First couple shots with off camera flash.

[Mirage_Man]

So I finally got my flash off camera on a light stand. I messed around with it today with and without a shoot through umbrella. Here's a couple shots of my wife. The first one I used the flash without the umbrella to create a rim light, camera left and slightly behind. The second one the umbrella was used but I can't remember where since I was moving it around so much LOL. What do you guys think?

 

[pickle788]

Nice a want to get an umbrella or soft box for my speed light so much better

 

[Trever1t]

Not too bad and a smilling willing model, can't beat that

 

[Mirage_Man]

Any comments or critiques?

 

[bogeyguy]

Very, very nice. And the lighting isn't bad either.

 

[Buckster]

Would like to see a bit more light in the eyes, or maybe just brighten them up a bit in post if that's possible, especially in the first one. Other than that, the light looks very nice, as long as that's the look you were going for.

The pose in the second one looks a bit forced/unnatural.

 

[Tarayn]

agree

 

[Mirage_Man]

I see what you guys are saying and while looking at the first one we wanted to lighten the eyes. However I'm even newer to PS and am not sure the best way to go about brightening them?

 

[Mirage_Man]

OK I tried my hand at brightening up her eyes a little. Yay or nay?

Edit: redid the eyes based on a youtube tutorial. I think it looks decent although it still doesn't look natural to me.

 

[Buckster]

I see what you guys are saying and while looking at the first one we wanted to lighten the eyes. However I'm even newer to PS and am not sure the best way to go about brightening them?

I took a shot at it:

What I did (in Photoshop):

1. Add a brightness adjustment layer on top of the photo layer, and crank it way bright.
2. Click on the mask on the layer.
3. Switch to the paint bucket and fill the mask with black.
4. Switch to the brush tool, small enough to paint just inside the eyes, and paint them with white in the mask.
5. Click on the brightness setting of the layer and adjust to taste.

Then, I added a bit of green color. It looked like that was the color of her eyes when I looked close, but no light in them didn't bring it out, so I decided to do that artificially. Here's what I did:

Same as above, but used a color filter layer on top of the brightness layer and chose Emerald Green for the filter to use. Filled the mask on that color filter layer with black using the paint bucket, then painted the iris white with the brush, then used the color amount slider to taste.

Hope you find that useful in some way.

 

[camz]

OK I tried my hand at brightening up her eyes a little. Yay or nay?

Edit: redid the eyes based on a youtube tutorial. I think it looks decent although it still doesn't look natural to me.

Nice edit Buck!

As far as this SOOC looks like you had your main light angled closer towards the ~ 90 degree camera right. I would've angled it at maybe around 45 especially with her bangs to light the right side of her face.

 

[Mirage_Man]

OK so I think I'm starting to understand this off camera lighting thing and also dabbling in PS editing. Here's a pic from a impromptu shoot tonight. I wish I had more than one speedlight to create fill and or a rim light but at least I can visualize what they might do for this picture.

How's this one look?

Click on this thumb for a bigger pic.

 

[Buckster]

I wish I had more than one speedlight to create fill and or a rim light but at least I can visualize what they might do for this picture.

Get a couple of white foamcore boards from Walmart or a craft store. Cover one with shiny tin foil. Cheap and effective for bouncing light for fills and highlights.

The white (uncovered one) will give you a softer fill light, while the tin foil covered one will give you a crisper light that can be used for highlights and rims. You can even use mirrors, like the 8 to 10 inch round ones on stands found in most bathrooms.

With a little billiard strategy on the direction to fire your light and where to set up bounce cards, you'd be surprised how many lights you can simulate with a single flash.

 

[Mirage_Man]

Here's another one.

 

[Buckster]

Skin's looking a bit plastic-y on that last one, and the straight on look with the hard-light nose shadow isn't flattering her. Neither is her belly hanging over the suit bottom and laying on top of her leg.