Looking for advice on lighting!

[ghache]

I love the crotch bounce technique.

Flickr: Discussing New strobist technique: Introducing the "Crotch Bounce!" in Strobist.com

 

[MelissaP]

When bouncing light off of ceilings you can get dark eye sockets (raccoon eye) because the light is coming down from almost directly over head. however, you can use a 'bounce card'
to direct some of the light straight forward to add 'fill light' to the eye sockets.

The bounced light will also take on a color cast based on the color of the ceiling or any other bounce surface.

For on camera flash work I recommend visitng the following blog and getting Neil's books: http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/

On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography

Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers

A good resource for gaining a technical understanding of the basics of photographic lighting is:
Light Science and Magic, Fourth Edition: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

Thanks for all of that great info KmH!!! I can't wait to collect all of those books (Got one so far-Light, science and Magic)! And read, read, and read :meh: You're right of course. Some of the faces that I've taken photos of in my place so far definitely have raccoon eyes lol. And my walls are light green so their skin tones have a slight hue change as well. I've noticed a huge change since using my new to me 5 in 1 reflector. Really appreciated!

 

[MLeeK]

Books-there are two by Neil Van Niekerk that are fantastic. Can't remember the name of them off hand.
Check out Strobist. Phenomenal for using speedlights off camera. Anything he uses there in speedlights can be applied to strobes with very little think through.

 

[KmH]

Books-there are two by Neil Van Niekerk that are fantastic. Can't remember the name of them off hand.
Check out Strobist. Phenomenal for using speedlights off camera. Anything he uses there in speedlights can be applied to strobes with very little think through.

On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography

Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers

 

[MelissaP]

I love the crotch bounce technique.

Flickr: Discussing New strobist technique: Introducing the "Crotch Bounce!" in Strobist.com

Lol! I love it too. So funny, yet seemingly effective.

 

[MelissaP]

On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography

Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers

I really appreciate your help, guys What a great author Neil is!

 

[MelissaP]

I really appreciate your help, guys What a great author Neil is!

And an amazing photogragher too!

 

[MelissaP]

A reflector can be almost anything. One the colors start getting darker though, they become too inefficient to use. A black shirt would definitely not have worked as it would have absorbed most of the light.

Of course, that makes total sense! I used white tissue paper with my external on Halloween to photograph my two lil ones after dark-worked so well lol!!