How do I get rid of these shadows?

[willis_927]

HI, just looking for some advice on getting rid of the shadows falling on the background in this picture... It this purely a seperation from the background issue? Or am I doing something else here wrong. Metered each flash (2 of them)... Flash camera right metered 1 stop higher than flash camera left.
Right flash was approx 45 to child (shot through umbrella), and left flash was just a foot or 2 left of me fired bare.

I know there may be other issues in this pic, but I am looking for advice on the lighting. Thanks all.

 

[Kerbouchard]

Yep, you pretty much have three options.

Get more distance between the subject and the background.
Position the flash so that the shadows fall outside of the frame.
Use a background light.

 

[kundalini]

Is your light source speedlights, strobes or continuous?

You've got shadows from either side. So basically you are canceling out any modeling that the main light could offer. Try the fill light on camera axis to ~18 inches to the same side as the main. See this picture. The only thing you need to concern yourself with is the position of my fill light (47" octabox) over the camera and on lens axis. This picture was shot using that method (I'm pretty sure). EDIT: Need to note that I used a third (hair) light from behind.

It looks like she is only ~2 feet from the background. Increasing that distance to ~6 feet will help.

How far was the main light from the subject? To increase the softness and size of the light, bring it in closer, just out of frame.

Have you ever heard the term "feather your light"? This is when you take the center of your umbrella (main) and rotate it towards the camera so that your subject is lit by the light spray instead of the hotspot.

What were you other camera settings? ISO & aperture. Camera shooting mode, flash mode. Flash power.

 

[willis_927]

The source was 2 speed lights, 1 canon 430 EXII camera right, and the other is a yongnuo 560.
This was shot at f6.3, 1/200th, ISO 400 in manual.
The main light was about 3-4 feet away camera right at about 45 degrees to the child
If i remember correctly, when I metered this light the meter read 1/200th at F5.6.. I can't remmeber what power I had the 430 EXII set at. It currently say 1/8th, but I had played around a bit during the shoot.

The other light was slightly camera left and about 7 feet away from the child.
And again if I remember correctly It metered at about 1/200 at F4.

 

[Kerbouchard]

With what you have available, here is what I would do.

I would set up your background the same, except to camera left have a white wall there just outside of the frame. I would use the Canon speedlight to camera right at a little more than a 45 degree angle so that the right edge of the flash is catching your subject and the rest is bouncing off the wall to give you some fill light. I would then use your yongnuo flash for the background. I would also try to get a few more feet between your subject and the background.

 

[KmH]

Get the umbrella/lights way closer than 3-4 feet away, like just outside the frame. That makes the light source as apparently big as possible. Apparently bigger light sources wrap better giving softer edged shadows, so you might want to avoid using a bare speedlight (small light source).

Also getting your lights higher will move the shadows down the backdrop, as will moving the model further from the backdrop. You can also move the shadows more to the sides by having your lights more than 45° from the camera.

Once a light is off the lens axis, it is not longer a fill light. It is then a second light, and as kundalini mentioned often kills any shadow modeling that adds a sense of depth to a shot.

 

[ghache]

Softter/larger/closer light modifier will reduice shadows.

 

[gsgary]

Another thing is it looks like you have 2 lights from the front at the same angle and same power which is giving you very flat lighting

 

[ghache]

You could also use another light source on your backdrop to kill the shadows produced from your other key lights,

 

[Keysersose]

Funnily enough, Cliff Richard asked the same question for years.

 

[willis_927]

Another thing is it looks like you have 2 lights from the front at the same angle and same power which is giving you very flat lighting

The flash camera right is at a much bigger angle (perhaps not enough), And is also metered to be 1 stop brighter, which was how I was "trying" to achieve some depth.

 

[willis_927]

Funnily enough, Cliff Richard asked the same question for years.

funny.. maybe.... If i had any idea who that was.

 

[Keysersose]

Funnily enough, Cliff Richard asked the same question for years.

funny.. maybe.... If i had any idea who that was.

Ah Willis, you have not lived..........

 

[gsgary]

The source was 2 speed lights, 1 canon 430 EXII camera right, and the other is a yongnuo 560.
This was shot at f6.3, 1/200th, ISO 400 in manual.
The main light was about 3-4 feet away camera right at about 45 degrees to the child
If i remember correctly, when I metered this light the meter read 1/200th at F5.6.. I can't remmeber what power I had the 430 EXII set at. It currently say 1/8th, but I had played around a bit during the shoot.

The other light was slightly camera left and about 7 feet away from the child.
And again if I remember correctly It metered at about 1/200 at F4.

You don't mention an modifiers fitted to your lights if they are bare that will cause shadows

 

[gsgary]

Funnily enough, Cliff Richard asked the same question for years.

funny.. maybe.... If i had any idea who that was.

Ah Willis, you have not lived..........

Just google Peter Pan of pop