Off camera flash - first attempt (guitar shots)

[OmlessWanderer]

I used 1 strobe and an inexpensive Westcott 43" umbrella mounted on my tripod and fired via PC sync. It was shot in raw but I did minimal processing as I am still pretty new to that whole deal.

C&C?

1

2

3

4. The weird bright spot on the right of the guitar is a reflection off the side panel I forgot to clone out... I could have stuck something non-reflective to the side of it too but I didn't notice it until later!

5

6

7

8

 

[Big Mike]

There is a lot of noise, in the images...what ISO were you using?

Several of them are blurry, it might be missed focus or shutter speeds too slow.

Maybe try it with less ambient light, so that the light from the strobe is more predominant.

 

[OmlessWanderer]

There is a lot of noise, in the images...what ISO were you using?

Several of them are blurry, it might be missed focus or shutter speeds too slow.

Maybe try it with less ambient light, so that the light from the strobe is more predominant.

I was shooting at high iso(1600, a few at 800) because all I had for ambient light was a small tungsten lamp and since my tri-pod had to function as my light stand, as my light stand has yet to arrive in the mail, all the shots were handheld(yay for VR )

 

[Big Mike]

If you could loose the ambient light completely and use a 2nd strobe, or even a reflector...then you wouldn't have to worry about the slow shutter speed.

 

[OmlessWanderer]

A 2nd strobe is an eventuality...

The reflector idea is key... I just realized I have a 99c mylar emergency blanket that would make a hell of a reflector.

Do you have any tips or suggestions on getting started with a reflector? Aside from the obvious spread, are there any nuances to consider when choosing a size for making my reflector?

 

[Big Mike]

The size you need will depend on how big your subject is...or on the other hand, the amount of light you can bounce is dependent on the size of your reflector.

Light falls off pretty fast, and some is absorbed by the reflecting surface...so start with the reflector as close to the object as possible and work back from there.

 

[crownlaurel]

I like 1, 7 and 8. Could some of what looks like noise in the other shots be smudges on the guitar?

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Gotta work on your focusing.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

You'd be well advised to spend a little time giving the guitar a good clean and polish. Whilst it's clearly a well used item (and that's no bad thing), there seem to be quite a lot of greasy marks from hands over it.