I gave Studio photography a try......uh oh....

[AMOMENT]

Well, I have some studio lights and borrowed some stuff and took some of this family. They loved them which made me happy but I know there is lots of work to be done. Im don't really have the equipment to completely use and manipulate the light the way I want/wanted to......so this is what I came up with. Their shirts are a little over blown and I lost some detail as well as because they have dark hair, you lose the sight of their hair against the black background. I could have used a hair light except for the fact that I well, don't have one. I didn't have a lot of space to put between them and the background, and the room was pretty narror so I couldn't reallyposition the additional lighting where I wanted it.

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1 by energizero, on Flickr

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5 by energizero, on Flickr

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6 by energizero, on Flickr

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7 by energizero, on Flickr

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36 by energizero, on Flickr

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34 by energizero, on Flickr

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53 by energizero, on Flickr

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59 by energizero, on Flickr

 

[thetrue]

Does the dad sell cars?

Kidding aside, the light is CRAZY harsh.....

 

[AMOMENT]

LMAO...actually he is an undercover cop...haha...I know! ...ugh on the lighting! I had to use an sb700 and two lamps that barely lit up the room..........lighting was terrible and I couldn't position the lights to the side of them bc the room was so narrow....they were more pointed at them which is why they look a bit flat and harsh.........I literally had a 8 foot room by 13 foot length room to use........

 

[tirediron]

You've already identified most of the main points. A couple of things that would have helped a lot are: Discussing clothing choices. Black and white outfits on a black background? Not the best; either go for jewel tones/primary colours or use a different background. Dialing down your exposure. Your lights are probably a stop over which is really hurting the images. That aside, for your first go at studio work, they're not bad. Did you have highlight clipping displayed on your rear LCD?

 

[DiskoJoe]

You've already identified most of the main points. A couple of things that would have helped a lot are: Discussing clothing choices. Black and white outfits on a black background? Not the best; either go for jewel tones/primary colours or use a different background. Dialing down your exposure. Your lights are probably a stop over which is really hurting the images. That aside, for your first go at studio work, they're not bad. Did you have highlight clipping displayed on your rear LCD?

In #3 dad looks like hes missing half his head and has no legs.

 

[AMOMENT]

I only had a black background and they were DEAD SET on this wardrobe attire.... I had two lights each positioned in front of them but to the side. I would have preferred them much more to the side of them and a hairlight. I aLlso had my sb700 on camera which is such a NO/NO but i simply could not get enough light.

 

[AMOMENT]

yeah, I don't like crop in 3 either....I loved that the father was kissing her and she was like "ugh, dad."

 

[AMOMENT]

I will say that bc the pics are so flat and the light was straight at them, it did give a flawless look to their skin which the mom liked =)))

 

[Pallycow]

I either don't see it well or you didn't have a light to light up the background? that would help to eliminate the shadows on it. and yeah. already said, but had you just stopped down your lights a bit it would not be so nuclear.

also, was your main light higher than your second? helps to have them offset for depth vs. lit up all around.

 

[AMOMENT]

actually the lights that I have are so basic there is no adjusting them...just on and off =( I positioned my main light
(which is exactly the same light as the other one)...slightly higher then the other one. I think the problem really could have been fixed if I could have put some space between them..........angled them differently and more off to the side. A hairlight would have made them pop from the background and if I had a larger room I could have pulled them foward more but that wouldn't of left me enough DOF to get them in focus...........so, limited and a bit unsatisfied but they were happy so I guess I'm somewhat happy...........I know what I would/should do different just need to find a way/place/get material to make it happen...

 

[Pallycow]

it's hard starting, I have been in studio a lot past two months (finally) personally and each time I leave it I learn something I should have done. Each time, knock on wood, it's been something less and less impactive that I screwed up on....man is pp so much simpler when we get it closer to "correct" the first time. lol.

Last time I left a constant, and yellow, light on my backdrop for the rest of the set. I could have kicked myself later...I was mad. lol. Totally know better but wasn't paying attention.

I got myself some triggers so I can use strobe on my backdrop for my next sitting...yay. cheap easy fix for 3rd lighting by the way. triggers for 30 bucks and a little 270 flash for the backdrop. just one I had laying around, but you can really use any flash for it as it's not that demanding.

lots of little cheap things you can use till you can afford a "real" setup.

 

[AMOMENT]

Thanks! How much was the strobe? How many watts? Are you using a light meter as well? I don't have one of those and so a lot of times when I'm shooting with additional light, my means of evaluating the correct exposure are not too technical. I have one SB700 which is a great little light. I really should use it off camera more.

 

[AMOMENT]

So..exciting but I found a 3200 watt light/soft box light set along with a boom stand/light which I can use as the hairlight I believe...for 150$ on ebay! I think that these along with my other two additional lights might allow me to ditch the sb700 or at least place it off camera. Space is a hard thing to come by.

Do you work in your own studio? Are you loving it? So true about getting it right in camera...what a difference...lol!

 

[Pallycow]

Thanks! How much was the strobe? How many watts? Are you using a light meter as well? I don't have one of those and so a lot of times when I'm shooting with additional light, my means of evaluating the correct exposure are not too technical. I have one SB700 which is a great little light. I really should use it off camera more.

the littel flash I use was given to me, but new they are like 150 bucks I think. But you can really use any old cheap flash to light up a backdrop..might take a shot or two before your clients get there to set it to the right output.

No I don't have a light meter, be nice if I did, but not on the budget now. I just use the histogram on camera to judge. I take practice shots before client gets there of either myself or my assistant, given I have one that day, read histogram and determine if I need more or less output.

Honestly, I just set up what I know works as most studio settings are the same really, then adjust based on actual sitting if we are doing anything out of the ordinary. I have two mono lights, left and right, and I use on camera to activate the monolights via the optical thingy, I point my on camera flash up to the ceiling so as not to have it interfere with the shot. we have black ceilings in the studio I use. and the reflector is off to the left side of subjects, and flash for backdrop. Pretty standard set up really...nothing fancy.

We have a hair light on a large boom in there too, but I keep forgetting to play with it..as I have not used one yet. lol

 

[Pallycow]

So..exciting but I found a 3200 watt light/soft box light set along with a boom stand/light which I can use as the hairlight I believe...for 150$ on ebay! I think that these along with my other two additional lights might allow me to ditch the sb700 or at least place it off camera. Space is a hard thing to come by.

Do you work in your own studio? Are you loving it? So true about getting it right in camera...what a difference...lol!

YOu'll love the monolight/softbox kit. they are very useful. I used to use one monolight and an umbrella, but I just use two lights now, its easier.

I work at a photog shop, which has a studio adjacent to it, and they let me use it when I book my own clients that are not affiliated with the store. So yeah, kinda like being in heaven right now. lol