Selfies: First time practice w/ off cam flash

[FlakoFigZ]

Got my backdrop set up w/ a Minolta 3600hs flash unit to the bottom right of cam for these shots.

I like the effect, but I know improvement can be had.

What do you guys think?

(Flickr Compression killed these, sorry)

 

[mwcfarms]

Be careful about not leaving much room above the head. Were these cropped? I don't mind the lighting but the shadow in number 2 is bothering me. Competes with the image for my eyes. Keep practicing and thanks for sharing.

 

[Derrel]

These look very badly under-exposed to me.

 

[FlakoFigZ]

Be careful about not leaving much room above the head. Were these cropped? I don't mind the lighting but the shadow in number 2 is bothering me. Competes with the image for my eyes. Keep practicing and thanks for sharing.

Thanks, I was using a 50mm and didnt really have much room, thats why im kneeling in most of the shots.

#2 I wanted to make it look like a movie-still from a suspense flick.

edit. I did crop these down a bit, i'd have maybe half an inch to a full inch extra above me if i didnt crop.

These look very badly under-exposed to me.

I purposefully did this with the lighting for these shots. My speedlight was placed low and away. I wanted a lot of hard shadow.

Just tried something a bit different for me i guess.

 

[bigtwinky]

As mentionned, they are under exposed quite a bit and the crops are tight.

Cropping so tight in camera gives you no room to process. As you are doing off camera lights, I assume your goal is to shoot actual models, people and what not? If so, you need to leave enough room to allow to crop for an 8x10 or 8x12 or whatever the client wants. Shoot wider. I must say that these crops gives a great "I'm stuck in a box, help" feel.

The exposure is #2 is not as low as the exposures in the others. The others are all too dark. I can get the moody feel and the side lighting, but still needs to be well exposed

Watch the background...in #2, upper right hand side, I see a cimple/crumple/bundle/odd looking piece of background

For compositions, I prefer to see eyes. Only one of these I can actually see an eye. In some cases shooting closed eyes is ok, but the viewer connects the most with the eyes of a subject, not their ears. And watch the cutting off of limbs, you are missing a piece of shoe in #1

 

[bigtwinky]

These look very badly under-exposed to me.

I purposefully did this with the lighting for these shots. My speedlight was placed low and away. I wanted a lot of hard shadow.

Not underexposed, just different.

Different yes, and underexposed. If by different you mean different than the norm of well exposed images, then you are correct.
Learn to achieve a lighting setup for a mood you want AND keeping it well exposed. People today have such an odd ideas... they make things over exposed and way badly bright and call it high key. Then they under expose the image and call it moody.

No. Try being different, that's great, but exposure is exposure. Your second image gave a good moody feel, harsh shadows but has better exposure than the other 3.

Is this going to be a thread where you explain why the images are "different" and throw out excuses to explain your "intended" end result, without taking in what people are saying? Discussions are great, but when an image has flaws, it has flaws.

 

[FlakoFigZ]

As mentionned, they are under exposed quite a bit and the crops are tight.

Cropping so tight in camera gives you no room to process. As you are doing off camera lights, I assume your goal is to shoot actual models, people and what not? If so, you need to leave enough room to allow to crop for an 8x10 or 8x12 or whatever the client wants. Shoot wider. I must say that these crops gives a great "I'm stuck in a box, help" feel.

The exposure is #2 is not as low as the exposures in the others. The others are all too dark. I can get the moody feel and the side lighting, but still needs to be well exposed

Watch the background...in #2, upper right hand side, I see a cimple/crumple/bundle/odd looking piece of background

For compositions, I prefer to see eyes. Only one of these I can actually see an eye. In some cases shooting closed eyes is ok, but the viewer connects the most with the eyes of a subject, not their ears. And watch the cutting off of limbs, you are missing a piece of shoe in #1

I'll keep this in mind! Thanks for the input.

Upper right hand side was the top corner of the paper roll.

I'll practice getting eyes today

 

[FlakoFigZ]

These look very badly under-exposed to me.

I purposefully did this with the lighting for these shots. My speedlight was placed low and away. I wanted a lot of hard shadow.

Not underexposed, just different.

Different yes, and underexposed. If by different you mean different than the norm of well exposed images, then you are correct.
Learn to achieve a lighting setup for a mood you want AND keeping it well exposed. People today have such an odd ideas... they make things over exposed and way badly bright and call it high key. Then they under expose the image and call it moody.

No. Try being different, that's great, but exposure is exposure. Your second image gave a good moody feel, harsh shadows but has better exposure than the other 3.

Is this going to be a thread where you explain why the images are "different" and throw out excuses to explain your "intended" end result, without taking in what people are saying? Discussions are great, but when an image has flaws, it has flaws.

I didn't mean to make it seem like I was trying to throw out excuses, I guess it's hard to read emotion through type.

Now that I look at it I can see where the exposure is a bit off. I'll retry these and modify the lighting and camera settings a bit.

 

[Over Exposed]

I actually like the low key lighting, especially for the self portrait angle and wouldn't label it as 'under exposed'. I'd say you are off to a good start if this is your first time toying with OCF.