Lighting HELP!!

[JenLavazza]

Like usual my lighting is off. I really need to invest in lights!

What do I need to do to fix this???

 

[c.cloudwalker]

On my monitor it looks like some white areas closest to the window may be blown but they fairly small and all things considered it is again a very nice portrait.

 

[JenLavazza]

Should I just spot select those bright areas and darken them? I had to lighten my daughter up becuase she was too much in a shadow...but now the lighting looks funny to me. Maybe that's what's throwing me off? You know how you see it the first time and then after you edit it, it looks weird sometimes?? lol This is actually an older picture I went back to edit. I took it a few weeks after I got my camera. My daughter is 4 months there....she's 9 months now!! They grow up too fast!

 

[Village Idiot]

Put a speedlight on camera and adjust for minor fill. It's not bad, but the kid is obscured from the main source by the shadow from the animals.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Should I just spot select those bright areas and darken them? I had to lighten my daughter up becuase she was too much in a shadow...but now the lighting looks funny to me. Maybe that's what's throwing me off? You know how you see it the first time and then after you edit it, it looks weird sometimes?? lol

Yes, just burn those areas a bit if there are details there.

Sometimes you need to step away and come back later. When you look at a picture for too long it can start looking weird even if it is not.

 

[KmH]

Put a speedlight on camera and adjust for minor fill. It's not bad, but the kid is obscured from the main source by the shadow from the animals.

Or at least a reflector or 2.

If you want pro looking photos of children you have to learn how to use flash. Off camera flash is best.

 

[Samanax]

I really need to invest in lights!

What do I need to do to fix this???

MidWest Photo Exchange: Strobist Inventory

Strobist: Lighting 101

Strobist: Lighting 102

Portrait Lighting For Beginners: Introduction

dg28: New Technique Pages

dg28.com: Old Technique Pages

Basics Of Flash Photography

Flash Photography Techniques

Learning To Light Better

Lighting Essentials

Explained Lighting Schemes