My first studio attempt! Tips please!

10/10/2005 02:21:10 AM · #1

I just recently received some cheap lighting from China. It's just a strobe/modelling lamp with a slave flash. This is my first attempt at using these lights in a portrait type setting. So basically I am after tips from people on how to improve on this as I think it looks a bit flat. The only editing I have done to the photo is reduced it's size, slight USM and save for web. The main light i used is in front (right of the camera) with a small soft box on it. The slave flash is to the right of the subject and slightly behind running through a diffusing umbrella.

All tips welcome. Thanks heaps!

10/10/2005 08:08:57 AM · #2

bumping for the people on the other side!

Niten

Canon EOS-20D

10/10/2005 08:41:53 AM · #3

I'm no expert...

This looks good. This is a salable picture. I think you need to move your main light a little more to your right to add some depth. Maybe turn your fill light power down a bit. Open up the aperture so you can blur the wrinkle out of that background. Also I think a hairlight would really make this photo.

Now I want to know what the experts think.

Tim

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

10/10/2005 08:44:33 AM · #4

Thanks Niten. I found that opening the aperture anything past 8.0 would start to over expose! I had my main light turned down to 1/4 strength so maybe I need to move them back a little! They were about 2 meters from the subject!

idnic

Canon EOS-60D

10/10/2005 08:57:34 AM · #5

Very cute kid and nice first try at studio portrait. Niten is right about the lighting, your main light needs to move farther to the right for dimension and both lights need to move a bit farther from the subject. Also you should move your subject farther away from the bg material, at least 2 meters away, farther if you have space. Not only will this minimize the appearance of wrinkles in the bg, but also give the subject better separation from the bg.

Hope that helps. Keep sharing.

10/10/2005 09:41:52 AM · #6

Thanks for that idnic. Yes, I just spun things around in my 'studio' (loungeroom) so it runs the other way and I can now move subjects further from the background. Nasty little crease running through it there. I will experiment moving the lights back and moving the main one slightly more to the right and see what it gives me! Thanks heaps for the tips!

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO Macro Super for Canon

10/10/2005 07:50:08 PM · #7

the last bump

nemesise1977

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

10/10/2005 08:01:02 PM · #8

Try angeling your subject, taking a shot straight on of the face tends to make it look flat, if you have the subject look slightly to the left or right it will keep it from being so flat, note the head and shoulders are not in the same direction, that is not a natural position, have the face and shouldes going same direction for this kind of shot. also if the subject isn't looking directly at the camera it will help remove the glare in the eyes/glasses. It is a tighter crop than I like but other than that looks good.

quiet_observation

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

10/10/2005 08:11:38 PM · #9

To eliminate wrinkles in the background, cheap alternatives are posterboard or paper that is available on rolls from an art store.

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

10/10/2005 10:18:39 PM · #10

Thanks for your tips there guys! Very much appreciated!

faidoi

Pentax K10D

10/10/2005 10:21:58 PM · #11

Originally posted by maryba:

To eliminate wrinkles in the background, cheap alternatives are posterboard or paper that is available on rolls from an art store.

First thing I noticed was the wrinkle too. The background is just as important as the foreground subject.

EddyG

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

10/10/2005 10:50:10 PM · #12

Originally posted by faidoi:

First thing I noticed was the wrinkle too.

Wrinkles are cool. You just need lots of them. Don't fold your muslins, wad them up tightly in a ball and stuff them into a snug-fitting bag.

Message edited by author 2005-10-10 22:52:08.