Ugg, why did they wear white when I asked them to wear bold colors....

[gsgary]

I'd focus on working on focus (hah) first, then color issues (orange on the back three, flat light on the front girl?) which are probably also lighting issues. Then I'd worry about post processing and outfits. Are you using continuous light + on camera flash?

I use continuous lighting in my studio. I do not like using a flash (unless absolutely neccessary) because you can fix it easier if it's too dark, but harder to fix when to too much light. As far as focusing, I usually do pretty well, but did mess up the 1st one.

Thats why we use flash meters, your shutter speed on these was only 1/60 probably why they are soft because there is no power in your lights, flash will freeze any movemnt

 

[tirediron]

I bought my lighting studio and love it,

Because you've never used strobes and it's all you know.

Once winter is over, I won't hardly use that thing as I prefer outdoor photography...natural light.

Light is light. All light is made of the same thing, and AFAIK, no one has as yet, invented a synthetic photon, ergo, all light is 'natural'.

Photography is all about light. Without light, you have no photograph. Indoors, or out, bright day or cloudy, only on rare occasions can a photograph not be improved by the addition or control of light. Granted, you can get acceptable photographs quite often with sunlight alone, and if you're happy to settle for mediocre, that's fine, but why limit yourself? Study lighting, learn to use and control light and grow as a photographer.

 

[tirediron]

I'd focus on working on focus (hah) first, then color issues (orange on the back three, flat light on the front girl?) which are probably also lighting issues. Then I'd worry about post processing and outfits. Are you using continuous light + on camera flash?

I use continuous lighting in my studio. I do not like using a flash (unless absolutely neccessary) because you can fix it easier if it's too dark, but harder to fix when to too much light. As far as focusing, I usually do pretty well, but did mess up the 1st one.

Thats why we use flash meters, your shutter speed on these was only 1/60 probably why they are soft because there is no power in your lights, flash will freeze any movemnt

^^This. A flash meter is too portrait photography what the knife and fork are to the family dinner. Yes, you can get by without it, but it's slow, messy, and the results are never as good as they could be.

 

[luvmyfamily]

I use continuous lighting in my studio. I do not like using a flash (unless absolutely neccessary) because you can fix it easier if it's too dark, but harder to fix when to too much light. As far as focusing, I usually do pretty well, but did mess up the 1st one.

Thats why we use flash meters, your shutter speed on these was only 1/60 probably why they are soft because there is no power in your lights, flash will freeze any movemnt

^^This. A flash meter is too portrait photography what the knife and fork are to the family dinner. Yes, you can get by without it, but it's slow, messy, and the results are never as good as they could be.

I'm studying....I'm studying....thank you, thank you.......

 

[DiskoJoe]

The aperture is not the problem. Its the focus that is the problem. f13 with proper lighting would not cause the background to be out of focus. Also the black backdrop was not a good choice. The moms dark hair bleeds into the background and dad is missing part of his head due to this as well. The white shirts had nothing to do with what went wrong here.

 

[Village Idiot]

Well IMO you shouldn't use them together. But Tylers asking why are you using continuous instead of strobe for portraits. My guess is $$.

I bought my lighting studio and love it, but just need to learn to position the lights correctly. Once winter is over, I won't hardly use that thing as I prefer outdoor photography...natural light.

I hope you're not charging for these...

People that are often self proclaimed natural light photographers fear flash because they don't know how to use it. The best photographers use flash to accomplish a totally natural look.

http://www.iheartfaces.com/2011/05/flash-photography/

 

[o hey tyler]

Well IMO you shouldn't use them together. But Tylers asking why are you using continuous instead of strobe for portraits. My guess is $$.

I bought my lighting studio and love it, but just need to learn to position the lights correctly. Once winter is over, I won't hardly use that thing as I prefer outdoor photography...natural light.

No, you don't need to learn how to position your lights correctly, that won't help you use a lower ISO or a higher shutter speed to freeze motion. You need MUCH MORE POWERFUL lights. You shouldn't be shooting portraits at ISO 800-1600 in a studio which SHOULD render ideal image quality. You also shouldn't be shooting people in a studio with a 1/60s shutter speed.

