First Off-Camera Flash - C&C

First off, please be gentle (but honest!) as this is my first attempt at an off-camera flash portrait. I was using my SB-910 in a softbox to the camera right in an outdoor alley just before dusk. This picture is for a couple of graduating high school seniors who wanted a picture together to use for their graduation party announcement (in other words, pretty low key).

I did a few small PP changes (eye sharpening, stray hair removal, blemish removal, etc.), but tried to keep it basic without overdoing it.

There was a big, shiny black light post over the blonde's left shoulder that I removed, but did a total both job on it, and will have go back and fix that for sure.

I can also see several things that I would change next time as far as exposure and lighting for next time, but would love to hear some C&C from the forum.

Thanks for looking!





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James

Tried to fix the bricks a bit from where I removed the pole...





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James

Hey doublehelix, good job on your first off-camera flash work!

I am just a beginner, so I can't give the kind of C&C that will help you become a better photographer. I am here for the encouragement part of it! So...good job!

Will you please elaborate on how you set the shot in terms of flash position, any diffuser you used, etc.?

Any idea why the face of the girl in blue looks a little soft/oof?

Keep shooting and there are some really cool people here who will have helpful things to say about your photo.

Happy shooting.

cute models and good light i must say, but the girl in blue is not entirely in focus. Off camera flash is indeed fun ehe.
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I like this shot quite a bit especially for a first effort. I like the angles the two girls created with their poses. The focus issue with the darker haired girl is probably just because she sat slightly in front of the depth of field of the shot. You might need to experiment with focal point, aperture, or just lining the two up more evenly. A reflector might have helped with some of the shadows. You also avoided a rookie mistake by not cropping out any fingers.
Good work!
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The girl in blue has a bit more shadow on her face than I would have wanted, and is slightly out of focus. Even the blonde has a bit more shadow on her face than I'd prefer, but it's not as noticeable to me.

For some uses, this might be preferred, giving the image some more contrast and "depth", probably worked well in black and white, but for the graduation announcement that you mentioned it was for, I think it would've been better to fill in those shadows.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Unfortunately, the focus is definitely soft on the girl in the blue shirt. When looking at the EXIF data, I see that the aperture is set at f/6.3, although I don't remember setting it at such an odd f-stop, so it might have got moved accidentally somehow. I normally try to hit somewhere around f/11 if possible with 2 subjects like this, which would have probably helped with the DOF issue. Although with this lens at f/6.3, the DOF should have been about 2.73 feet, which you would think should have been enough, but apparently not, or at least not with the way I focused the shot.

Thanks again.

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James

cplunk said:

The girl in blue has a bit more shadow on her face than I would have wanted, and is slightly out of focus. Even the blonde has a bit more shadow on her face than I'd prefer, but it's not as noticeable to me.

For some uses, this might be preferred, giving the image some more contrast and "depth", probably worked well in black and white, but for the graduation announcement that you mentioned it was for, I think it would've been better to fill in those shadows.

Click to expand...

With your 910 powering your softbox, I wonder if a just off-scene reflector could have provided enough fill for you! Or, even using the built-in flash to help fill in the shadows?

Overall, good shot - the pose really works well for them here!

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-Jaron

JaronRH said:

With your 910 powering your softbox, I wonder if a just off-scene reflector could have provided enough fill for you! Or, even using the built-in flash to help fill in the shadows?

Overall, good shot - the pose really works well for them here!

Click to expand...

Thanks! I actually did use a reflector on a few shots a bit later in the sequence. I had my fiancee hold it up to the camera left, trying to get a bit more light back in on the right side of the girl's faces. They really liked this pose however, and this was the shot they ended up deciding upon from the this group.

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James

Here is another shot from this date, this one in another location on the grass. This time, I used the SB-910 on camera, using the built-in diffuser. I much prefer the look of the off-camera light, but this one on the grass was a quick impromptu shot as we were walking back to my car, and my only (easy) option was to use the on-camera option without setting everything back up again.

This particular shot cut off the toes on one of the girls, but again, this was the best pose out of this series so we went with the cut off toes! I am looking at the hand of the girl in the blue shirt, and not liking what I am seeing. Any suggestions for that?





I just finished some other shots using my new Paul c. Buff Einstein strobe on an inside shoot, so I will be posting those as well for some more C&C as I learn better how to use off-camera lighting.

Thanks again everyone!

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James

I like the work...nice job.

You might not like the quality of the direct light, but they are both well and evenly lit. Skin tones are good. The on camera flash is a tool you can use when the situation calls for it. The blonde's eyes certainly pop in this capture.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/brev00

I'm also a beginner with off-camera flash so can't offer any technical advice other than words of encouragement that you've done a great first job. I'll be following your progress and learnings with interest!
Cheers