Update: Had my first photo shoot with models who were not friends....had a blast!
I ended up buying a version of one of the lighting sets which NP suggested. Just two "hot lights" were all I needed for the shoot. A backdrop would have been helpful, but it wasn't necessary. (Although a backdrop will be my next investment.
I learned how to make a contact sheet in Adobe PhotoShop, so that was a plus.
I'll be editing photos starting mid-week and will post them in my fb portfolio shortly after I'm done.