The advantage of setting up a studio is that you are in complete
control of the light.  I have never used the Paterson light but it
seems to me the drawback of it is that you don't have many choices in
modifying it.  It would be hard to put a grid on it and turn it into a
spot, but it's very easy to turn a small light source into a large one
with a soft box or even a bedsheet.  If your budget only affords you
one light you might be better off starting with a budget flash and
buying a big soft umbrella for it.  There is an excellent article on
one light lighting in the latest Shutterbug.

I'm using a converted garage for an office now, its much too small for a
portrait studio unless you only want to do head and shoulders stuff typical
for school picture, passports, real estate head shots etc.  from your choice
of background and lighting that may well be.

collapsible backgrounds are a very cool idea but the idiots that sell them
don't get it.  they sell the same kind of material and image style as with
the muslin drop cloths, but that style is supposed to look like a drop
cloth, pinned and draped, bunched and gathered, pleated and wrinkled, not
flat and smooth which just makes the background look like a dirty wall.
The twist and fold toss up backgrounds are great for location shooters who
need to work fast, wedding photographers etc.   I would get the 8x16, it
will give enough room to shoot a small group typical of wedding and small
family photos and has that apron that pulls forward so you can do some
passable full lengths.

I would get one good studio flash, either a white lightning or photogenic,
both are popular and quality products, and a reflector to start with, 24 inc
is fine for product shots but for people you need a big one, you can use a
sheet of styrofoam insulation panel for 10-12 bucks at your local hardware
warehouse.

bounce your flash off the side wall, paint it white with a kiss of red added
is the way a good white wall was described to me though these days of white
balancing in the camera you don't need that anymore.   bouncing the flash
gives you the effect of a very large softbox.   with the money you save on
not buying a small barely adequate for head shots softbox you can afford a
good studio flash.

the question you should ask your self, are you intending to duplicate the
same kinds of portraits that exist in shopping malls and kmarts?

this reply is echoed to the z-prophoto mailing list at yahoogroups.com

To use a one car garage as a studio is fine for up to head and
shoulders portraits, anything further is really out of the question.

With your background flat against the wall, your subject will need to
be around 4 - 6ft from this, and then with a portrait lens (around
100mm) you (the photographer) will need to be 6 - 8ft from the model.

If you put your subject any closer to the background, you will
obviously get more of your subject in the picture, but you will be
limited.

hope this helps

culedude