First flash experiment

alaios · October 5, 2014

Hi all,
this is the first time I used flash. I did not want to have the flash close to the camera and wanted to position it at an angle to light my portraits.

I had read one book about flash photography and I knew since I did not have any modifier I would have somehow to think one how I can use the constrasty light my flash would produce.

One of the other problems I had is that my camera has no hot shoe :dunno and since family financials are not good I had to make it with the camera I have (and even stop complaining). For that I have set my camera at such long distance that the built in flash light would not be able to light my subjects at all.

I have set my flash to be optically triggered and somehow that worked.

These are the two shots I got that I currently liked. Both are not post processed but I would (perhaps increase more shadows to hide some of the components I do not like). I would update with the post processed shot after I make a decision.

Do you think that one of the two can somehow work?

I also need your help select just on of the two shots.

and the second one

I think first one might work better since it gives more information. The pregnant women and her husband. Although, I do not like though how husbands nose somehow gets abruptly in the scene.

Feedback and criticism is accepted.

Thanks a lot
Alex

divamum · October 5, 2014

Looks to me like they're simply underexposed. This means add more light by one or more of the following means:

- slower shutter speed
- wider aperture
- higher iso
- more flash power.

If you're not familiar with it, www.strobist.com is arguably the best resource for understanding how to use flash. Don't worry about the gear/triggers which get discussed - your optical ones are fine if they're working (which it sounds like they are) - but about understanding HOW flash lights a subject (and settings to get what you want). Happy reading!

alaios · October 5, 2014

Hm.. thanks
I think I messed a bit with the files I shared. My files look better so perhaps something went wrong with the jpeg version (perhaps not the best way to start a thread for learning something :P). I will try to give afterwards the better versions so people can comment on the composition-lighting composition. I am editing directly the shots on the first shot so to avoid flooding the post .

It is part of my message.. deep shadows for the mystery of the uknown (the birth that coming soon)

Still though I might have been very bad with the settings. If you select which one you prefer I would try to give it a decent post processing round and I would come back with the final version

P.S Btw divamum where are you from? I can see that we are close in terms of t ime zone

divamum · October 5, 2014

Joining up the dots that these look ok to you on your screen and you found my sunflower images uncomfortably bright, I'm going to guess your monitor needs adjusting. These aren't just "moody" low key, but way too dark, to the point I can't even comment on comp, posing or expression.... because I can't see it!

Try boosting by 1+ stops, ideally selectively so you can control what is and isn't adjusted.....

ETA East coast USA..............

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

alaios · October 5, 2014

Oh thanks!!! I still can see them

.... hmm do other can not see those?

Alex

denisegoldberg · October 5, 2014

alaios wrote: »

I still can see them .... hmm do other can not see those?

I can see images in your post but as divamum said they are very very dark.

--- Denise

divamum · October 5, 2014

It's not that I can't see the images, just that they're so dark there is not enough detail to make any kind of reasonable comments

alaios · October 5, 2014

Would it make sense to ask you share a screenshot on what you see or not?
Can I give you the raw file to have a look inside too?

jonh68 · October 5, 2014

alaios wrote: »

Would it make sense to ask you share a screenshot on what you see or not?
Can I give you the raw file to have a look inside too?

It wouldn't matter because you would still be seeing the image on your screen.

The images are dark on the two laptops I have.

alaios · October 6, 2014

can it be then a different type of expression/artistic view or whatever photographic term you can give it.
It was part of my idea to keep the shot deep in darkness and only light a bit faces and the fact that woman is pregnant. The questions though it is if these are too dark so others can not really see them. I have a cheap laptop screen that I have calibrated screen though...

I would go use my instict do a decent round of pp and I will come back

P.S Divamum you got email

Foques · October 7, 2014

definitely underexposed

alaios · October 8, 2014

Hi all and appreciate comments. I am trying to understand the difference between underexposure and a low key where subject is indeed deep in shadows (the effects I was trying to mimic)

divamum · October 8, 2014

The rework is a little brighter - if you were starting from there, I think you'd be able to do something with it.

The problems which indicate underexposure:

- STRONG orange cast - it looks like it was shot in the dark rather than specifically lit
- no detail at all in the shadows, which then get very noisy when exposure is lifted.

Additionaly, the things which (for me) don't work:
- strong hard shadow across her neck - typically, when I've seen effective shots with hard shadows, the corresponding areas are BRIGHTLY lit (even in film noir styles, for instance)
- The brightest point is her belly. If that's the area of "mystery", it doesn't make sense with your goal (although it that was what you wanted, good job for getting the light specifically there)

By the way, low key images don't have NO highlights - in fact, those highlights serve to emphasise the darker, moodier areas. Just search "low key photography" in google and look at the images which come up - almost ALL of them have some kind of brighter areas to create contrast.