 

[KmH]

Unless you have really bright continuous lights, it's much better to use flash in portrait photography. You were shooting on ISO 800 or 1600, that is excessive for studio shooting. Your shutter speed was also on 1/60s which does no favors to the sharpness of the image.

Why don't you want to use off camera flash?

I thought someone said earlier it's NOT good to use flash with continuous lights because you have two types of lighting. I dunno...think I'm over this thread.

Constant lights and flash usually have different color temperatures and the issue is known as 'mixed lighting'. Mixed lighting adds some complications to setting the white balance, but strobed light can be gelled to the color temperature of the constant lights as a fairly simple solution to the issue. Gels on the constant lights are prone to melting from the heat constant lights generate, which is why the strobes usually get gelled.

Doing photography well requires understanding both the artistic and technical fundamentals.
Light Science and Magic, Fourth Edition: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

Photographic Lighting Equipment: A Comprehensive Guide for Digital Photographers

You are having to crank up the ISO and open the lens aperture because continuous lighting isn't as bright to the camera as it is to your eyes.

Lets assume you have a constant light that is 500 watts. That is actually 500 watts in one second, or 500 watts per second. But you used a shutter speed of 1/60 of a second. So 500 watts divided by 60 = only 8.3 watts that 500 watt light will deliver while the camera shutter is open for just 1/60 of a second. Eight watts is not very much light even for human eyes, let alone being enough light for the camera.
A 500 watt constant light gets really hot, really quickly too.

Strobed light (flash) delivers a lot more light than constant lights can, but delivers the light in a veery much shorter period of time. A decent hot shoe flash delivers about 75 watt seconds. It is important to note the work per is not included there. Entry-level studio strobes have power ratings of well over 100 watt seconds. I recommend a minimum of 150 watt seconds for a studio strobe. Studio strobes have low power constant lights (modeling lights) so the photographer can see where the shadows will be when the much brighter strobe fires. In other words, the modeling lights are used as an aid for placing your lights.

A big advantage to using flash is that you can control the ambient light exposure separately from the strobed light exposure with a single shutter release. Shutter speed controls the ambient light exposure, lens aperture controls the strobed light exposure.
The flash of strobed light has a short enough duration the flash of light takes over the motion stopping task of the shutter speed.

Outside or location shooting you will have even less control over the light than you have now shooting in your studio, even using constant lights. Location shooting usually still requires using an array of supplimental lighting gear, like at least a reflector or 2.
Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Location Photography

 

[One2]

Interesting read. Thanks for all the knowledge you guys/gals bring to the table.

 

[punch]

Your exif is embedded in the image file, I know it can be hidden but I don't think it can be altered easily. Are you shooting in Auto? Auto generally loves flash.

I think the exif said Program which is similar to auto....
Flash wont pop up on shutter priority, aperture priority or manual....

It doesn't pop up in P either...

 

[RauschPhotography]

I use continuous lighting in my studio. I do not like using a flash (unless absolutely neccessary) because you can fix it easier if it's too dark, but harder to fix when to too much light. As far as focusing, I usually do pretty well, but did mess up the 1st one.

Is it a focusing issue or a DOF issue??

Megan, it was a DOF issue. I just looked back and I had my aperture set at f13! I took SO many pics of this group, I didn't re-set my aperture from the previous one, which is why the background was blurred...OK, so I am posting in the beginners section, what aperture would be best to not have a backround blur?

Yikes. Did you get paid for this?

 

[cmerc4]

Yes but do you know why you are using those settings?

You hVe a light Meter in your camera that will help you expose your photos - it doesn't have to be guesswork or memorizing what works in what situations.

The meter

-......0.....+

Looks something like that.

Seriously buy the Bryan Peterson book - its cheap and worth it IMO.
Or google exposure triangle and metering.....

I just "discovered" my light meter and it has made me SO much more confident with exposure! Thanks for this thread everyone, very helpful to us beginners!

 

[MReid]

Try f4 next time.....or one stop above the biggest f-stop you have.
Never underexpose it plays hell with skin tones and increases noise when you have to increase the exposure in post.
White is good unless your background is white...and as long as you don't blow it out.....instant one click white balance.

Keep working.....it's a journey.