Ya'll are gonna get tired of looking at me.

[JustJazzie]

Finally got the speed ring I forgot to order in tonight so I was able to test out my new soft box. This was also my first "Real" attempt at photoshop so give me lots of C&C but please be nice to the CS6 newbie.

Gigantic soft box camera right, reflector camera left.

Please avert your eyes from the Ugly curtain behind me, I have to hide my strobes in my bedroom away from little hands so space is limited.

 

[tecboy]

R u single?

 

[JustJazzie]

R u single?

Sorry, I guess I should have added a fake sparkle to that ring. ;-)
Can anyone tell me how to do that? :giggle:

 

[Derrel]

R u single?

That only took like, three minutes...

I generally like it. I looked at it in Lightroom: I think the shadows could be brightened a bit and an even better rendition of it arrived at. Still though, this is the thing about monolight flash with a softbox--even though you JUST got the new modifier, it's already put you on the "tech" radar..BOOM! JuSt LiKe DaT!

 

[JustJazzie]

That only took like, three minutes... I generally like it. I looked at it in Lightroom: I think the shadows could be brightened a bit and an even better rendition of it arrived at. Still though, this is the thing about monolight flash with a softbox--even though you JUST got the new modifier, it's already put you on the "tech" radar..BOOM! JuSt LiKe DaT!

Hahha! I agree with the shadows. I tried to add a curves adjustment in PS but it got hidden under some other layers and I gave up trying to make it show through!!

The soft box has definitely been nicer to me then the grids and barn-doors.

 

[tecboy]

Filter>Render>Lens Flare...
You will be amazed what you can do in Photoshop.
Hope that helps.

 

[BillM]

Agree with the shadow comment, I'd also like to see this same shot with the softbox camera left and reflector camera right.

 

[JustJazzie]

Agree with the shadow comment, I'd also like to see this same shot with the softbox camera left and reflector camera right.

I'll have to find a new room for that setup. My bed is in the way and this soft box it MASSIVE.

Maybe tomorrow!

 

[Tiller]

Heeeeeey

I would try to get as much distance between you and the background as I could. Maybe when the kiddos are away?

 

[KmH]

What are the dimensions of the soft box, and the reflector?

Did you have a particular lighting style in mind when you set up? Short, split, broad, loop, etc?

Notice how bright your forward forearm is compared the upper arm.
Also notice how your rear hand and camera left cheek are lit.

Many new to photographic lighting using strobes, light modifiers, and reflectors place the lights and reflectors to far away from where they want the light to fall.
Most of the time you will want the light modifiers just outside the image frame, just about as close to the subject as possible.
That makes the light modifiers as apparently large as possible, which softens the light and makes shadow edges as diffuse as possible for that size modifier/reflector.

 

[JustJazzie]

What are the dimensions of the soft box, and the reflector? Did you have a particular lighting style in mind when you set up? Short, split, broad, loop, etc? Notice how bright your forward forearm is compared the upper arm. Also notice how your rear hand and camera left cheek are lit. Many new to photographic lighting using strobes, light modifiers, and reflectors place the lights and reflectors to far away from where they want the light to fall. Most of the time you will want the light modifiers just outside the image frame, just about as close to the subject as possible. That makes the light modifiers as apparently large as possible, which softens the light and makes shadow edges as diffuse as possible for that size modifier/reflector.

56x42 I think and 42 inch round. Both very close to me.
Edit to add:
Honestly, I was more concerned with posing than lighting. The lights only fit a certain way in that room so I went with it. This was mostly for me to have something to use for photoshop practice.

 

[rexbobcat]

The posing looks fine for the most part to me. You don't have football shoulders and it looks fairly natural. The only thing I would critique about it is your right hand. The holding the collar thing is very Glamour Shots circa 1990.

 

[JustJazzie]

Okay, here is try number 2…..

I tried to blur out the backdrop, and no 1990 glamour hands anywhere in sight.

So…is the skin too "photoshopped"? And how my cutout job on the curtains?

 

[Derrel]

SKin looks perfect to me. I don't see any issues with the curtains either.

 

[Gavjenks]

The photos look really dark to me. The second one is better.
The first one is just painfully dark on the left. But not dark enough to give it a dramatic film noir look or anything.

Overall, you need higher total exposure, and less ratio between the key and fill.
Since you don't look like you have any room to maneuver, the obvious solution is to just add an actual fill light instead of the reflector alone. This both increases overall light and helps mellow the ratio. That would help a lot, I think.

Curtains are also kinda distracting. They're very in focus and have eye-drawing folds. Again, since you have no room to maneuver, you're short on options. The only easy one I can think of is replacing the curtains (or covering over them) with a simpler sheet of duck cloth or something that you can spread more taut (and spray it with water mist to hang out wrinkles). For more interesting texture than just nothing, a typical backdrop sort of light pattern would work. Curtains are fine and all, but with these, I would want you to be at least 5 feet more in front of them with a bright lens to blur them out a bit, and it looks like that's impossible with your bed.