big ol' pile of leaves

goldilocksandmy3bears

I had posted a picture similar to this one on another thread.. now I'm trying it out with my other son.. he's 2.. talk about hard haha. I got a darker sheet underneath and lots more leaves this time. The Big red leaf on left is a little distracting to me and the yellow leaf on his shirt as well.. what do you think? I'm going to be using this idea for preschool fall pictures in the begining of October.. so I'm practicing my bribing skills and making sure I have lots of lollipops:rofl

Halite

I'm not so keen on the dark shadow alongside his head. A reflector to soften this up would keep the tone of the image more in line with the fresh, youthful theme you seem to be aiming for.

Otherwise, very cute (and impish) portrait of your boy!

goldilocksandmy3bears

Halite wrote:

I'm not so keen on the dark shadow alongside his head. A reflector to soften this up would keep the tone of the image more in line with the fresh, youthful theme you seem to be aiming for.

Otherwise, very cute (and impish) portrait of your boy!

how would i position the reflector? just so it casts light on that side?
Thanks for your comment!

Agnieszka

Was this shot taken inside or outside?

It's a very cute shot, but to me the red cast and looking at the light, it somehow looks off. I'd try taking the same shot outside, somewhere in the shade. I think the fall leaves will appreciate the natural light

Just my 2 cents, otherwise it's a cute shot

Qarik

I love the idea but it appear noisy due to underexposure.

Halite

goldilocksandmy3bears wrote:

how would i position the reflector? just so it casts light on that side?
Thanks for your comment!

Place it as close as you can on that side while still out of the frame. It needs to catch the light from the flash and bounce it into the dark area. The reflector can be as simple as white foam board or even a bed sheet.

goldilocksandmy3bears

Halite wrote:

Place it as close as you can on that side while still out of the frame. It needs to catch the light from the flash and bounce it into the dark area. The reflector can be as simple as white foam board or even a bed sheet.

thanks!
I have an actual reflector however do you think it would work better if I up'ed the power on the lighting that is on that side?

goldilocksandmy3bears

Agnieszka wrote:

Was this shot taken inside or outside?

It's a very cute shot, but to me the red cast and looking at the light, it somehow looks off. I'd try taking the same shot outside, somewhere in the shade. I think the fall leaves will appreciate the natural light

Just my 2 cents, otherwise it's a cute shot

Thanks I will def. try it and repost - just use natural lighting then?

blaser321

I think this is better than the first one. The leaves are better, just need a little more light

goldilocksandmy3bears

blaser321 wrote:

I think this is better than the first one. The leaves are better, just need a little more light

thanks!:D

Halite

goldilocksandmy3bears wrote:

thanks!
I have an actual reflector however do you think it would work better if I up'ed the power on the lighting that is on that side?

It looked like you were using a one light setup. So you should definitely up the lighting on that side if you are using a second light. But keep it soft (big, diffuse and close) so it doesn't cast conflicting shadows on your son's face.

In general, you should increase the lighting level of the shot, since it seems pretty dark. Since you're trying to capture the essence of him sprawled in a big pile of leaves, how about trying to simulate the kind of light you would see on a bright fall afternoon--i.e., stark, slanting low in the sky and glowing warm? So bare strobe at a relatively low angle with a warming gel over it. Maybe even put a branch with leaves between the main light source and your son to simulate the light dappling through tree branches as it shines down on him?

bdcolen

goldilocksandmy3bears wrote:

thanks!:D

How about this?