Practicing with OCF How can I improve?

[Lexie]

I have a very very small room where I set up lights, backdrops, & my subject....which is my granddaughter. She's sitting on a table about 2-3 ft from the background, her mom is down in front of the table fielding ornaments, & making sure she does not tumble off.

Canon 580EX II flash in a Doug box to camera right set a 1/32 about 2 1/2 ft from her, another Canon 580EX II flash to camera left set at 1/64 about 3 ft from her. To me her face is overexposed. I'm guessing If I would have used some type of filter/diffuser on the flash on the left I would not have this problem??? Also, the black background is casting (for lack of a better word) a shadow onto the white cover on the table. More distance between subject/background would eliminate this.....right? Wish I had more room, but I don't. I'm 3ft in front shooting with Canon 1Ds MK II, 24-70mm 2.8, ISO 200, 250 SS, f/4.

What could/should I have changed to do better?

[Photogdude]

color balance, and a light meter will help,
and yes diffuse the light, might wanna try a few big(at least 36") shoot through umbrellas,
and yes more separation from the BG, general rule of thumb is 5ft minimum.

[Tom]

Your light is very hard, you want to diffuse it somehow to make it softer. And like you said, you are a little hot on it. I don't think you need a light meter. Your light on camera left is hotter than camera right.

[todd_a]

If you could get some umbrellas that you can shoot through or any sort of diffusion material. Tack up a sheer white curtain material from the ceiling and shoot the lights through that possibly. Or if it is a small room if there are white walls maybe turn the flash around and shoot into the wall which will make a larger light source and soften up the harshness of the flash.

Stop down the Aperture a couple of clicks to darken the flash.

[hdctx]

You can add a small hairlight above your backdrop and light the area behind her. It will also give you more separation from the backdrop.

[carrbowl]

I wonder....and trust me...I am no expert!! but I wonder if you should dump the extra flash and just put a reflector over there on camera left?? and do a hair light. For the longest time, I did this sort of flat lighting, and FINALLY get what to do to give it some dimension.

[texxter]

Debbie, others have commented on the light, so I'll make a quick comment on the key of the portrait. Given the softness of the bottom of the image and the baby, I think a light pastel background would go better and would be more "baby-appropriate" - you got a pitch black background that's borderline scary

She is a cutie!

[Lexie]

Originally Posted by Photogdude

color balance, and a light meter will help,
and yes diffuse the light, might wanna try a few big(at least 36") shoot through umbrellas,
and yes more separation from the BG, general rule of thumb is 5ft minimum.

Marshall, I do have a 36" shoot through umbrella and thought of using it, but I have no room to put it. I need a bigger room. Thanks for commenting!

Originally Posted by Tom

Your light is very hard, you want to diffuse it somehow to make it softer. And like you said, you are a little hot on it. I don't think you need a light meter. Your light on camera left is hotter than camera right.

Thanks Tom. I kept moving the light camera left farther away but not far enough. Thinking about it now, I could of placed a round diffuser in front of it. Humm...hindsight!

Originally Posted by todd_a

If you could get some umbrellas that you can shoot through or any sort of diffusion material. Tack up a sheer white curtain material from the ceiling and shoot the lights through that possibly. Or if it is a small room if there are white walls maybe turn the flash around and shoot into the wall which will make a larger light source and soften up the harshness of the flash.

Stop down the Aperture a couple of clicks to darken the flash.

Good points Todd. Yes, the walls are white. Thanks, I'll keep practicing.

Originally Posted by hdctx

You can add a small hairlight above your backdrop and light the area behind her. It will also give you more separation from the backdrop.

Dave, I thought about a hair light, but the only other light I have is a flash that does not have controls like the Canon 580 EX II, so I opted to not use it. Will have to come up with some type of hair light. I can see how it would provide the separation between subject/background. Thanks for helping!

Originally Posted by carrbowl

I wonder....and trust me...I am no expert!! but I wonder if you should dump the extra flash and just put a reflector over there on camera left?? and do a hair light. For the longest time, I did this sort of flat lighting, and FINALLY get what to do to give it some dimension.

Renae, I tried a large silver reflector camera left, but it just never seemed to work right. I need to get the stuffed bear out and keep working on that option so I can "FINALLY GET" what to/how to give the dimension you speak of!

Originally Posted by texxter

Debbie, others have commented on the light, so I'll make a quick comment on the key of the portrait. Given the softness of the bottom of the image and the baby, I think a light pastel background would go better and would be more "baby-appropriate" - you got a pitch black background that's borderline scary

She is a cutie!

Paco, I have a white background but opted to not use it because I knew I couldn't get it white enough. Now I see where even the not so white background would have been an improvement. "Borderline scary"......thought that was funny. Now that I see it through the eyes of someone else........It IS scary!! Thank you for pointing that out. I agree, she's a cutie! I'll keep practicing!