First stab in a home studio.

pastyman

pastyman

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Darrin
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So I broke my back last week and have not been able to move very much at all, had some new kit arrive and have had to sit on my hands and not use it....That is until today, decided to persuade the wife to sit while i had a little play.

Just putting the one up here to get a bit of feedback as to if i'm on the right track. Ignore the pose, the wife hates being in front of the lens at the best of times...

This is taken in a bedroom no larger than 12 x 12 feet, so space a bit limited...

Just noticed that the sharpness has been crushed, the original is sharp as a tack in lightroom...

Tracey on grey back by cornishwelding, on Flickr
 
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Sofbox camera right and gridded dish camera left. i did have a light on the background too, but turned it off for this one. ill pop one up with the bg light and see what you think

tracey3 by cornishwelding, on Flickr
 
Hi Darrin
Sorry to hear of your troubles but glad you've been able to start playing with your new gear!
My feedback on this would be that although you've got some nice exposure (she's well lit), it's a little flat. You might want to look at 'short lighting' as this can be very complimentary when done right. Your wife will love you more for it! :)
There's some great tutorials out there on it... just give it a google.
 
Just to add to Bethys superb advice, I wouldn't go near my Mrs with a beauty dish. In fact according to Garry, my daughters are leaning towards being too old for it to be flattering (the oldest is 22)

I'd use a gridded BD on a really old person to draw attention to the wrinkles, they're most useful for showing off a flawless complexion.
 
Thanks peeps, I'm gonna have another go when I get over the pain from doing these..... I do have a 1.2mtr Octabox, but its a bit of a beast in a standard height room. I'll use the 100 x 70 for a while and see how it pans out.
 
Hi Pastyman, I think you've done just fine for your first steps in studio lighting. First question, is the photo what you wanted to achieve? If the answer to that question is yes, then that's fantastic.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard in photography is "make your shots, don't just take them". It's so easy to set up all your gear, do your metering and all else that is involved and to just shoot away. Before I do any shoot I have a rough shoot plan, even if it's just in my head, but more and more I find myself finding images for ideas and concepts, drawing diagrams and listing a shoot plan before I walk into my little studio. It is much easier, for me anyway, to think clearly when I am not infront of a subject and I'm not surrounded by technology. Asking yourself questions like, "How is this shot going to be used?" will give you a context to work with and aims.

I am guessing, forgive me if I am wrong, that your wife is feeling a little apprehensive and unsure about what to expect. By having a clear plain yourself you will be more confident, you'll know what to ask of your sitter, and that confidence will be mirrored in your sitters expressions.

Best of luck and have a blast :)
 
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