Originally posted by Vertex Ninja Thank you tuco!
Another question; What do you hang or attach the hair light to? I was in my small bedroom and the only thing I could think of was clipping it to the ceiling fan, but that limited my positioning. A heavier light would need something more supportive for sure.
I use a light stand and have used a counter-balance arm attached for hair light on occasion to get the light stand out of the frame. If you plan on doing more of studio shooting, you can buy -relatively- inexpensive studio kits that get you off to a good start and from there you can build DIY lighting equipment.
On your next attempt, experiment with a back light. Place on the ground behind the subject and aim it at the back drop. It can help separate the subjects from the background giving the perception of more depth. Making some form of a barn door for the light helps too.
Lights are nice since you can preview the look. But flashes will often get you faster shutter speeds than that living on the edge 1/2 sec shot
Today we have our digital cameras to use for a Polaroid back making flash work easier. And with a flash meter you can measure the flash strength of each flash and balance light easily too. For instance, it is nice to know the number of stops difference between the key light and the fill light to know how strong any shadows will be.
You could get some thin, flexible plastic sheets at the art store. You can make a cone bezel for your hair light. If hair lights only fall upon the back of the head, diffusion is not needed often.