How would you shoot it and not mess it up?

Major

Major

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Tom
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Hi folks.

As per title - could anyone come up with any hints or ideas how to approach shots like this?

34631023120_0386700115_c.jpg


Cheers,
Tom
 
Fill flash.
 
The idea would be to add just enough light with a flash to retrieve a bit of detail, rather than blitz the subject with light. A reflector could be used but, once again, to provide just enough light to give the effect you need.
 
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Major said:
Hi folks.

As per title - could anyone come up with any hints or ideas how to approach shots like this?

34631023120_0386700115_c.jpg


Cheers,
Tom
Click to expand...
Sorry.

The question isn't clear.
Do you want to recreate a shot or improve upon it.

If the latter, what is it that you think needs improving.
 
Major said:
... could anyone come up with any hints or ideas how to approach shots like this?
Click to expand...
As it stands, the image has creative potential, but doesn't quite gel as a statement. So it's necessary first to define what your intention is. There are so many possible intentions that advice is hard without knowing what the aim is. Might I guess that you don't know, and if that's the case, where can we go from there? Success or a lack of it can only be related to your intention, though happy accidents may be accommodated along the way.
 
You're right Phill, sorry for not being too specific.

Question was about general impovement - I have a feeling I could squeeze much more out of my basic kit and avoid few things (banding being one).

Now I do understand Alastair's suggestion about fill flash - thank you for that, and Mr Badger - for explaination and hint about use of reflector.
 
Major said:
With flash whole idea goes to bin mate... Would look flat imho.
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Not if you do it right. Rake it on from the left at about 45 degrees and only just enough power to lift the shot without being obvious.

(fill flash doesn't have to be on-axis, it usually is but it needn't be - it's more about ratios than direction)
 
Thank you for even better explaination Alastair!

Droj - sorry for missing your post, it appeared on screen when I posted mine. I hope now my intention is clear - overall impovement of photo from technical side.
 
This is what I use, or used to before it got difficult to stand up from crouching in wet grass

full
 
Major said:
Thank you for even better explaination Alastair!

Droj - sorry for missing your post, it appeared on screen when I posted mine. I hope now my intention is clear - overall impovement of photo from technical side.
Click to expand...
No!
Because 'improvement' requires me to read your mind to find what you don't like.

From a technical perspective I don't see much wrong with the shot.

But if Alastair is right and you would like more light on the moth, then the obvious choices are either fill flash or a reflector.

Both these techniques take 'care', I understand why an inexperienced photographer would dismiss these methods because a first attempt can result in flat light or an 'overflashed ' look, but with some planning and understanding it's easy enough.

I'd recommend 'the speedlighters handbook' for an introduction to lighting (the books about speedlights, but the principals learned in the first chapter help with all photography.
 
There's a lot of prejudice against the pop-up flash or the on-camera directly forward flashgun because it gives a horrid direct flash look. When used discreetly at low power to offer some shadow fill, however, this need not be the case. Rather like HDR. In careless hands it can look so horrid that it has acquired a terrible reputation as something only idiots use. But used with care, understanding, and discretion it can produce very nice high dynamic range images which don't look "HDR". Just as carefully applied low powered shadow lift fill flash from a pop-up flash can look good with no trace of the horrid "flash in the face" look.

One thing you must be careful of is not to let the armchair photography "experts" of your local camera club see you doing the kind of thing "only idiot newbie amateurs do", or mention it in comments on your photograph :-)
 
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