Still trying

Barefoot and Natural · October 18, 2006

Here is a series of photos I just took......

The set up:
1 softbox light 500w
1 "on-camera" flash 580ex

If I post this right....hopefully you will see the pics and be able to access the exif info.
The first 2 shots...I DID NOT have my flash on...just 1 softbox light

The rest of them, I adjust different settings on my camera and play around.

I am basically asking for advice or for anyone to guide me as to what I can improve on.
Thank you very much,
Heather

Medium

Once again, thank you for ANY advice (just please don't tell me to give it up

)

Barefoot and Natural · October 18, 2006

So sorry...I put this in the wrong forum AND the pics didn't even show up!!

UGH:pissed!!

ivar · October 18, 2006

Heather, I moved it for you.

You linked to the pages, not to the images.

Use nickname.smugmug.com/photos/12345678-L.jpg instead of
nickname.smugmug.com/gallery/12345678/1/12345678-L.jpg

More info

Barefoot and Natural · October 18, 2006

ivar wrote:

Heather, I moved it for you.

You linked to the pages, not to the images.

Use nickname.smugmug.com/photos/12345678-L.jpg instead of
nickname.smugmug.com/gallery/12345678/1/12345678-L.jpg

More info

....I am working on it now. Thanks

Barefoot and Natural · October 18, 2006

Okay....now I think I got it!!

Thank you for taking the time.....
Heather

gubbs · October 18, 2006

Hi Heather,
Your daughter very photogenic and I think the shots are great!

I'm new to this too but fwiw I have a few comments.
I think the lighting is a little flat, how did you position & power the lights?

You've partially cut off her limbs in 3/4 of the shots, It's a little distracting. I think it would be better if they were either in or out of the frame.

DOF is too shallow or maybe focused on the wrong eye in shot 5, what aperture did you shoot it at.

Great sots all the same

Barefoot and Natural · October 18, 2006

gubbs wrote:

Hi Heather,
Your daughter very photogenic and I think the shots are great!

I'm new to this too but fwiw I have a few comments.
I think the lighting is a little flat, how did you position & power the lights?

You've partially cut off her limbs in 3/4 of the shots, It's a little distracting. I think it would be better if they were either in or out of the frame.

DOF is too shallow or maybe focused on the wrong eye in shot 5, what aperture did you shoot it at.

Great sots all the same

Right....flat, that's what I think too! Her limbs cut off are on purpose from me cropping......I do not normally do that, but I was trying to get close to her eyes so I could check the focus. I did notice the wrong eye was in focus.

As for my lighting.....
My softbox is at full power (not adjustable) 500w continuous
My flash (on camera) 580ex with a Lightsphere on it.

Softbox was placed about 2 feet away from her and my flash was bounced from ceiling.

I am trying to play around with apeture settings and ISO speeds and I can not figure out which one is working the best (if any)......

thanks for the comments....
Heather

photogmomma · October 18, 2006

No real comments on lighting (they are a little flat, but not really bad to my untrained eye), but your daughter is precious! There are some cute shots here!

gubbs · October 19, 2006

Barefoot and Natural wrote:

As for my lighting.....
My softbox is at full power (not adjustable) 500w continuous
My flash (on camera) 580ex with a Lightsphere on it.

Ahh its a continuous light, so how are you metering the shot and how have you got the flash and camera set up? Your exif info would be very useful. I'm wondering if the flash is washing out the shadows.

Barefoot and Natural · October 19, 2006

gubbs wrote:

Ahh its a continuous light, so how are you metering the shot and how have you got the flash and camera set up? Your exif info would be very useful. I'm wondering if the flash is washing out the shadows.

Okay...I tried to put the exif info on witht he images but I must have done it wrong......so if you go to this gallery

http://www.barefootandnatural.smugmug.com/gallery/1170083

those pics withthe exif is there. Like I said....I was changing the setting on my camera to see which settings would be best.

Thank you for taking the time respond and advise!!
Heather

Scott_Quier · October 19, 2006

gubbs wrote:

Ahh its a continuous light, so how are you metering the shot and how have you got the flash and camera set up? Your exif info would be very useful. I'm wondering if the flash is washing out the shadows.

Yep, that's what's happening. You can see the shadows showing up in the last one really nicely. The rest of them, it appears the shadows were filled a little too well by the flash.

But, all that aside, these are great shots of a very precious looking young lady. I'll bet you're having so much fun!! I wonder how much fun she is having though!!

So, are you having fun with our 580? Mine arrives TODAY!!

Barefoot and Natural · October 19, 2006

Scott_Quier wrote:

Yep, that's what's happening. You can see the shadows showing up in the last one really nicely. The rest of them, it appears the shadows were filled a little too well by the flash.

