Ask me what you want.

Great thread. I have twins on the way so I am sure to take advantage of this thread.

Seona -

I've got a question for you!!! I immediately thought to ask you, since you're our resident Guru!

I just got my first strobe kit, an Elinchrom D-Lite it (2 - 400w/s strobes) http://elinchrom.com …cat=14&base_set​=93#choice. I tested them out this weekend, and used them on a Maternity shoot this Saturday.

I use my dining room as my studio, which is probably about the size that you use in your set up, if not a tad smaller. What I noticed was that even just using ONE strobe, it was TOO BRIGHT! ARGH! I fiddled with the apertures, but had to stop it all the way to f/14 or smaller, just to get it to stop overexposing! I shoot maternity, babies, children, really any portraits, and I really enjoy a large aperture. However, I can't seem to figure out how to get the exposure just right.

I lowered the power of the strobe to the very lowest it would go, and still I couldn't use a big aperture.

Do you have any suggestions? I looked at the kit you use, and I see they are relatively high powered strobes. What do you usually keep them on? How do you get away with using a large aperture without overexposing with the strobe?

Sorry if these are silly questions, but I'm awfully green with off camera flashes! I'd appreciate your insight!

Thanks Seona!

Dani

Daniboo: have you thought of using an ND filter? I have never tried one for portraits but they work great for sunny landscapes to turn down the light to get a longer exposure. Just an idea, I would like to see what Seona says too.

Are you using a softbox, umbrella or any kind of diffuser? How far are the lights from the subject?

daniboo wrote in post #12460043
Seona -

I've got a question for you!!! I immediately thought to ask you, since you're our resident Guru!

I just got my first strobe kit, an Elinchrom D-Lite it (2 - 400w/s strobes) http://elinchrom.com …cat=14&base_set​=93#choice. I tested them out this weekend, and used them on a Maternity shoot this Saturday.

I use my dining room as my studio, which is probably about the size that you use in your set up, if not a tad smaller. What I noticed was that even just using ONE strobe, it was TOO BRIGHT! ARGH! I fiddled with the apertures, but had to stop it all the way to f/14 or smaller, just to get it to stop overexposing! I shoot maternity, babies, children, really any portraits, and I really enjoy a large aperture. However, I can't seem to figure out how to get the exposure just right.

I lowered the power of the strobe to the very lowest it would go, and still I couldn't use a big aperture.

Do you have any suggestions? I looked at the kit you use, and I see they are relatively high powered strobes. What do you usually keep them on? How do you get away with using a large aperture without overexposing with the strobe?

Sorry if these are silly questions, but I'm awfully green with off camera flashes! I'd appreciate your insight!

Thanks Seona!

Dani

That kit you bought appears to have two softboxes with it, so you can drape extra diffusion material over it and fasten with tape, string, whatever, that will help. You can buy white nylon fabric at any fabric store. I say nylon fabric rather than a white broadcloth because you don't need the added weight. Sounds like you aren't able to bring your lights farther away from your subject?? Have you considered bouncing the light coming from them at the ceiling, or feathering the light by not pointing it directly at the subject? I use those lights for background lights, and wish I'd bought the 200 ws lights instead, for the same reason, but I found that I can get around the problem by adding fabric around the reflector bowl. I'm not always shooting a large space where I have the option of keeping the background lights as far away as I'd like....

Could you tell us where you got your honeycomb grid for your softbox? Thanks!

What did i do right and wrong here, this is my first time sharing my picture. Any suggestions appreciated.
No editing done i just cropped it.

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Rissa wrote in post #12465017
What did i do right and wrong here, this is my first time sharing my picture. Any suggestions appreciated.
No editing done i just cropped it.

I am sorry if I am jacking the thread of the OP but I am going to try and take a stab at it as the OP seems really busy at times.

I think its a great first photo, good positioning of the subject, you got great catch light in the eyes.

