Help! Lighting Newbie!

Last night I had my first class learning studio lighting for product photography, and I found I really have a lot to learn. Studio lighting is brand new to me – I only learned what Alien Bees are a few weeks ago, and currently know very little about different lighting types and how to use them. That’s all about to change. Last night I shot with strobes for the first time, learned what a beauty dish is and learned a few techniques for blocking stray light from entering the lens. Even though there was no prerequisite for the course, I still felt woefully unprepared, so between now and next week I’ll be reading Light: Science and Magic and Strobist to nail down the basics.  If you’ve been down this road and have tips for where to start with learning lighting, please share them with me.  I can use all the help I can get.