First attempt

[Banded Drake]

Hello to all , just thought that i would share my girls with ya.. Besides the shade on the backdrop ( long story ) What else is wrong with this?

I was shooting f13 , 1/125 , 200 iso ( thats all i could get ) . And please keep in mind that i have no flaxh meter yet ( need to research first LOL ) ..

Thanks ....... Shawn

[Petographer]

Very good attemp Shawn. There are a few things. Please sit down. The image is over exposed. The lighting to the right is too harsh and there are way too many shadows.
I suggest you get the girls farther away from the back drop by another 2-3 feet, go with 100iso, f-5.6 or higher. Speed is right for flash @1/125. I have no idea what you are using for lighting. I almost get the feeling you used window light.

[Banded Drake]

Well no its not window light. I am using strobes , i just got them in and had to play. I knew that the light was " harsh " , and i really think that a lot of the problem is that ( besides me not knowing what i am doing ) the room that i am shooting in is cluttered. I really need to clear out more space.The lights were too close i think .
But like i said its my first attempt.

Here is another that i liked but it feals like something is wrong ?



please tell me what you think about this one too.

[Petographer]

Some setting info would help here also but it seems you are running into some of the same issues. Are you using an umbrella or any other kind of diffuser? If not, you should. You will indubitably get too concentrated of a flash without a softbox or umbrella. How close are your lights? I also get the impression they are too close which makes for the light to be too concentrated. You don't want to just light up the subject but fill the whole area. Position your lights to try and avoid getting unwanted shadows. I included a couple basic light setup examples I found on the web.
I hope you are using a safe sync to trigger your strobes. Or are you triggering your flashes from your camera's internal or an external flash? That could cause an exposure problem also.

[Toad]

Drake:

Some additonal tutorials on lighting...

http://www.studiolighting.net/lighting-r...otography/

Best
T

[Banded Drake]

Thanks to both of you, I played around with them again and realized that i am way too close . I was just lighting the subject at first then realized that i was being stupid LOL . I thought that i was doing right, but now i see what you are saying.

I am using both umbrella and soft boxes , and the the " trigger " is one that goes on the hot shoe .

And can i say that i saw that something was wrong in the pictures but i wasnt sure what i was seeing ( i guess i am starting to see things that i havent before , i am learning ) . The wife loved the pictures, so i have her sold LOL.

And thanks for not commenting on the dogs ears , he is very sensitive about his ears

[Petographer]

Glad we could help Shawn. I'm sure things will improve and soon we'll be going "oooo, ahhhh!"

[Banded Drake]

Petographer Wrote:Glad we could help Shawn. I'm sure things will improve and soon we'll be going "oooo, ahhhh!"

Yall have helped me more than you think, I am hoping yall will say oooo ahhhh very soon. And thanks again..

[Schellamo]

Hmmm. In the Course I'm doing at the moment, the teacher told us (and demonstrated to us as well) that the closer the lights are, the more they are diffused, and the further away they are, the harsher the shadows become.
curious....

[Rufus]

If you imagine light spilling out at an angle from the diffuser, then a closer position receives less of that angle..... Erm.... More direct/less diffused...
Sorry, that's a terrible explanation of mine. In fact, I cant understand what I mean! :o

[Banded Drake]

Schell, i heard the same thing and that is why i was closer at first . But then i heard that i still need to be at least 7 ft at a 45 degree angle away from the subject .

But i think that the best advice that i have beem given is to GET A FLASH METER!!!
Now i am having a problem with the lights " bouncing " arond LOL, this is getting more and more fun .

I am going to get a flash meter real soon ..........

[shuttertalk]

Wow, I think you're off to a great start Shawn.. It must be awesome to be able to learn and experiment like that...

[Schellamo]

Wow, you did those without a meter? I'm impressed!

BTW I forgot to mention that your girls are beautiful, and also that I really like the second photo. I think the lighting actually works pretty well- perhaps a tad over exposed. Another thing might be to reflect a bit of light back into her left side of the face (the dark eye in particular) to brighten those shadows?

[Banded Drake]

thanks and yes they are both done without a meter , and no post prosessing at all , except resizing .

And the girls say thanks .

[Petographer]

I don't have a light meter. Haven't found the need for one. Having one might make things a little more convenient for you but shooting digital it really isn't a must imo. You can get by without one.

[Banded Drake]

thats the problem peto , i am shooting film so im stuck for right now . besides its a new toy. LOL and i am wanting to do some different shots that i think it will help me out on .

[Petographer]

Banded Drake Wrote:thats the problem peto , i am shooting film so im stuck for right now . besides its a new toy. LOL and i am wanting to do some different shots that i think it will help me out on .

Silly me. I thought you were using a borrowed digital or something.