Critique - First Studio Lighting Shots

[Hiekel Essterol]

After picking myself up some studio lighting Im starting to get used to it. Started out with shots of a bookcase to try out the lighting at different settings before moving on to my daughter and her friend.

Kit

• Canon EOS 500D
• Lencarta Smartflash 2 200W x2
• Lencarta Softbox
• Lencarta Umbrella

Firstly, the things I have noticed with the images.

• Both girls are far too close to the back wall. This will be sorted in the next session.
• Box and plug sockets in view. Im moving a bookcase to give me more wall to use so that this wont be an issue next session.

I would really appreciate some input and honest critique, as your comments and much more practise are the only ways I am going to learn, so feel free to absolutely slate them if that is your input, no offence taken at all.

Set Up

• Flash and softbox 100% power camera left 45 degrees, 45 degrees down
• Flash and umbrella 50% power camera right 45 degrees, 30 degrees down
• Window, camera right 85 degrees

1. Close up

2. Full length

3. Jump

In image 2 I personally feel that the left arm of the girl on the left of shot is too bright, and this highlights the scar on her wrist.

In image 3 I am aware that the feet are blurry, however if I had increased the shutter speed I feel I would have lost more light.

I look forward to your comments.

 

[The23rdman]

Hi Paul,

Good on you for having a go and being willing to learn. I'm glad you recognised the background issues. Firstly, it looks like they're a bit soft - what were your camera settings?

You say the lights were at 45* pointing down, but the catchlights in the girls eyes are saying different. They tell me that they softbox and umbrella were almost level with the girls. You need to get them higher. Can I ask why you had the lights either side? I'm assuming that you were going for a softbox key light with the umbrella as fill? What you appear to have done with that is create an almost completely flat light. I suggest starting with one light to see how that affects things. Set your camera to about f9 with the lowest ISO you can get a decent recycle rate from your flashes at and your shutter speed at or just below your sync speed. If your light feels a little uneven you can either feather it so it casts across the two girls slightly or add the second light as a little fill. This one should be providing a slight lift of the shadows - nothing more. Yours is too bright. Also, if it's possible, get the fill light on axis - that is, right above or underneath you. Why? It'll prevent the criss-cross shadows you're getting on the noses and legs.

I'd also suggest starting with one model only as it's much easier to work that way while you're learning.

RE the jump shot. Your shutter speed will have little bearing on the freezing of the action - that's the work of the flash exposure. I'm not sure of the flash duration on those units, but they will be faster at around 1/4 power so if you want to capture a sharp jump up the iso, lower the power and try again. Oh, and learn about the two exposures rthat are happening in flash photography.

HTH.

 

[The23rdman]

Just to add. You need to know if that window light is contributing to the exposure so remove your trigger and fire off a shot. You can chimp to see if it is adding anything. If you're lucky it'll add enough even light to work as a fill. Either than or it'll add nothing - both are good. Balancing two flashes and ambient is a tricky game early on in your learning so remove it is possible by closing the curtains. Shooting at low iso at F9/11 at sync speed indoors should kill all/most of the ambient on most UK days.

 

[Tunbridge]

As above they do look a tad soft. Your best bet is start with one model and one light then experiment. The lighting you have created is too flat as a result of having a light either side cancelling out all the shadows.
The window is unlikely to have contributed anything unless you were shooting at a longish shutter speed?

 

[turbolover]

too flat, light with umbrella can be moved further away or with reduced output to add dimension