I'm looking at the next thing I want to save up for (besides more lenses) and that's lights.  There's so many to choose from-diffuser umbrella, reflector umbrella, shoot through umbrella....too much.   Do any of you have any studio lights at home?  Someone once told me they wanted to buy just for doing their child's photos (but they haven't yet) so I was wondering if anyone else did and what they bought.

Kerri wrote I would not buy lights to use in my home if I had access to ambient light. I prefer using natural light and the expense of studio lights is not worth investing in unless you do not have windows that would provide natural light where you are shooting.

Maybe I should take that back. I would buy lights if I had extra money to spend but first I would buy the top lenses on my list. If money was no issue I would build a large studio with large windows and the option of adding studio lighting when the ambient light was not the effect I was looking for. :) We have strobes in the studio and it is a pricey investment. There are so many things to consider when purchasing from umbrellas to soft boxes to barn doors. It is mostly a matter of personal preference. The catch is not really knowing what your preference is until you have had the opportunity to experiment with them. We have already found ourselves in this trap and will be adding to our lighting in the near future.