New strobes: Reflection lighting test #1

[Canon Fan]

Finally got my set of monostrobes the other day and began testing different setups and scenarios. This is one I have wanted to try for a long time but never had the equipment to do so. Last night I spent a few hours shooting things with moderate-high reflectivity. Here is one of my favorite.

I should note that there is no excessive photoshopping on this image. All of the lighting is "as is" from the camera however I did edit this one on my laptop so the hue looks just a smidge off to me on my monitor and I think maybe I could have gone another 1/3 to 1/2 stop on the shadow fill but I still like it. I did need to put a slight blur on part of the background that caught some texture detail from the wall behind where I had this all setup

Thanks for looking and any thoughts/comments in advance:mrgreen:

 

[LaFoto]

What a brilliantly polished and dusted surface is this! This is soooo cool. I really like how you set up your light to achieve this.
My question - a language-related one - is: what is a strobe? Is it a light that only flashes, like a flash does, in the moment of exposure, or are those lights that you switch on, they illuminate your studio/room for all the while you focus and shoot, and then you go to a light switch and switch them off again?

 

[cjoe]

i love the photo. I haven't heard that term before; monostrobe, what is that?

 

[Canon Fan]

Sorry guys I may have used the wrong term but basically they are studio flashes. All of the electronics are built in to each unit rather than having cables that get their info and power from a central control box each "strobe" or flash is an independent unit. The set I ordered came with three although I only used two of them for this shot each with a 27" softbox. The polished surface is actually a piece of glass from an old stereo cabinet placed on top of black posterboard.

Thanks for the compliments :hail: I also did some tests with jewlry that I might have time to post this week as well

If I ever get time I'll see if I can throw together another tutorial on this one

 

[Rob]

Great job man! Really well done!

Rob

 

[cjoe]

thanks for the explaination