My lights are turned down and I still can’t get f16

I have been reading your tips and tutorials, and they have been very helpful.

I recently purchased a beginners home studio kit from a company called britek for about $850. I believe that the W/s are 960. I have set up and metered the lights and I really have to try hard to get f8 at 60th. If I put all the lights (main, fill, and background) on the lowest power (main 1/4, fill 1/4, and background 1/2) they still seem too powerful for individuals and small groups. I end up having to shoot at F16 or F11 at a 60th, and I lose depth of field that way. To get the meter to read F8, I have to difuse my soft boxes more, and move them back quite far. The studio I am using is dark (my basement) I can control the lighting, but it shouldn’t be this difficult.

Did I buy the wrong lights, are they too powerful, or am I doing something wrong?

-Jeana

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