Trying out OCF - Ruby.

Bend The Light

No longer a newbie, moving up!
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I got my daughter to sit for me (no easy task!). I had my 400d with built in flash which triggered an old Toshiba flash mounted on a tripod approx 1.5m from Ruby, about 1m to my right.

Shot with Helios 28mm, f2.8 lens set at f16 (this doesn't show in EXIF as it's an M42 manual lens on the canon with adaptor).

How did it come out? I know there's no backdrop - I have yet to get one...this is shot woith natural light from outside behind (although it looks dark, it's 9.30am).

How could I improve it? In a few days I will have another flash gun which I can set up and light the background - would that help?

4846002960_a6f91e8c6d_b.jpg


Thanks in anticipation of your comments!
 
Nice, sharp portrait, and excellent color. It almost looks like on camera flash, however. As far as the background goes, only the window frame ruins it for me.
 
WHat a lovely child you have! I'll bet you're very proud of her. As for your flash shot's technique, I can see the shadow that the Toshiba flash + umbrella camera right cast, on her necklace area and on her face, to the side of her nose. It looks to me that her shirt is a biot over-exposed. The on-camera flash is acting as your fill light, but its power level seems a bit higher than I would want--it's acting *almost* like a second source of main light, meaning its power level is a bit too high in relation to the power coming from the Toshiba in the umbrella.

And as for the umbrella's positioning--I think it's a little bit too too far off to the right. The height of the main light is allowing light to get into her eyes, and also under the brim of her cap...normally, I'd prefer to have the main light higher-up, so it casts a sort of downward,diagonal shadow under and off to one side of the nostrils, but in this case, with a cap like that, lowering the main light keeps her eyes from falling into deep shadow.
 
Lol I just learned some stuff here Derrel. Thanks for that.

I am such a noob about lighting still.
 
WHat a lovely child you have! I'll bet you're very proud of her. As for your flash shot's technique, I can see the shadow that the Toshiba flash + umbrella camera right cast, on her necklace area and on her face, to the side of her nose. It looks to me that her shirt is a biot over-exposed. The on-camera flash is acting as your fill light, but its power level seems a bit higher than I would want--it's acting *almost* like a second source of main light, meaning its power level is a bit too high in relation to the power coming from the Toshiba in the umbrella.

And as for the umbrella's positioning--I think it's a little bit too too far off to the right. The height of the main light is allowing light to get into her eyes, and also under the brim of her cap...normally, I'd prefer to have the main light higher-up, so it casts a sort of downward,diagonal shadow under and off to one side of the nostrils, but in this case, with a cap like that, lowering the main light keeps her eyes from falling into deep shadow.

Yup - I'm learning all the time, too!

As for the built in flash being too bright - I could have used a longer lens, and been much further back - would that reduce the impact of the built in, allowing the Toshiba to be closer and so contributing more?

I can't see how to reduce the flash power on my camera (Canon 400d) unless it's something to do with Flash Exposure Compensation, between -2 and +2.

Any ideas?

Also, I have another trigger coming soon, and so have another old flash (a SunPak job) which I can use - would another flash positioned somewhere help to lose the shadows you noted?

Cheers

Craig
 
I can't see how to reduce the flash power on my camera (Canon 400d) unless it's something to do with Flash Exposure Compensation, between -2 and +2.

Any ideas?

Craig
-2 may work. Try it! What the hey? Film for the 400D is cheap.
 
I can't see how to reduce the flash power on my camera (Canon 400d) unless it's something to do with Flash Exposure Compensation, between -2 and +2.

Any ideas?

Craig
-2 may work. Try it! What the hey? Film for the 400D is cheap.

It is very cheap...I will try it. Whn I can get her to sit still again! ha ha.
 

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