Need a little bit of advice...

malsech

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Ok, so I got my studio lights finally. I need some help though. I want a little bit of critique with the lighting set-up that I have. I made a diagram of my set-up. My main idea is that my lights are way to close to my subject, but I didnt get a chance to mess around because they were visiting, and they had to go. So, could my first problem be that my lights are too close to my subject? The power of the lights are 160 w/second each which is 320 w/second total. What do you all notice that I am doing wrong or could be doing better to affect my picture? Any help is def appreciated....

lighting_diagram-600x511.jpg



DSC_0231_copy-377x600.jpg


Any suggestions or ideas?
 
It looks like the lights are too close. Can you diffuse them more? That would give you the light sans the white highlights. Another consideration might be the backdrop. Have you considered using photographic backdrop paper instead of a white cloth?
 
You might want to get a reflector on the dark side of the male's arm and the shadow between his thighs too.
 
Lights being too close is rarely a problem. The closer the lights, the bigger the light source appears to the subject, and the softer the light. The main problem with your setup is that you have a light on camera right that is essentially only hitting the man, and casting a shadow onto the woman behind him. Your light at camera left is in a perfect position to cast even light on both subjects. I would have placed the light at camera right in back as a rim light, and pointed your hairlight at the background to illuminate it. Move the subjects much further from the background also, if you can.

The most glaring mistakes with this portrait however, are the color and composition. It's very magenta, and the cropping and posing is odd. The man's ear is nearly a tangent with the womans cheek. Having the woman lean foward with her head on his shoulder, and having the man turned towards the new key light (camera left) would help tremendously I suspect.
 

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