Cheap alternative?

chuck

chuck

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Dayle
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Now, I really would like to achieve close to studio quality without buying a studio.:lol: I do plan on purchasing one after Christmas but for the time being I need suggestions that will save me some money, as for the time being everything is going towards family presents.

If I can achieve something good I think it could be a nice personal additional present for relatives.

So here's my first ABSOLUTE TEST. Basically all I did was find a make shift backdrop tried to make the area well lit and used a flash softener.
6385342421_b8a978f75d.jpg


I would love to take an image of me and myself and my sisters.
I didn't really edit this image cropped it a little, but other than that I don't know what to do with my setup to improve it. (for example the shadow what could I do to remove it?)

Please help what am I doing right/wrong ?
 
Im no expert and learning this just like you.

But from what i've picked up, you need to move your subject away from the wall/background to reduce harsh shadows and also light the background/wall will remove shadows.
 
ok thanks for that, that should reduce the back shadow, would placing a light behind or above my subject reduce that too (If i'm limited for space) or would that actually harm the overall effect? Is there any particular areas of my subject I should try to specifically catch light on?
Hair or eyes or particularly the face ?
 
Last edited:
Whatever the 'flash softener' was that you were using, it doesn't work.

To make the light softer and reduce the harshness of the shadows, you need to make the light source larger, ie an umbrella, or softbox, or by bouncing it off the ceiling (when the large pool of light becomes the source).

Something along those lines would be best. A very cheap and easy way to get soft light is with a shoot-through umbrella. If you simply move the background back, it would probably get rid of the shadow, but it would also go much darker as the light falls off rapidly (inverse square law).
 
chuck said:
Now, I really would like to achieve close to studio quality without buying a studio.:lol: I do plan on purchasing one after Christmas but for the time being I need suggestions that will save me some money, as for the time being everything is going towards family presents.

If I can achieve something good I think it could be a nice personal additional present for relatives.

So here's my first ABSOLUTE TEST. Basically all I did was find a make shift backdrop tried to make the area well lit and used a flash softener.

I would love to take an image of me and myself and my sisters.
I didn't really edit this image cropped it a little, but other than that I don't know what to do with my setup to improve it. (for example the shadow what could I do to remove it?)

Please help what am I doing right/wrong ?
Click to expand...

Just add a White card or reflector to shadow side to bounce light back
 
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