Jul 11, 2013
Pastel Het Red Headshot by HaydenImaging on Flickr.
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Pastel Het Red Headshot by HaydenImaging on Flickr.
Pastel Het Red Headshot by HaydenImaging on Flickr.
Chun-Li vs. Yun Lee - Fight! by kjanowski.com on Flickr.
Learning to Light, Family Style
Early last year I started reading David Hobby's excellent blog on off-camera flash photography. His work and ability to articulate his creative process really resonates with me. That led to follow other gifted shooters like Scott Hargis, Zack Arias, Joe McNally (you know his work, you just don't know that you know), and Chase Jarvis. You need to take a moment and follow those links. Why? Because eye candy is hidden there.
About the same time that I started following the Strobist blog is when I fell in to a bad (and expensive) case of GAS - Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Getting all of the cool toys has never been a problem. Finding making time to use them? That's where I consistently fall short.
This Christmas I was commissioned by my father-in-law to complete a family photo and a portrait of my eldest niece. By commissioned I mean I got an email that that announced that I was taking both pictures. And, it's a good thing that I work for cheap. And, by cheap I mean free.
Here is the family shot:
Click the photo for the camera geek info. This is just okay. Don't get me wrong, the people in it - the subjects - are just fine. The technique is lacking. A better job of arranging the second row of people would have allowed for more even lighting. That means less time in post. I see that I also struggle with focus and overall clarity, and now you do, too. A bit more flash power and a few more stops down on the aperture is where I need to look.
Now for the girls:
Note to others trying to coax a smile out of a youngster: get their older sister to tickle them. I really love the expression on both faces here. Michele (front) is pretty sharp, but her sister isn't. Again, more flash power and a smaller aperture will give me more depth of field.
This is how we learn.