What I have problems with and confuses me.. say I have my light set and my subject in place.. the what next is what gets me. Do I start with a apature, or iso shutter speed?
What I learned was to get the exposure you want for the natural light part of the photo, then add in the light for your subject. Depending on your setup, you will use aperture to control the OCF either with high speed sync or a ND filter. I use the filter because its cheaper than upgrading my lights. You can also adjust the power level of the light too.
@AlTheKiller said:
What I learned was to get the exposure you want for the natural light part of the photo, then add in the light for your subject. Depending on your setup, you will use aperture to control the OCF either with high speed sync or a ND filter. I use the filter because its cheaper than upgrading my lights. You can also adjust the power level of the light too.
Thank you. That's where I get frustrated, I have it all set up and then I look at my camera and I go blank.. lol
I bought me a sekonic? Light meter and would like to use it. Could I have my light and subject set up and use the meter to get my exposure and the I would add flash to my subject till I like the exposure? Am I getting this right? Trying to avoid HSS in this situation. Do I adjust my apature or the power of the flash on my subject?
Hope I'm not confusing you here.
In the first two shots the light is a little direct. Some diffusion would be very helpful. An umbrella or softbox would make life easier. Now if you use them, you'll lose power of the light, so you have the option of boosting flash power or adjusting the camera settings.
The third shot is better, but the light is a bit flat. The pose and crop aren't helping, but that is another critique for another day
One thing that I do love about this shot (as a commercial photographer) her eyes are pulling you into the open space which is perfect for client added text.
For any shoot that I do, here is how I go about set up.
First thing I do is meter the camera for the background. Inside studio or outside, makes no difference. I get my background right first.
The second thing I do is place my subject(s) where I want them. People or product makes no difference to me. It's all about the overall scene when staging.
The third thing is deciding where do I want my shadows. This is what gives an image depth and feeling.
I then use the lights to create those shadows and fill in the areas that I don't. Light should be soft and indirect as possible.
Since I spend most of my time in a studio I have a true fascination with reflectors, bounce cards and flags to bend and warp light to my will. I do this same thing when shooting people outside. Light and shadow is what makes an image compelling (beyond the subject).
We could all give you tips and tricks, but first you need to figure out what you like. Everyone has a different taste. Search images and find styles and lighting that you like. Then see if you can destruct the shot to see where the light came from, how it was diffused or bounced. (naturally or artificially by the photographer)
Try some shots, post them here and we can then help you fine tune the technique.
I would highly recommend that you dive into the strobist blog. There is a wealth of knowledge in these posts. For the most part, these are about using a flash. Read through then pick and choose what fits your style.
@AlTheKiller said:
What I learned was to get the exposure you want for the natural light part of the photo, then add in the light for your subject. Depending on your setup, you will use aperture to control the OCF either with high speed sync or a ND filter. I use the filter because its cheaper than upgrading my lights. You can also adjust the power level of the light too.
Thank you. That's where I get frustrated, I have it all set up and then I look at my camera and I go blank.. lol
I bought me a sekonic? Light meter and would like to use it. Could I have my light and subject set up and use the meter to get my exposure and the I would add flash to my subject till I like the exposure? Am I getting this right? Trying to avoid HSS in this situation. Do I adjust my apature or the power of the flash on my subject?
Hope I'm not confusing you here.
You can use aperture or adjust the power of the flash. That's up to you and what depth of field you want. So if you adjust the aperture and its too shallow, go back and start adjusting the power of the flash. Depending on the situation, your flash may not go low enough or high enough to light your subject the way you want.
Comments
What I have problems with and confuses me.. say I have my light set and my subject in place.. the what next is what gets me. Do I start with a apature, or iso shutter speed?
What I learned was to get the exposure you want for the natural light part of the photo, then add in the light for your subject. Depending on your setup, you will use aperture to control the OCF either with high speed sync or a ND filter. I use the filter because its cheaper than upgrading my lights. You can also adjust the power level of the light too.
Thank you. That's where I get frustrated, I have it all set up and then I look at my camera and I go blank.. lol
I bought me a sekonic? Light meter and would like to use it. Could I have my light and subject set up and use the meter to get my exposure and the I would add flash to my subject till I like the exposure? Am I getting this right? Trying to avoid HSS in this situation. Do I adjust my apature or the power of the flash on my subject?
Hope I'm not confusing you here.
In the first two shots the light is a little direct. Some diffusion would be very helpful. An umbrella or softbox would make life easier. Now if you use them, you'll lose power of the light, so you have the option of boosting flash power or adjusting the camera settings.
The third shot is better, but the light is a bit flat. The pose and crop aren't helping, but that is another critique for another day
One thing that I do love about this shot (as a commercial photographer) her eyes are pulling you into the open space which is perfect for client added text.
For any shoot that I do, here is how I go about set up.
First thing I do is meter the camera for the background. Inside studio or outside, makes no difference. I get my background right first.
The second thing I do is place my subject(s) where I want them. People or product makes no difference to me. It's all about the overall scene when staging.
The third thing is deciding where do I want my shadows. This is what gives an image depth and feeling.
I then use the lights to create those shadows and fill in the areas that I don't. Light should be soft and indirect as possible.
Since I spend most of my time in a studio I have a true fascination with reflectors, bounce cards and flags to bend and warp light to my will. I do this same thing when shooting people outside. Light and shadow is what makes an image compelling (beyond the subject).
We could all give you tips and tricks, but first you need to figure out what you like. Everyone has a different taste. Search images and find styles and lighting that you like. Then see if you can destruct the shot to see where the light came from, how it was diffused or bounced. (naturally or artificially by the photographer)
Try some shots, post them here and we can then help you fine tune the technique.
Website
Thank you, so much for your advice.
I would highly recommend that you dive into the strobist blog. There is a wealth of knowledge in these posts. For the most part, these are about using a flash. Read through then pick and choose what fits your style.
Lighting 101, lighting 102, and lighting 103.
Website
You can use aperture or adjust the power of the flash. That's up to you and what depth of field you want. So if you adjust the aperture and its too shallow, go back and start adjusting the power of the flash. Depending on the situation, your flash may not go low enough or high enough to light your subject the way you want.