Low key portrait nikon d90

[Thats my sock]

Evening all, id like to try some low key portraits with my daughter.

Ive a Nikon D90 with a 50mm 1.8 and a jessops 360afdn flah ( no triggers so can only use it on the camera or use the built in flash to trigger)

Can anyone advise what settings to use please, regards Steve

 

[PatrickO]

By low key I assume you mean a black background.

To do decent portraits you need to get the main flash off the camera.

You could set the on camera flash as low as it will go to fire the speedlight. Or get some cheap radio triggers from ebay. The yongnuo ones work fine and are inexpensive.

You really need something to diffuse the light from the speedlight - preferably a softbox.

This is a really good site to explain off camera flash
http://strobist.blogspot.co.uk/2006/03/lighting-101.html

Experiment with a non live subject to get lighting set up how you want as people tend to get bored/irritable waiting half an hour while the tog fiddles with lights

Have fun

 

[Thats my sock]

Thank Patrick, great link

 

[Jaffster]

As Patrick said, Strobist.com is a great resource.

If you're really wanting to learn then I would also recommend the 'One Light' instructionals by Zach Arias, well worth the buy. I learnt LOADS from that when I first started experimenting with off camera lighting.

 

[Thats my sock]

Thank for the replies and recommendations

 

[nolano55]

Another recommendation for Strobist bloodspot, although there are lots of youtube tutorials online too. A couple of pointers....distance your friend( between subject and background), and if possible use a flag to stop light from your lightsource spilling onto your dark background.

 

[rjbell]

Simpler still just stick her next to a window.