er. Lighting does not have to be an expensive part of photography as long as it is done right. The most important things are the quality of light, the positioning, and the intensity of the lights used. Flashes are nice but not needed, and continuous lights let you keep a better eye on your subject, no escapes.
One of the best cheap methods would be to get 3 clamp lights from your local Walmart. These could work as your main light, fill light , and a back light. Next add 3 light bulbs that mimick natural light. Regular light bulbs add to much yellow to your work and should be avoided. Next I would add 3 lamp dimmers to the set up to control the intensity. You could always just move the lights back but I prefer dimmers better than moving the lights.
Also I would get a cheap book on basic photo lighting to understand how to postioning your lights. Some websites also have good basic info. I usually just set one light low in the back pointed up at the background to seperate the subject from the background. Then I place my brightest light, the main light, off to my right at about a 45 degree angle pointed at the subject. Finally I add my fill light to the left side at a 60-90 degree angle pointed at the subject. A diagram would be good here but I'm to lazy to do that right now
