New light kit:) !!!! Shadow advice much appreciated

[rachelrach11]

Santa was sweet enough to bring me a Nikkor sb700 and a Westcott apollo orb speedlight kit... With my daughters first birthday being in a couple days, I decided to test out my new toys for this occasion. The flash stand was positioned camera right about 2-3 feet above miss Piper and tilted down at about a 45 degree angle.


I wanted a softer light so i used the front diffuser on the kit and a reflector was placed camera left ( back corner) in hopes to lessen the shadows.


I am not super happy with the outcome due to all the shadows. I love to photography newborns and children in this studio type setup and I want the light to be a natural as possible.


Is there a technique that I can do with this single light kit to prevent this from happening again?


I had hoped to try and get away with using just a single light setup and a reflector for these types of shots. Would this be possible using this setup that i have or would i get better results from a alien bee type product such as an AB400?

 

[rachelrach11]

Would keeping the flash on camera and bouncing from the ceiling lessen these shadows or would I still get the under chin shadows this way as well ?

 

[frommrstomommy]

I don't know anything about this but I'm gonna stay tuned.. lol she's so cute!

 

[Mully]

Shadows are a natural thing ...look at trees out in the sun. I would not get rid of shadows just keep them directional and extremely soft for your subject matter. A shadow helps ground the image and as long as you do not have multiple shadows it will look natural. Some people chase shadows with more light... not a way to go. Keep your light in one direction and use cards as fill.

 

[Sweetneers]

Shadows in the first two look totally fine to me. You could always try some photo shoping if you're super unhappy with them. Photo three isn't two terrible either. I'd just say, maybe try from other angles that don't show so much shadow, or trying to diffuse (by bouncing like you said) the flash further, and brought in a little more ambient lighting. The flash looks a little too harsh/bright to me anyways.

In the last photo, I would have brought the camera down a little more and rid myself of the shadow, since you only have one light.

As you master one light, you might want to try adding in another, budget providing, that will help fill and reduce those shadows.

On a side note: I haven't forgotten about shooting with you! I'm trying to wait for something that you can shoot too, so you can add it to your port. Plus, I'll be downtown a lot more in the coming months, since I'll be at UAB which means more shoots! Haha.

 

[Tee]

I think you did nice and are on your way to doing great things. Having this equipment to start with will really challenge your ability to create what you want. That's a good thing! The shadows aren't atrocious by any means. Sometimes shadows add depth, mood, and contrast. If anything, I'd say the images all need to tiny bump in exposure to brighten things up. With regards to reflector placement, I think if you moved it closer and opposite the flash, that would've helped greatly.

 

[Derrel]

Whoa,whoa,whoa...this is excellent lighting. If anything, I think the shadow density is too low...the shadows add "realism"...they add shape, size,distance cues. The shadow under the cake "anchors" the cake. And...the shadows are very open, very light in value in all these. I know what you were looking for, buuuut...to get that light,airy,open,almost-no-visible-shadows look, you would need to light this set with a HUGE light modifier. Something much,much bigger than a speedlight Apollo. A BIG white-fabric diffusion or reflector panel, or two clipped together, creating say an 8x8 foot fabric panel, or something along that size, would produce the kind of lighting effect that I think you were hoping for. What you are desirous of is often called "soft, wrap-around" lighting.

Soft, wrap-around lighting has almost no shadows. It can be post-processed in many ways, and "pushed" very hard in post, since there are no real shadows to plug up.

One easy way to get soft, wrap-around lighting if you do not have access to large panels is to set up 3 or 4 umbrellas in a row, or to bounce 3 or 4 flashes off of a wall and or wall/ceiling juncture, thus creating that literal/figurative "wall of light". That allows kids to move around quite a bit,and allows easy posing. On one small baby, "a large" light source is going to be relative to the size of the set/shot; for one 1 year-old kid + cake, a "large" source that will give wraparound could be a 36x48 inch softbox or 60 inch umbrella that is JUST outside the camera's view, with a big fill reflector JUST outside the image area...for a family of 5...that same umbrella or box will be, relatively speaking, "smaller", so it will cast more of a shadow, and the light will be a bit more-contrasty.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

she's beautiful

 

[keith foster]

I vote with Derrel on this. These are really nice and the shadows are nice and soft. There are times when you want flat lighting but this isn't one of them IMHO. Your daughter is so cute and these are excellent birthday shots. I am willing to bet 90% of Moms and Dads would love to have pictures of this quality of their child's birhtdays.