But, all that aside, these are great shots of a very precious looking young lady. I'll bet you're having so much fun!! I wonder how much fun she is having though!!

So, are you having fun with our 580? Mine arrives TODAY!!

I am having lots o' fun with my flash!! My kids are too (believe it or not)
Lori (my blonde) doesn't generally like to smile at the camera, so i get what I get! My son (joey) likes to squint all the time so he is a bit of a challenge.
My other daughter Kristyn (waiting for her to get home from school for some "snap action") likes to make silly crazy faces.
They are all hams in their own way and never fight with me on taking snapshots!!

It keeps the Grandparents happy too because they get LOTS of photos of their precious grandbabies!!!

BTW, how did the B&G like their wedding portraits? Got other one booked yet?

Oh ya......should I take the flash down a bit so it's not so harsh?

saurora · October 19, 2006

Cute daughter you have there Heather! Don't give up...it's what all of us have to go through to find what works and what doesn't!!! I have been playing around with my 580 getting ready to shoot some shots of my niece. Have you tried bracketing your shots for different exposures? It's really frustrating when you know what you want to achieve, but can't quite figure out the easiest way to get there! I'm considering starting a small album of shots (that work!) and the exif posted on each one so I can sort of "flip" through it and find where I need to be to get the shot I want. I have a difficult time keeping all of this info in my head and until I shoot more often, I probably won't be able to recall it all! Also frustrating for me, is the balance between aperture, ISO, and shutter speed.

urbanaries · October 19, 2006

saurora wrote:

I'm considering starting a small album of shots (that work!) and the exif posted on each one so I can sort of "flip" through it and find where I need to be to get the shot I want. I have a difficult time keeping all of this info in my head and until I shoot more often, I probably won't be able to recall it all! Also frustrating for me, is the balance between aperture, ISO, and shutter speed.

this is a really good idea saurora, I may just steal it from you!

Scott_Quier · October 19, 2006

Barefoot and Natural wrote:

BTW, how did the B&G like their wedding portraits? Got other one booked yet?

Oh ya......should I take the flash down a bit so it's not so harsh?

RE: THe B&G question - sent you some e-mail rather than hi-jack this thread.

As for the flash. Since you are using it for fill (not the primary light source) it might be a good idea to experiment by turning it down a bit and see what you get. I would think (and I'm guessing here) something between -2/3 and -1 1/3 FEC would work nicely.

Barefoot and Natural · October 20, 2006

I just wanted to add a couple more. I THINK I am getting the hang of it....with photoshop help too

What do you think?
I think the 2nd one has a blue cast to it....but I have looked at so many that colors are "blending" to me.
Thanks for looking!

Scott_Quier · October 20, 2006

Barefoot and Natural wrote:

I just wanted to add a couple more. I THINK I am getting the hang of it....with photoshop help too

What do you think?
I think the 2nd one has a blue cast to it....but I have looked at so many that colors are "blending" to me.
Thanks for looking!

Popped this one into Photoshop just to be sure 'cause my eyes ain't what they used to be. What you have is magenta cast to her face. Her should colors look good. It's almost like you have two different light sources going here. How close was the flash on this exposure? If you were very close, that might account for what I see as being two light sources.

The following may sound partonizing. If so, I truely aplogize - I mean only to be helpful. Do you have a WB card? Or just a white sheet of paper. Take a picture of that under your lighting conditions, from a reasonable distance. Pop that into PS and see what your get for RGB values. They should all be pretty close to the same values.

Barefoot and Natural · October 21, 2006

I do have two light sources...... My flash and the softbox.

I will try to check the white balance with piece of paper. I was doing it with the white backdrop, by following what my camera instructions said to do to get my custom white balance, but it always seemed to be off (blue).

I am seriously thinking about doing what others have said and taking my flash off the camera and using it as a slave.....but with money being and issue, I have to buy the stand, the cord, another umbrella....blah blah blah......so i was trying to work with what I have.

I do bounce my flash though.....it is not pointed directly at her face and I do have a diffuser on it (Lightsphere).

All these settings are just giving me a major headache and I am just tired of seeing completely diiferent colors while my settings stay them same!!

I will keep trying......I know it will work one of these days!!

Thanks Scott for your help

DavidS · October 21, 2006

I like the composition on your last two shots.

System · October 21, 2006

Barefoot and Natural wrote:

I just wanted to add a couple more. I THINK I am getting the hang of it....with photoshop help too

What do you think?
I think the 2nd one has a blue cast to it....but I have looked at so many that colors are "blending" to me.
Thanks for looking!

as scott said, two different light sources-

or some makeup-

anyway, my take on it, not being able to reconcile the two colors:

will take this down if you do not want-

Still trying

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