Craig

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Gary
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Couldn think of a catchy title. Anyway enough waffle. This is Craig he also takes photos, that said we thought we would try some off camera flash outdoors as I had not done that before. In this image I used a small softbox. To be honest I struggled a bit with the flash power and it wasnt until I was driving home that the penny dropped. I should have dropped my iso. Flash was set to 128th and still to bright :) I know I could have moved the light back but I didnt want really harsh shadows. That said I have looked at this for a fare amount of time and now I can't make my mind up as to wether the lighting is ok. So I would be very happy to get some feedback on the photo. Am I on the right lines.

Please :)

Gaz

Craig_by_nighttp.jpg
 
Yep, dropping the iso would have done what you wanted. Tbh though Gaz, it looks good to me. I would have been tempted to add a bit of fill with a reflector to the left hand side of his face (as you look at it) not much mind, just a tad. I'd have also been inclined to try a cto gel on the flash which may have balanced the colour of the flash more with the background. It may not have added anything, but it's only a 2 second job.

Did he get some of you too?
 
Hiya Dave.
Thanks for the feedback, it means a lot :) Happy it looks ok and maybe next time can think of some better composition and obviously work on getting the right setings in there.
On the points you have raised. I see what you mean with the fill but I must say it was a consious decision to place the light, so I got some shadow to the cheek nearest the camera. Craig kept telling me to bring the light around more to camera side as he insisted the light was missing him but I thought I knew what I was after, to an extent ;-)
The cto. Yes I totally agree I need and want to try that I do have some but never used them. I set the camera white balance to tungsten which in turn made Craig rather blue and cold looking when the flash hit him. I did shoot in raw so have pulled that up a good amount in post.
Do you think a gell and tungsten white balance would work in a similiar enviroment ?
Yes Craig took one of me :-( He shot his image first in a different loaction and used an "Ebay copy" fstoppers flash disc.

2 very different images.
Feel free to comment on either :)

Gaz

Me_Craig.jpg
 
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I prefer your composition personally and i like the bokeh also.

I get your point re the shadow on his face. I think if the light was colour balanced then it wouldn't be so noticeable. ATM the shadows are orange so really stand out against the white flash light.

The wall that you're leaning on, is it a long wall and is the rest of it plain? You could really work wonders with that if it is and the model (your or you mate, or indeed a laydeee) were dressed in red (suit or dress etc) and just light the model with a face on shot to the wall... Go wide angle and step back and take the full body in along with some pavement etc...

Anyway, getting carried away now. :D
 
I prefer your composition personally and i like the bokeh also.

I get your point re the shadow on his face. I think if the light was colour balanced then it wouldn't be so noticeable. ATM the shadows are orange so really stand out against the white flash light.

The wall that you're leaning on, is it a long wall and is the rest of it plain? You could really work wonders with that if it is and the model (your or you mate, or indeed a laydeee) were dressed in red (suit or dress etc) and just light the model with a face on shot to the wall... Go wide angle and step back and take the full body in along with some pavement etc...

Anyway, getting carried away now. :D
Gotcha with red cheek I will drop the colour down on that area a touch :)
Yes that is a longish flat wall and you have given me an image in my minds eye,so I get where you are going with that. From what you describe you would be killing a lot of the ambient in the back there I guess ?
I like that you are getting into it though and I can sense you are pressing the shutter yourself as you type :)

Gaz
 
Erm, i'd probably have a gridded softbox and have that just outside the frame pointing slightly towards the subject but also off down the wall a touch. Maybe just feathering off the front of the model so they were lit but not so much on the wall. The model would be leaning on or just stood infront (maybe a ft or 2) of the patterned corner stone things. Probably go for a 16x10 crop with a lot of dead space to the left. Shoot at 1/200 and f4ish with a good amount of flash power. Once the light hits the subject it should fall off pretty quickly anyway.

You could also play with shadows so that they are lit from the front with one flash which will throw a shadow onto the wall behind them and then light them from the side also so there is a tall shadow going down the wall.

I think my mind is running away with me now... perhaps i've watched too many Zack Arias/Joe McNally vids. :D
 
Erm, i'd probably have a gridded softbox and have that just outside the frame pointing slightly towards the subject but also off down the wall a touch. Maybe just feathering off the front of the model so they were lit but not so much on the wall. The model would be leaning on or just stood infront (maybe a ft or 2) of the patterned corner stone things. Probably go for a 16x10 crop with a lot of dead space to the left. Shoot at 1/200 and f4ish with a good amount of flash power. Once the light hits the subject it should fall off pretty quickly anyway.

You could also play with shadows so that they are lit from the front with one flash which will throw a shadow onto the wall behind them and then light them from the side also so there is a tall shadow going down the wall.

I think my mind is running away with me now... perhaps i've watched too many Zack Arias/Joe McNally vids. :D
I like the sound of big shadows behind. We have a stone bridge near us I could maybe convince the wife to playout at some point and try something like this.Obviously she not a model but i'm not a photographer so were equal on that score :)
Thanks a bunch for the help.
I too have read and watched loads of stuff but when you get the gear out, you somehow loose common sense :)

Gaz
 
Cool is that a freebie or £££££££ ;-)

Gaz

Googled it will have a mooch see how cheaps I can pick a copy up for :)
 
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