Dicking around with two off camera flashes. - Saxperience

Barry123 · 28th April 2008, 01:16

ok I purchased a couple of new bits and pieces the other week really as an upgrade but also to pursue another little thing I enjoy which is 'off camera flash' lighting... literally just getting into it at the moment - And not entirely sure what I'm doing if I'm honest

sadly I was the only willing person for this which makes it a pain getting focus and working with the strobes... but anyway I'd be interested to see what you think. criticisms are encouraged. I don't take offence.

Taken on a 40D Manual Mode, using a 550EX (1/16 power) and 580EX (bounce card - 1/32 -0.7 power)

Sorry I look like a paedo

Barry123 · 28th April 2008, 01:18

shit sorry, lens was a Canon 50mm f/1.8 mkII

Noddy · 28th April 2008, 01:18

to me, the second and last pics there look the best for level and gradient of lighting on your face

Barry123 · 28th April 2008, 01:23

having looked at them on here they look quite under exposed

feck

TU-Tuning · 28th April 2008, 01:24

Second ones the best mate, lightings spot on. Others, possibly a bit to light in the back ground?

Never found you intimidating before, unless it was in some kind of university challenge thang, but to be fair you look like a nutter in 2 of them. Although you look slightly violated in the third one

Barry123 · 28th April 2008, 01:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noddy

to me, the second and last pics there look the best for level and gradient of lighting on your face

thanks dude... yeah I slightly over did one side so you get this very clear transition over the middle of face which messes things up... will probably get another 580 end of next month as I need a third to set this shizzle up properly and LOVE the flash, the fact you can stop the flash power down in 3rds is simply awesome and gives you so much control.

cheers dude

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben_Saxo

Second ones the best mate, lightings spot on. Others, possibly a bit to light in the back ground?

Never found you intimidating before, unless it was in some kind of university challenge thang, but to be fair you look like a nutter in 2 of them. Although you look slightly violated in the third one

hahahahaha... if I smile I look a total tit. my hair looks a mess at the moment not the greatest happy shots of me even though I'm a happy happy happy person

Thanks mofo

Jungle_Jim^m · 28th April 2008, 01:43

for a first attempt they arent bad mate, i havent had much experience using multiple speedlights, when i do studio portraits i use a full bowens studio lighting kit. there are a couple of principles you may want to look into which you may not have covered in your photography work so far.
Inverse square law a good understanding in this make setting up light so much easier. basically if you double the distance the subject is standing from the light it will quarter the power of it as the light effectively becomes 'dilutted' over a larger area

this technique is essential for lighting the background of a studio shoot. for a white background to look white it will need to be illuminated by lights (usually +1 stop more than the main subject light). however with inverse square law you can experiement with creating gradients, as the light falls off on the background it will turn to grey.

as you can see from this pic i shot of my mate dicking around lol it only has one light on the background therefore it produces a gradient from white to grey.

side lighting the subject and not using any softboxes will produce high contrast, moody images

the use of reflectors are important too, this one is lit from the left and then light is reflected back into the face

you will soon learn by playing around with stuff
anymore questions just ask mate

Viper · 28th April 2008, 02:07

you have beautiful eyes

good pics for a first attempt ads.

keep practicing and youll be making ryan cry

Barry123 · 28th April 2008, 09:49

Jimster, sorry man read that last night but was getting a tad too late for a reply. seriously thanks for the tips. Great work as ever. Yeah the inverse square law actually threw me a little (was using it to get the right exposure for my pics) but generally things like that tend to constrain rather than aid me more some reason

Awesome shots... will have another play some time soon.

Thanks