A new flash

[RufioPow]

So last week I bought my first flash, the Canon 580EX2 and I wanted to play around with some portraiture, working on not only lighting but also creating a more dynamic photo and directing the model completely.

Here is the first solid shot from the day, I'll post more as they are finished.

As always C&C is always appreciated.



Portrait of Jeff by Grant Lechner Photography, on Flickr

 

[jowensphoto]

Center of the forehead is a little hot, but not bad for your first time with the flash. The model looks a little possessed; not sure if that is something to do with post processing or just his expression.

Also, any particular reason your composed the way you did?

 

[RufioPow]

Thanks for the comments! I'm not sure where the whole possessed look may come from as I don't see it, but I did want a more still expression and maybe the eyes are making it more possessed looking, but that's just the normal eye color of my friend.

The reasoning behind the way that I composed was due mainly to adapting to the setting, it was a very close quarters alleyway between two houses and I wanted to use the depth created by the vines and perspective to add more subject matter to the photo. I also didn't want to cut off any part of his shoulder (bottom left) as I thought it distorted the way his shoulder were lined up with nearly the same perspective as the wall behind him.

Hope that answered your question.

 

[jowensphoto]

Hmmmm... More or less wondering why you used landscape instead of portrait. Nothing necessarily wrong with this orientation, but it doesn't add to the photo IMO. I think portrait would have been beneficial.

Also, see that you shot this with a 30mm. How close were you standing to the model? His face seems to be slightly distorted (could be the reason for the eyes being a bit scarey). Read up on lens distortion.

 

[Tiberius47]

I like it! How did you have the flash off camera?

 

[IgsEMT]

As the photo is, few things I'd suggest to modify.
First, drop the juice on the light a bit, and open the aperture... allow more of a balance b/n the subject and the background AND it'll soften the light. If you could add some soft modifier, that would be nice too.
Second, have your model, lower his right shoulder a bit, thin him out a bit.

Otherwise, its pretty good shot, pretty clean.

 

[trongkon]

thank .. very good.........

 

[RufioPow]

"How close were you standing to the model?"​

I'm not sure, a few feet (shot from last week so my memory wouldn't be accurate)

"

How did you have the flash off camera?​

"
I used a off camera cord (more specifically the OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3)

"First, drop the juice on the light a bit, and open the aperture... allow more of a balance b/n the subject and the background AND it'll soften the light. If you could add some soft modifier, that would be nice too.
Second, have your model, lower his right shoulder a bit, thin him out a bit."
​

Awesome suggestions and things I definitely notice after the fact, pretty soon I'll be buying a softbox and some flash gels to play around with.

Thanks for all the great comments everyone!