Studio Photography

[mike3767]

I'm venturing into the studio photography. Here is my first picture with my poor mans studio. I purchased the kit from my local camera store for $150. I purchased the felt from a local fabric store and here is what I got. Let me have your C & C. Be kind as this is my first time.

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[JeffieLove]

First question - is the felt long enough that you can pull it down more and have the floor covered with it as well? If not, get more felt )

Second - Puppy dog's eye on camera left is not in focus. A more narrow aperture would have been better Anything above f/4 would be better

 

[Ratman667]

I have never played with lights, but your setup looks like the same one I have been looking at...

As for the photo, I would brighten the left side of the face a bit more and maybe move the light on the right side around to get rid of the glare in the dogs eye.

 

[o hey tyler]

So I take it that those are continuous lights? You need to increase your shutter speed, for one. The image looks soft due to camera shake from .4s @ 60mm. I suggest increasing your ISO, or returning the continuous light kit and getting cheap strobes.

 

[JeffieLove]

I have never played with lights, but your setup looks like the same one I have been looking at...

As for the photo, I would brighten the left side of the face a bit more and maybe move the light on the right side around to get rid of the glare in the dogs eye.

That glare is called a specular highlight and those are very important in portraiture

 

[mike3767]

Yes, the felt is long enough I just rolled it up so our dog wouldn't destroy it and I did have it on a tripod but was too excited to take pics and didn't plug in my remote. I do agree that the left side is dark and will do better the next time but thanks for the help, I hope to get better as time goes on. Jeffielove, how do you get rid of the glare in the eye?

 

[KmH]

You don't. It's called a catchlight and it is desireable in portraits.

You might turn your lights so they are pointing down, raise the light stands, and use the umbrellas as a shoot-through light modifier rather than as a bounced light modifier. you can get the unbrellas closer to your subjects that way, making them seem larger which make the light softer and results in a little better control of spill.

You needed more light in the dogs left eye. Because of a dogs snout f/2.8 will be problematic as far as getting a dogs entire face in the DOF.

Most professional portraiture is done at smaller lens apertures (f/4 to f/11).

 

[Pistols and Pearls]

I have a bullmastiff that looks similar! Nice Shot and I am too looking for studio lighting to take to have Newborn pictures and eventually open up my studio.

 

[mike3767]

Pistols and Pearls, I've done a lot of research and you won't find the exact answer your looking for as far as lighting. It's amazing how different people's views are on lighting. Some say flash and the others say continuous. I decided on continuos due to cost. I will buy flash in the future and make my own opinion after that. I thought they turned out good for my first attempt and plan on getting better. I will say lighting is a whole different ball game. Good luck and would like to see pics of your dog!

 

[Pistols and Pearls]

Here he is! My puppy Kemper!!!!

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[o hey tyler]

Continuous lights are great if you don't have a subject that moves... They're cheap, they produce light, and they even have stands. However, if your subject moves, or YOU would like to move... You won't be able to have the shutter speed leeway that you would need. You're shooting at a very low shutter speed for your focal length. Normally it's "1/focal length" for your shutter speed, unless you have a tripod. So if you're shooting at 60mm you would need to have a shutter speed of at least 1/60. Probably 1/100 would be a safer bet. You won't get any motion blur with strobes, unless you have a really fast moving subject. I suspect that may be why your subject lacks sharpness in your first photo.