1st time using flash, need a bit of advice

Antonlm

For starters I have some equipment now its time to learn how to use it. Here is a pic of my daughter using off camera flash in a softbox just sitting on the sofa. how does this look? What should I had done to make it look better?

TonyCooper

I have nothing but compliments for the left side of this
image. However, the right side of the image detracts.
Too much going on over there with different colors,
and background material. You say it's a couch, but
the viewer doesn't know that so it's just a red thing.

You could crop this more square, but you'd still have
molding and wall material. You might burn that a bit
in PS.

As the photographer, you see what you want to see
in the image. The viewer sees it all. Watch your
backgrounds.

This isn't about flash; you seem to have done that
well. It's about the entire image.

Antonlm

Thanks for the reply! Yea the couch is a distraction. After taking the shot I Cldnt find a crop that I liked. I'll be trying a lot more with my flash. Still trying to figure out shadows and where they should/should not be.

Hackbone

Ditto on the right side of the photo, too distracting hence competiting. If you could extract her and drop in a dark bkg you would have a lovey photo with impact.