Adesw
The phantom flasher
Reged: 07/02/2008
Posts: 685
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Still pushing myself with this flash and portrature thing!
Took this earlier, took a photo without flash, metered, wacked in my flashgun where I felt it should go, and put my camera flash onto the same power level (Though i was further away, so it was just acting as fill)
So effectively 3 lights, the sunlight on the rear right, flash gun just off camera left resting at eye level on a cross bar (Wide angle converter on to throw around the light) and the on camera flash as fill trying to get some light below the cap on the other side.
I did decide to underexpose the ambient a tiny bit to try and make it pop.
Despite over exposing parts (Though Ive always been given the impression that this is forgivable in portraits) and wishing I had another light or a relector on a stand to fill in those shadows, I dont think its too bad.
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PhilW
Blue Peter Badge Winner
Reged: 14/03/2007
Posts: 893
Loc: Near Wakefield, Yorkshire
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The specular highlights on the bench back and her leg draw your eye away from the all important face. This is just because the eye is naturally built to look at bright patches. I think you have made life very hard for yourself by including the hat. This gives a few problems: 1. There isn't much ambient uhder there so you are relying on your flash, 2, To get under the brim your flash is very low so you are getting the reflections on leg and bench, 3. Because the flash is so low you are perfectly lighting her nostrils and making the nose cast a big shadow into that under the hat shadow.
Also the sun is so bright with your main flash opposite there isn't much side light so she looks a little 2 dimensional.
I'd be tempted to try again without the hat, decide whether to use the sun or the flash as the main light and adjust the other down (with the flash as the main light you need to underexpose maybe as much as 3 stops to "turn the sun down"). If you use the flash as the main light bring it a bit further forward and up to lose some of that strong nose shadow.
Another option is to go in closer for a head shot and have a bit of white card as a reflector just out of shot under her chin to get some light under the brim.
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Phil Winterbourne
http://www.pbase.com/calis
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aiwa_yamaha
veteran
Reged: 09/03/2006
Posts: 1237
Loc: Devon, England
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Like the composition but the burnt areas.
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James
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Adesw
The phantom flasher
Reged: 07/02/2008
Posts: 685
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I went with that hat, because I felt that it worked, and I wanted it to be a bit different.
Where I put the flash was limited, because I dont have any stands, so the cross bar was the highest place I could put it, with laying on the seat next to her being the other option.
Thanks for the honest words, will keep in mind, and I think I might get a light stand soon aswell as some brollies.
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john_g
Pooh-bah Hoo-ha
Reged: 09/05/2007
Posts: 2180
Loc: Surrey
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Quote:
I went with that hat, because I felt that it worked, and I wanted it to be a bit different.
A hat? Here? Different? I assumed that it had become mandatory for any picture posted here to have a hat in it somewhere.
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John
The best things in life are not things.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_gass
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APchris
veteran
Reged: 06/05/2006
Posts: 1485
Loc: Lincolnshire
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Quote:
Quote:
I went with that hat, because I felt that it worked, and I wanted it to be a bit different.
A hat? Here? Different? I assumed that it had become mandatory for any picture posted here to have a hat in it somewhere.
Nah John... you're thinking of benches, surely!!! 
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Chris
Better a bad day on the water than a good day at the office 
My Flickr sets
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PhilW
Blue Peter Badge Winner
Reged: 14/03/2007
Posts: 893
Loc: Near Wakefield, Yorkshire
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Quote:
I went with that hat, because I felt that it worked, and I wanted it to be a bit different.
I agree including it works for an intersting pic - it just makes the lighting harder.
Quote:
Thanks for the honest words, will keep in mind, and I think I might get a light stand soon aswell as some brollies.
These are cheap and work for me
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Phil Winterbourne
http://www.pbase.com/calis
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Adesw
The phantom flasher
Reged: 07/02/2008
Posts: 685
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Do you have any idea about Brollys?
I cant decide between an elinchrom 2 pack, or a lastolite double brolly (with the peel off stuff so it doubles as a reflective or shoot through.)
I'm edging towards the double, because its less stuff to carry, and its a larger brolly, so should give softer light. But I want quality aswell.
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.aspx?sku=12392
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.aspx?sku=1017879 (though £10 cheaper)
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PhilW
Blue Peter Badge Winner
Reged: 14/03/2007
Posts: 893
Loc: Near Wakefield, Yorkshire
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I have a relective one I never use, and 2 Interfit 90cm Translucent Umbrellas (£19.99 at Warehouse Express) which I really like. Shoot through seems to give a lot more control as you can slide the broly closer or further away from the flash to alter the size of the light source.
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Phil Winterbourne
http://www.pbase.com/calis
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