2nd attempt at studio shoot with my son

[RebeccaAPhotography]

Well I had some time to blow before work yesterday so my son Gavin and I set up our studio stuff. I remember someone posting links how how to set up lighting. If anyone knows of some good reads for this please feel free to let me know

So I had used my new 50mm lens, and my new 430ex ii flash...
My last issue was i was uping my iso in replace of my flash and never used my flash. This time around I kept my iso lower and used my flash. I still need to read the manual and just used it in auto mode. I did try bouncing it off the ceiling and wall a few times. I placed the continuous lights pretty much right on the edge of the floordrop. I remember someone saying my lighting was too far away. I also have come to realize that I think my living room is too narrow and I ended up have 2 lights practically on top of each other. I did take a picture of how I had my lights set up if anyone would like to see it.

I also know that I didn't use a piece of plywood yet to keep the floordrop looking like a floor drop and the chair has a crooked leg. I knew my son would sit in his fav chair long enough to try to capture a shot. This was purely to test my lighting and focusing issues/ setup. I also need to purchase a peice of trim to make it look like its not 2 drops.


IMG_7873 by Rebecca Andresen Photography, on Flickr
Info: 1/100. f 1.8 iso 100. 50mm
I can't remember if I tried manual or auto focus. I really have been in manual too much. I miss focused this.
What I like: Well.....Not too much. If he was in focus it'd been different.
What I dont like: I think the focus is more on his blankies then him. Also the blankies are washed out.


IMG_7840 by Rebecca Andresen Photography, on Flickr
Info: 1/200 f1.8 iso 100. 50mm
what can I say he's addicted to his blankies and they had to be in the picture. They look washed out again. He's more in focus in this shot


IMG_7808 by Rebecca Andresen Photography, on Flickr
Info: 1/100 f1.8 iso 100. 50mm
What I like: the first 2 shots are more blue. I know I can work on that pp BUT I would like to figure out what I did that made this shot different. I think I had changed my white balance. I'll have to look in my camera at the info.
1/1001 1
What can I do differently? Thanks!

 

[Robin Usagani]

what is your reasoning you want f/1.8 on these shots?

 

[gsgary]

F1.8 crazy, they need to be at about F8 thats why you missed focus one them

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

Well it was just the new lens and I was trying it out. Honestly I probably should have used a diff lens or aperture. Thankfully its easy to set back up and gavin loves setting it up and well. we will just pick out diff toys to do it on. What do you think I should have used??

 

[Robin Usagani]

its all depend on how good you are using the flash but I probably wont go larger than 5.6. It really depends on how much ambient light you have.

 

[Compaq]

Aperture wise, use whatever gives you the sharpest shots. f/4-8 or something.

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

F1.8 crazy, they need to be at about F8 thats why you missed focus one them

Yea I'm still reading understanding exposure. I kinda find photography like riding a horse (For me anyways) I sit there while riding and over think everything. Where my hands should be, my posture, boobs out, NO slouching! dont look down, heals down, BREATH, sit the trot post the trot etc etc. I over analyze it and try to perfect too much at once and I find with photography I'm doing the same thing....sitting there trying to think of everything and focus too much in trying to work on one area that I forget the basics and screw up another area. like why didn't I think to use a bigger aperture!?!? Dumbass i am hahaha

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

its all depend on how good you are using the flash but I probably wont go larger than 5.6. It really depends on how much ambient light you have.

Well I'll def go out and say it it was only the 2nd time I was using the flash so I am OOBER bad at using flash. So I'd rate my skills with using the flash from 0-10 a 0 or 1. for the sole fact I can turn it on hahaha

 

[KmH]

Four factors control DOF, one of them is focal point to background distance.

If your subject is close to the background, using a wide open aperture gives you more problems than it's worth as far as selective focus (a blurred background) is concerned, because the background is to close to blur much and the sharpest focus from a prime lens requires stopping down the lens.

 

[bennielou]

Ugg, sorry to say but this is not working.

Just based on lighting, I'd say the first is the best of the bunch. You have some shadow going on (which you want), but it's underexposed.
The second is flat. A pancake.
The third has a funky whitebalance.

Have you read about lighting ratios? If not, that might help a bunch.
Good luck to you, and keep at it.

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

Ugg, sorry to say but this is not working.

