My first attempt with portraits

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weebee

Senior Member
I've taken a lot of portraits in the past in a sort of spray and pray sort of approach. This is my first go with remote flashes and soft boxes. I used two remote flashes and another mounted on my camera. No processing was used.

DSC_8104.jpg
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
Assuming you want comments, my notion is that it is is underexposed nearly a stop, it is fairly flat, and it could be cropped tighter. Things like the gap in the curtains could have been corrected first.

Look at your histogram. The data falls about 20% short of the right end, but that white shirt (being white) ought to be closer to the right end. Between 2/3 and 1 stop more exposure.

The lighting seems flat too. The light at camera right was slightly stronger, but little trace of the desired tonal gradients. Normally groups do require flat even lighting across the group, but with just two, it could have a bit more ommph.

The concept of two lights (for one subject) is main and fill. That means the strong main light high and wide, like maybe 45 degrees above and to one side of the subject (to make facial shadows, to show shape and curves, etc - not flat). Then the weaker fill light back by the camera (close to the camera lens axis), to light the shadows that the lens sees, without making more. A one stop ratio is generally good. With more than one subject, that does make the near subject brighter, but two are not a big problem if the main is not too close (not too close implies a larger umbrella or softbox).

FWIW, my lighting notions are at 45 degree Portrait Lighting Setup
 
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W

weebee

Senior Member
WayneF said:
Assuming you want comments, my notion is that it is is underexposed nearly a stop, it is fairly flat, and it could be cropped tighter. Things like the gap in the curtains could have been corrected first.

Look at your histogram. The data falls about 20% short of the right end, but that white shirt (being white) ought to be closer to the right end. Between 2/3 and 1 stop more exposure.

The lighting seems flat too. The light at camera right was slightly stronger, but little trace of the desired tonal gradients. Normally groups do require flat even lighting across the group, but with just two, it could have a bit more ommph.

The concept of two lights (for one subject) is main and fill. That means the strong main light high and wide, like maybe 45 degrees above and to one side of the subject (to make facial shadows, to show shape and curves, etc - not flat). Then the weaker fill light back by the camera (close to the camera lens axis), to light the shadows that the lens sees, without making more. A one stop ratio is generally good. With more than one subject, that does make the near subject brighter, but two are not a big problem if the main is not too close (not too close implies a larger umbrella or softbox).

FWIW, my lighting notions are at 45 degree Portrait Lighting Setup
Click to expand...

Yup, I was fishing for comments. A full stop? I can try that. Thanks for the link as well.
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
Manual flash or TTL? Changing aperture won't affect TTL, it just compensates for it. One light instead of three is less manual light, and I still think more exposure will still help it from this point. Keep going until you sense too much, then choose a lesser one that looks right. :) The wifes smile really adds a lot. :)
 
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weebee

Senior Member
I'm using a TTL flash. I see what you are driving at. Here are a few more where I gradually brought the exposure up. It does make a world of difference. I went back to three flashes again. left, right, and front.

DSC_8111.jpg
DSC_8112.jpg
DSC_8113.jpg
DSC_8114.jpg
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
I like the exposure better. One might even argue it is a little too much now. :) But not very much, closer than before.

You might smile too. :) It really makes a difference.

To make TTL flash be brighter, we have to use Flash Compensation, like +1 EV flash compensation. We have to change the goal of the automation. Using flash compensation is a very common thing, it is how things get done properly. But there is always the risk that the flash power maxes out, and won't go brighter.
 
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weebee

Senior Member
WayneF said:
I like the exposure better. One might even argue it is a little too much now. :) But not very much, closer than before.

You might smile too. :) It really makes a difference.

To make TTL flash be brighter, we have to use Flash Compensation, like +1 EV flash compensation. We have to change the goal of the automation. Using flash compensation is a very common thing, it is how things get done properly. But there is always the risk that the flash power maxes out, and won't go brighter.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the help. The EV comp was +1. I'll adjust it. The wife has had enough with the camera thing today. I'll try again next weekend. Thank you very much for the help.
 
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