For Robin:
Here's the current studio setup.
The light is an Interfit Colourflash 150 diffuesd through a white brolly. On the right is a 'black reflector'. It's actually an old projector screen that just happens to have a black backing. It's there to stop stray light ruining the blackness as there's a 5' high window on the otherside! We can roll it down when we use a second light, or turn it round to use as a reflector. The table is 2 2'x3' bits of plain white ContiBoard, joined with a hinge. I screwed that to an old Black & Decker Workmate. Over that is a sheet of plain white background paper for white background shots, and over that for the black shots is the black velvet. Exposures are usually 1/125 sec f11 @ISO 100.