Sunday Faffings

[cargo]

Last Sunday whilst browsing the net I came across some Noir type images taken in doorways. I wondered if I could do this type of photo in our lounge/dining room doorway. The principal seemed easy enough. Have a subject in the doorway and flood the room behind with light. My light being created via a speedlight as I don't have anything else.
Rather than me waffle on what I did I have upload a screen grab of how it went starting with a bare speedlight @ full power.
Now my better half was cooking/cleaning at the time but was good enough to stand there for a few shots.
I know it's nothing amazing and maybe it is more of a silhouette but I did get a photo that I otherwise would not have thought of taking.

Any thoughts on how I should have lite this or how it could have been done better would be greatly received.

ps: extended the canvas as I have it as a desktop background at the moment for fun.


Gaz

Feedback/crit welcomed

2

 

[Deleted member 34016]

It works for me Gary

Les

 

[ABTog]

I like the other pose you got as well. Would work in a bedroom doorway in a "come here" sort of way

 

[juggler]

I think it's nearly but not quite there; every detail matters in minimal silhouettey stuff.

Moving the radio on the side, dealing with whatever is in the background, ensuring the background is properly white and perhaps putting some shoes on would all help.
An umbrella may have given more even lighting which needed less retouching than a bare speedlite, too.

 

[cargo]

It works for me Gary

Les

Thanks Lez.

I like the other pose you got as well. Would work in a bedroom doorway in a "come here" sort of way

Thanks Alistair. I get ya !

I think it's nearly but not quite there; every detail matters in minimal silhouettey stuff.

Moving the radio on the side, dealing with whatever is in the background, ensuring the background is properly white and perhaps putting some shoes on would all help.
An umbrella may have given more even lighting which needed less retouching than a bare speedlight, too.

Hi Simon. Thanks for the feedback. I know your wicked at this type of thing. Taking your points on board plus explaining a few things.

Background thing is the fire surround/Mantel piece. Ha putting some shoes on, a no brainer really :-( Yes getting the background white was the problem as you can see. I started with a bare speedlight, just bounced into the room off various walls and the ceiling, all to no avail. So I tried with a softbox, better but no where near what was required. I then propped a reflector/diffuser up as test to see if firing the softbox through it gave better spread. Which it did but It did not cover the doorway. So in the end I hung a shower curtain up which also didn't cover the doorway hence having to cheat in post. I then had to move the softbox as far back as I could to spread the light further. This seemed to be the best way of getting enough light to fill the area.
From the waffle I just typed were my thoughts on the right track regarding the lighting of this ? I do have a small umbrella do you think that would have been better


Gaz

 

[juggler]

I think you're on the right lines. I'd have started with a speedlite & shoot through brolly into something like a sheet or shower curtain, but I imagine I'd need 2 to get the coverage.

 

[cargo]

I think you're on the right lines. I'd have started with a speedlite & shoot through brolly into something like a sheet or shower curtain, but I imagine I'd need 2 to get the coverage.

Thanks Simon. I will test the theory when I get chance.


Gaz