I think you're on to a good idea, it just needs a bit of technical refinement. Again, I suggest you go read a LOT at strobist.com; these kinds of scenarios are discussed, at length, in lurid technical detail, both by David Hobby AND in the comments following the posts. You won't regret the time spent reading there.

alaios · October 8, 2014

Thanks few comments (since I am leaving Baltimore soon and I have to catch my plane). It is orange since I was using an orange gel.
Shadows are indeed hard since I only had my flash and nothing to soften the light..

I would like to give it one more round once I am back to Germany (I guess in one or two days) as I think it turned a nice exercise

Qarik · October 8, 2014

the orange tone is killing it for me. the posing I generally like

alaios · October 8, 2014

thanks for the answer. Currently at the airport (BWI is very "weird" airport). I would try to post a newer version tomorrow
Alex

r3t1awr3yd · October 8, 2014

I can look past the color cast (yay b/w! yay raw white balance corrections in lightroom!) and the underexposure (yay exposure slider in lightroom!) but what I can't get over...

The monster lighting. That is, lighting that originates from below the subject and is more scary than flattering. If I were in your shoes, I would have tried butterfly/clamshell lighting with a reflector or gone even more moody with a single light above subject angled down to create more shadows under the areas that monster lighting generally... brings to light.

Just my 1.02!

alaios · October 10, 2014

Hey guys,
thanks a lot for sharing all your thoughts.
Regarding the color cast I have done this on purpose. It was my first time I was about to use flash and I decided to put it on the floor and add an orange gel. My eyes see a slight more romantic color instead of the typical white one.

This is the version I did together. I think the lighting is still not good and I have my lesson learned, especially that I took this shot as something that they can have to remember their special moment. I guess I have to drop it

Thanks
Alex

Qarik · October 10, 2014

you know what..I would just go BW on this

alaios · October 11, 2014

Hi all,
I am having a serious problem with brightness and now I can see why you have been complaining

These two photos (I posted just two posts above) look exactly how I want them to look on three laptop screens I have from the lowest to the highest brightness level. When I see those two in a cell phone though they look so damn dark... What I can do?
Regards
Alex

divamum · October 11, 2014

Calibrate your monitors..... Spyder and munki both make good products. Shame you didn't do it while in the US, as pprobably cheaper here

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

alaios · October 11, 2014

Hi,
actually I did both. I bought four months ago, when I was in Memphis (btw very different the north from the south) a spyder one.
I have calibrated my monitor screen and I know for example that it only support 70%rgb... dunno though what should I do about my brightness. If you saw my photos from a cell phone try also from a laptop or pc they look different.

Regards
Alex

divamum · October 11, 2014

Turn the brightness down to match other output?

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alaios · October 12, 2014

I did divamum... actually my lowest settings in all laptops show the image as I want to. I will need to find more cell phones and check again

jonh68 · October 12, 2014

alaios wrote: »

I did divamum... actually my lowest settings in all laptops show the image as I want to. I will need to find more cell phones and check again

That doesn't matter. You can do a basic brightness calibration with this. It doesn't matter if you adjust the monitor brightness to your liking. For prints and viewing by other people you need to have a standard brightness level.

http://www.w4zt.com/screen/

alaios · October 12, 2014

Thanks guys. This is the end of the editing process. Now that you know the basic idea that I wanted to paing the couple with a color (still I think the orange gel gives a bit more of romantic mood) have the couple lightened up with soft light and the belly stand a bit more.... What would be the right process to start working on this?

Regards
Alex

divamum · October 12, 2014

Answers to all questions like this.... www.strobist.com. Seriously - read through that and EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know about light will be made clear. It is NOT just about gear (although that too, for those who are interested), but every aspect of lighting anybody could ever want to discuss.

jonh68 · October 12, 2014

divamum wrote: »

Answers to all questions like this.... www.strobist.com. Seriously - read through that and EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know about light will be made clear. It is NOT just about gear (although that too, for those who are interested), but every aspect of lighting anybody could ever want to discuss.

+1. Do your own homework. This way your vision comes from your ideas, not ours.

alaios · October 13, 2014

thanks guys I will do.
Alex

r3t1awr3yd · October 16, 2014

^^ That is the reason I calibrate my monitor and check my pictures on multiple monitors/devices.

Alaios, Can you post a RAW version of the file we can download and try to help with?

alaios · October 17, 2014

Thanks a lot for suggesting me to help with this. You can find the file here

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2d2sb3rj323vihx/_DSC8804.ARW?dl=0

and this is the final version in jpeg

First flash experiment

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