Ringflash

[chizz-gb]

Just bought a ring flash an Alien Bees ABR800, hopefully for up to 3/4 length portraits.

I know very little about these, anything to do/avoid in particular ?

I have heard they can bleach out skin tones but i like the catchlights in the eyes rather than the rectangular softbox.

Any good Reading for ring flash specifically ?

 

[HoppyUK]

To see those catch-lights, you'll need to shoot close for a tight head shot.

The other thing you get with ringflash is the distinctive shadow cast all around the subject, so get them to stand close to the background.

 

[Toxic]

An important thing to remember is to meter frequently, if you move around a lot your exposures will change, experiment and find the style that works for you.

 

[chizz-gb]

Thanks for that, i'd seen togs shooting on the spot with them (even sat down) and guessed it must be because of the metering. Is the ring flash quite a hard light, not very forgiving on skin, something like a beauty dish ?