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CanonFodder

CanonFodder

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Name
Dave
Edit My Images
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Hi all

I have recently started taking pictures of my son (8 months) using the following kit:

Tamron 2.8 17-55
Canon 50mm 1.8 Mk II
Canon 500D
1x Canon 430 EXII (can be off camera if required)
1x Lencarta background support
1x 3x6m white background

This has given me the following result (before I ironed the background)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davegrose/6780937131/

It was quite heavily processed in lightroom, and I think it's because I don't have an umbrella or softbox to spread the light. I am fairly limited in space (and money) so wondered if something like this would give me some better results:

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy...8_1327786305_ebf4e6fa4fa8cffe74aeb94098c8658d

If so, what would be the best way to set this up? I was thinking shooting through from about 2-3 feet away from the subject and raised a bit?

Any advice welcome!

Thanks
 
Personally if space is tight and you can only buy one item I'd choose this - http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-lastolite-1m-umbrella-box-8mm-stem/p12388

A little cheaper than the Westcott but you'll need to add a hotshoe tilt bracket like this http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-lastolite-tilthead-with-hotshoe/p1030275

I find the front diffuser gives a more controllable light. Above eyeline at 45 ish degrees from the front is a classic place to start.

You might also want to check this thread http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=4322264#post4322264 where I advise against white backgrounds :)
 
JonathanRyan said:
Personally if space is tight and you can only buy one item I'd choose this - http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-lastolite-1m-umbrella-box-8mm-stem/p12388

A little cheaper than the Westcott but you'll need to add a hotshoe tilt bracket like this http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-lastolite-tilthead-with-hotshoe/p1030275

I find the front diffuser gives a more controllable light. Above eyeline at 45 ish degrees from the front is a classic place to start.

You might also want to check this thread http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=4322264#post4322264 where I advise against white backgrounds :)
Click to expand...

Thanks!

Well not for the bit about not having white backgrounds! Argh if only I had read that before. But I do like the results (sort of) I'm getting now. I also have a black background on order. Should I cancel that one...?

As for your suggestions on the umbrella - thanks for that too. How does it differ from the one I posted? Does the Wescott not do the same thing?

I realise these may be slightly newbie questions but it's my first involvement with anything other than on camera flash and I want to make sure if I get something else, that it's the right thing to get the results I want.

Thanks again.
 
The Westcott is a traditional open face bounce umbrella. I've not used it but Westcott stuff is usually very well made.

The Lastolite is a kind of hybrid thing they made up called an umbrella box. It adds a sheet of diffusing scrim across the front. This softens the light somewhat and seems to give it more control than a true umbrella. I find feathering works better with it.
 
Thanks again.

The Wescott says you can either bounce or shoot through, which in my mind means I have 2 options to get different types of light on the subject. With the Lastolite do I still use my flashgun and shoot through, rather than bounce, so it acts as more of a softbox...?
 
Flashgun fires backwards into it (like a bounce umbrella) and come out through the diffusion panel on the front.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Flashgun fires backwards into it (like a bounce umbrella) and come out through the diffusion panel on the front.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks for confirming that. I guess I need to do more research into lighting techniques because it seems that shooting through an umbrella would be similar (in my simple head anyway :) ), so I guess I need to understand a bit better how these give different results.

The other thing I don't understand is if the flash gun is pointed straight at the umbrella, and it bounces back to the flash gun - would the gun not get in the way...?

I think if it's going to get me the results then I'll get the lastolite umbrella and hotshoe you recommend, although I'll need to get a stand as well I guess.
 
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