Is lighting right?

[sarasphotos]

I am trying to get lighting and using camera controls to get lighting right. How do these look?

I practiced using a watermark on this next one....i'm not crazy about watermarks but I know i need to protect my images.

This was a random door downtown...pretty cool, eh?

 

[Rudha]

i'm diggin the random door i like those rundown architectural remains although i think it could use a little crop as for the lighting it seems fine to me but i'm sure you'll get better advice than that ....overall i like them
good job. keep shooting:thumbup:

 

[sarasphotos]

Thanks! I see where I could crop it now...the grass is a bit too much

 

[tirediron]

The main issue I see with the lighting of the child is in her eyes; they're very dark and lacking any sort of catchlight. A simple reflector would have helped out greatly here. The door is a very nice image, but I'd like to see a little more of it and a little less saturation.

 

[KKJUN]

Why do you need to protect your images?

 

[sarasphotos]

The main issue I see with the lighting of the child is in her eyes; they're very dark and lacking any sort of catchlight. A simple reflector would have helped out greatly here. The door is a very nice image, but I'd like to see a little more of it and a little less saturation.

I agree, her eyes are very dark. She has dark eyes though...I don't have the money to afford a good reflector right now. I've been thinkng about trying just a white board. My question would be how to take the pic though......hold white board with one hand and camera with other?? not really possible. Any suggestions?

 

[sarasphotos]

Why do you need to protect your images?

Photography is my hobby but I am actually starting to do it for money. I need to protect them so others don't take them as their "own".

 

[tirediron]

The main issue I see with the lighting of the child is in her eyes; they're very dark and lacking any sort of catchlight. A simple reflector would have helped out greatly here. The door is a very nice image, but I'd like to see a little more of it and a little less saturation.

I agree, her eyes are very dark. She has dark eyes though...I don't have the money to afford a good reflector right now. I've been thinkng about trying just a white board. My question would be how to take the pic though......hold white board with one hand and camera with other?? not really possible. Any suggestions?

If you don't have an assistant, then use a light-stand or spare tripod to hold the reflector in place. I would submit to you however, that if you can't afford to purchase a reflector, you may not be at the stage where you can undertake photography as a commercial enterprise. Granted you don't need two of the best of everything, BUT you do need a certain minimum kit.

 

[sarasphotos]

Where is a good place to get them at? Maybe I could find out something not so expensive. Nothing over $100.00

 

[Village Idiot]

Where is a good place to get them at? Maybe I could find out something not so expensive. Nothing over $100.00

srsly girl?

$32.95 for a 42" white/silver circular reflector:
Impact - Reflector Disc - Silver, White - 42" - R1642 - B&H

moar choices.
Collapsible Reflectors

 

[sarasphotos]

whoa! I thought they were way more than that! Of course I can afford that!! lol We are just on a budget, trying to save money to buy some land and build a house. But I can spend that amount!!!! Thanks!! I will be getting one!

 

[Village Idiot]

There are more expensive ones, but a cheap one will get you by for now.

 

[KmH]

They also make 5-in-1 reflectors:

Impact - 5-in-1 Reflector Disc - 42" - R1142 - B&H Photo

Photography is my hobby but I am actually starting to do it for money.

Be careful:

1. Someone gets hurt during one of your shoots and you don't have a licensed/registered business that has liability insurance. (Homeowners insurance won't cut it.)
2. A competitor drops a dime on you to the local, state, and/or federal boys. Fines and penalties for not collecting and forwarding state sales taxes can be financially devastating, and more and more financially strapped states are offering substantial rewards to dime droppers.

 

[indigirl555]

the first picture the face is to bright and the background is a bit dark.
try and step back from the subject the zoom in.

 

[Derrel]

If you want to be serious, get a SQUARE reflector, especially if you're on a budget and need a good way to secure/position the reflector. With a square or rectangular reflector, you can put one edge on the ground,and prop the thing up using almost anything. Square or rectangular reflectors give you more surface area that actually reflects than round reflectors do. In a breeze or wind, round reflectors are a nightmare, since only about a 1 inch by 1/2 inch piece of flimsy plastic or fabric makes contact with the ground. WIth a square reflector, you put it down and the entire width of it makes contact with the ground, so you can "nail it down" with one or two turf spikes, and the damned thing will STAY put...whereas a round one wants to move, constantly.

SImilarly, with a square or rectangular refeltor, you can attach two legs, or another reflector at the top, forming what is known as a "Sandwich board" style reflector, similar to the signs people prop up outside of sandwich shops, or actually wear on their shoulders....you know, the signs that look like the capital letter "A" from the side???

With a round, collapsible reflector, you need some type of clamp/mount, a boom arm, and a stand, to do something that $1.59 worth of PVC pipe and $1.00 worth of heavy-duty wire spikes can do. The collapsible, round reflectors have really caught on because they are small and there are many,many cheap ones made in China. They're handy to carry, but they have a number of disadvantages,mostly related to positioning and the need for a lot of what's called grip equipment to do something very,very basic, which is to remain where they are put for more than 30 seconds.