Cheap Flash Photography

LP160 camera left through diffuser, LP160 camera right behind subject. Triggered via on-camera flash.

My first two speedlight units came in the mail yesterday. Never done anything like this before. Certainly a lot to learn. Respect to all you strobists out there that make this look easy. It most certainly isn't.

For this shot I took a knife to a cardboard box to make a gobo and gaffed it to the side of the hair/separation light (to keep spill off the back). My 7yo voice activated light stand (female version) alternately pointed it between the ceiling and subject depending on which commercial was on TV. Used an old piece of foam core standing on the floor to gobo the key to try to limit spill. Balanced the entire key rig on a recliner, with the diffuser jammed in to the side to hold it in place. Flash balanced on a pillow. Totally guessed on the exposure, chimping all the way. Used the black side of a 5:1 reflector as a backdrop balancing on a stool. The back didn't come out as black as I wanted, so I bottomed out the blacks underexposing the whole thing. I mean, I MEANT to make it low key. Yeah, that's the ticket.

The setup was comically cheesy. However, it is "the first one" so wanted to share my enthusiasm by posting. The voice activated light stand I was using got bored after three exposures and wanted to go back to watching Spongebob Squarepants. I tried to convince her photography was more fun. Didn't work.