Just based on lighting, I'd say the first is the best of the bunch. You have some shadow going on (which you want), but it's underexposed.
The second is flat. A pancake.
The third has a funky whitebalance.

Have you read about lighting ratios? If not, that might help a bunch.
Good luck to you, and keep at it.

yea beenielou I totally agree with u. Thats why Im gonna keep on trying. Eventually with trial and error Ill get it (ahahaha key word eventually!!!) Its frustrating b/c I was always good in school gpa was 3.9 and it bugged me it was a 4.0 so its frustrating that its just not CLICKING for me. I'm trying to go at it as if I was in school now. I read the books. I highlight what I is helpful. I do the examples it tells me to do. I also take notes so I ahve something right there to go back to. Its just gonna take time with having a job, a spouse who travels often for his job, a horse (a 2nd job) and a 2 yr old. I'm not able to read, note, practice as much I used to be able to do. Like u said just gotta keep on shootin and tryin. Eventually it'll click!

and no I haven't read about lighting ratios...any ideas for good books or tutorials??

 

[Robin Usagani]

F1.8 crazy, they need to be at about F8 thats why you missed focus one them

Yea I'm still reading understanding exposure. I kinda find photography like riding a horse (For me anyways) I sit there while riding and over think everything. Where my hands should be, my posture, boobs out, NO slouching! dont look down, heals down, BREATH, sit the trot post the trot etc etc. I over analyze it and try to perfect too much at once and I find with photography I'm doing the same thing....sitting there trying to think of everything and focus too much in trying to work on one area that I forget the basics and screw up another area. like why didn't I think to use a bigger aperture!?!? Dumbass i am hahaha

First you need to learn the lingo . When you say Bigger Aperture, 99% of people will think smaller f/stop number.

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

F1.8 crazy, they need to be at about F8 thats why you missed focus one them

Yea I'm still reading understanding exposure. I kinda find photography like riding a horse (For me anyways) I sit there while riding and over think everything. Where my hands should be, my posture, boobs out, NO slouching! dont look down, heals down, BREATH, sit the trot post the trot etc etc. I over analyze it and try to perfect too much at once and I find with photography I'm doing the same thing....sitting there trying to think of everything and focus too much in trying to work on one area that I forget the basics and screw up another area. like why didn't I think to use a bigger aperture!?!? Dumbass i am hahaha

First you need to learn the lingo . When you say Bigger Aperture, 99% of people will think smaller f/stop number.

<<smacks self in forehead!!>> O lord! it is one of those days hahaha! like i said early I got like dumb ass syndrome goin on here haha. lets try this again!! WHY DIDNT I USE A SMALLER APPERTURE!?! god im literally sitting here laughing at myself haha

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

well on a better note! One of my fav photographers is from CT (which is where I'm from) I talk to her a lot on FB asking for cc also and workshops. Well.............. I live in WI but her sis lives in MN about 2 1/2 hrs away and shes willing to do a 1 on 1 workshop with me! I'm so psyched with it!! HEr sister who lives in MN is willing to mentor me too and she does A LOT of studio stuff so that'll help me. God shooting indoors is way harder then I thought haha. and Christina is gonna do a newborn workshop with me CAN NOT WAIT!!!! is 400 for 5-6hrs a bad price??

 

[bennielou]

Ugg, sorry to say but this is not working.

Just based on lighting, I'd say the first is the best of the bunch. You have some shadow going on (which you want), but it's underexposed.
The second is flat. A pancake.
The third has a funky whitebalance.

Have you read about lighting ratios? If not, that might help a bunch.
Good luck to you, and keep at it.

yea beenielou I totally agree with u. Thats why Im gonna keep on trying. Eventually with trial and error Ill get it (ahahaha key word eventually!!!) Its frustrating b/c I was always good in school gpa was 3.9 and it bugged me it was a 4.0 so its frustrating that its just not CLICKING for me. I'm trying to go at it as if I was in school now. I read the books. I highlight what I is helpful. I do the examples it tells me to do. I also take notes so I ahve something right there to go back to. Its just gonna take time with having a job, a spouse who travels often for his job, a horse (a 2nd job) and a 2 yr old. I'm not able to read, note, practice as much I used to be able to do. Like u said just gotta keep on shootin and tryin. Eventually it'll click!

and no I haven't read about lighting ratios...any ideas for good books or tutorials??

Lots and lots of stuff on the web. Planet Neil is a good sight for lighting stuff.