Well done. You have a great start on using your new toys!

 

[rachelrach11]

Shadows are a natural thing ...look at trees out in the sun. I would not get rid of shadows just keep them directional and extremely soft for your subject matter. A shadow helps ground the image and as long as you do not have multiple shadows it will look natural. Some people chase shadows with more light... not a way to go. Keep your light in one direction and use cards as fill.

Thanks a bunch for the advice

 

[rachelrach11]

Shadows in the first two look totally fine to me. You could always try some photo shoping if you're super unhappy with them. Photo three isn't two terrible either. I'd just say, maybe try from other angles that don't show so much shadow, or trying to diffuse (by bouncing like you said) the flash further, and brought in a little more ambient lighting. The flash looks a little too harsh/bright to me anyways.

In the last photo, I would have brought the camera down a little more and rid myself of the shadow, since you only have one light.

As you master one light, you might want to try adding in another, budget providing, that will help fill and reduce those shadows.

On a side note: I haven't forgotten about shooting with you! I'm trying to wait for something that you can shoot too, so you can add it to your port. Plus, I'll be downtown a lot more in the coming months, since I'll be at UAB which means more shoots! Haha.

Thanks for your advice!! Great! Your still the awesomest! Let me know and I'm there

 

[rachelrach11]

I think you did nice and are on your way to doing great things. Having this equipment to start with will really challenge your ability to create what you want. That's a good thing! The shadows aren't atrocious by any means. Sometimes shadows add depth, mood, and contrast. If anything, I'd say the images all need to tiny bump in exposure to brighten things up. With regards to reflector placement, I think if you moved it closer and opposite the flash, that would've helped greatly.

Great! Thanks so much!

 

[rachelrach11]

Whoa,whoa,whoa...this is excellent lighting. If anything, I think the shadow density is too low...the shadows add "realism"...they add shape, size,distance cues. The shadow under the cake "anchors" the cake. And...the shadows are very open, very light in value in all these. I know what you were looking for, buuuut...to get that light,airy,open,almost-no-visible-shadows look, you would need to light this set with a HUGE light modifier. Something much,much bigger than a speedlight Apollo. A BIG white-fabric diffusion or reflector panel, or two clipped together, creating say an 8x8 foot fabric panel, or something along that size, would produce the kind of lighting effect that I think you were hoping for. What you are desirous of is often called "soft, wrap-around" lighting.

Soft, wrap-around lighting has almost no shadows. It can be post-processed in many ways, and "pushed" very hard in post, since there are no real shadows to plug up.

One easy way to get soft, wrap-around lighting if you do not have access to large panels is to set up 3 or 4 umbrellas in a row, or to bounce 3 or 4 flashes off of a wall and or wall/ceiling juncture, thus creating that literal/figurative "wall of light". That allows kids to move around quite a bit,and allows easy posing. On one small baby, "a large" light source is going to be relative to the size of the set/shot; for one 1 year-old kid + cake, a "large" source that will give wraparound could be a 36x48 inch softbox or 60 inch umbrella that is JUST outside the camera's view, with a big fill reflector JUST outside the image area...for a family of 5...that same umbrella or box will be, relatively speaking, "smaller", so it will cast more of a shadow, and the light will be a bit more-contrasty.

Thanks so much!! You always give me extremely helpful advise

 

[rachelrach11]

she's beautiful

Thanks! She's sweet. Just hope that she doesn't grow out of her sweetness as her 4 year old brother

 

[TonysTouch]

Try moving the light closer to your daughter. Don't lose the shadows in these photos. Without full clothing present, they help define and shape your daughter, and I don't think the photos would be as pleasing shadowless.

You could always reflect the light back toward the light to soften the shadows a bit, but the look great.