Please CC - First attempt at dramatic portrait using this modifier

[todd_a]

I have dropped the ball on learning lighting for a while and I am back at it attempting to make my way to awesome (may be some time yet. lol).

Last weekend I had the opportunity to spend some time experimenting with this patient model (friend of a friend). I was using a Nikon SB24 manual strobe and a 60" convertible umbrella in reflective mode with the black cover on the outside to minimize light going everywhere. I had the umbrella folded down also, to lessen the spread and attempt to concentrate the light in the one area.

I was going for dark, dramatic, etc. Please CC and let me know what you think I could have done differently or in addition to this setup to add to the photo. I was travelling light with one light, but I realize a second would have given me some separation on the dark side and helped quite a bit, but would have been somewhat more cumbersome as we moved across a fairly large distance on foot during the shoot.

Also, these are unedited images. I shot these in both RAW and JPG in camera and these are the JPG images straight from the camera with the only change made being re-sizing them to 1024 on the long side. I wanted to shot the originals because I am not concerned with what I might have done in post processing to improve, but more in what I could have done at the time I shot the image. (this is why you see the light stand leg in one pic)

Thanks!

[texxter]

Originally Posted by todd_a

I was going for dark, dramatic, etc. Please CC and let me know what you think I could have done differently or in addition to this setup to add to the photo. I was travelling light with one light, but I realize a second would have given me some separation on the dark side and helped quite a bit, but would have been somewhat more cumbersome as we moved across a fairly large distance on foot during the shoot.

The images look dark and dramatic, and probably etc as well -- I personally like shadows, and I enjoy looking at images that are not flooded with light (nothing wrong with high key, I love those too often) and present a more moody character.

I also like that you used short lighting on her face, it works well.

Yes, a kicker cross light would have added some separation, but it would have also killed the darkness, which is what you were going for.

My suggestions for next time don't have to do with the light, but more with the story-telling - what's going on here? what's she doing or feeling? What's this photo about? Having said that, you're experimenting with light and I assume that concerns about story are not the primary ones.

Also, she is rather centered on the frame in a static pose, next to a brick wall - once you're comfortable again with lighting, work on the composition aspects as well.

Thanks for sharing!

[todd_a]

Thanks Paco! I'm always interested in hearing your opinion/critique of my work.

I have had to make a conscious effort to short light my subjects as I tend to default to photographing the broad side for some reason as I look over a lot of my lit images.

I was concerend that she gets lost on dark side but, like you said, if I added a separation light, it would be difficult to retain the deep shadows. If I could get a light hidden directly behind her , but no room that close to the wall, so not sure what I could have done differently there.

No story telling at this point. I probably should have put more thought into that also, but was experimenting with the modifier and the girl handy and she was up for some pics, so we went with it. It was all pretty last minute. The locations were totally random.

She is mroe centered in the frame mostly because I was having issues focusing on her since it was actually totally dark. I was holding the camera and also my iPhone with the flashlight app going to light her for focus. I was composing so that the light was just out of frame. It was getting pretty cold and everyone was ready to leave and I wanted to get these shots with that modifier in that location. So things were hurried too much. I would have cropped after, but I wanted to present these as-shot with nothing done.

Thanks again for your comments. I really appreciate it!