A few things I think would do to make it a little better;
-photo seems under exposed
-eyes arent in focus
-used a greater F stop to make sure the baby is in focus but the background is blurred out.
-give it a little more color on the clothing so it has that extra punch

Well, I finally got to shoot a 1 month old baby this morning (first time), for a friend of mine and failed!!! I am going back though as it is now a challenge!!! I know what I did wrong and what I can do better! She was crazy about them, but what does a mother know lol.

daniboo wrote in post #12460043
Seona -

I've got a question for you!!! I immediately thought to ask you, since you're our resident Guru!

I just got my first strobe kit, an Elinchrom D-Lite it (2 - 400w/s strobes) http://elinchrom.com …cat=14&base_set​=93#choice. I tested them out this weekend, and used them on a Maternity shoot this Saturday.

I use my dining room as my studio, which is probably about the size that you use in your set up, if not a tad smaller. What I noticed was that even just using ONE strobe, it was TOO BRIGHT! ARGH! I fiddled with the apertures, but had to stop it all the way to f/14 or smaller, just to get it to stop overexposing! I shoot maternity, babies, children, really any portraits, and I really enjoy a large aperture. However, I can't seem to figure out how to get the exposure just right.

I lowered the power of the strobe to the very lowest it would go, and still I couldn't use a big aperture.

Do you have any suggestions? I looked at the kit you use, and I see they are relatively high powered strobes. What do you usually keep them on? How do you get away with using a large aperture without overexposing with the strobe?

Sorry if these are silly questions, but I'm awfully green with off camera flashes! I'd appreciate your insight!

Thanks Seona!

Dani

Couple of things.

1. Use ISO50 if your camera supports it
2. Lights at the lowest level.
3. ND gels sheets on front of the softbox.

typically 400ws is lot of power for indoor use. My 320ws AB800 will only give me f2.8 at lowest settings. That is why I use AB400 which is only 160ws.

these are so sweet, the first one would look gorgeous in black & white ! The second one, you've missed the focus, try to toggle the focus point to her eyes, I like to set the centre focus point, focus and recompose. otherwise, gorgeous model & lovely composition ! Your lighting is nice too.

Nope ! You've rocked that lighting set up ! Awesome WB control for shooting on green ! Green is a colour that does my head in ! Me and green and WB hate each other ! lol, gorgeous photo, very boyish backdrop, love the coloured mat. CUTE KID !

To be REALLY picky, if you want to be a perfectionist, I'd move the light away just a little to avoid that hotspot on the side of his face, but you know what - only another photographer is going to notice that !

Awww, tiny little newborn ! LOVE the shot with the rings. Nice focus and lighting, the first one - nice prop idea, try popping a pillow under the babies head to elevate a little so the face is fully visible.

In photo shop, you can tone down the reds by using this awesome free action that is my best friend :

http://www.thecoffeesh​opblog.com …owderroom-free-pspse.html

down load it peeps, it's AWESOME !

Hi Seona,

She is beautiful. There's nothing really that I Cn find about this photo that's not lovely.
Beautiful sleeping baby, dreamy tones , great focus, I think it's worthy of a frame & a place on the wall.

The only only only nit picking thing I would do would be to slightly burn in the background & top of the hat with the burn tool in photo shop.

Aww sweet little man you have there !

These are lovely, i see a pink/purple/yellow hue on his face, the yellow may have caused this,a layer in PS will fit that, or a quick black and white conversion.

Awesome focus - and nice OOF background, I love that look ! Nice little story - you could frame these in a series for the wall !

Seona -

I've got a question for you!!! I immediately thought to ask you, since you're our resident Guru!

I just got my first strobe kit, an Elinchrom D-Lite it (2 - 400w/s strobes) http://elinchrom.com …cat=14&base_set​=93#choice. I tested them out this weekend, and used them on a Maternity shoot this Saturday.

I use my dining room as my studio, which is probably about the size that you use in your set up, if not a tad smaller. What I noticed was that even just using ONE strobe, it was TOO BRIGHT! ARGH! I fiddled with the apertures, but had to stop it all the way to f/14 or smaller, just to get it to stop overexposing! I shoot maternity, babies, children, really any portraits, and I really enjoy a large aperture. However, I can't seem to figure out how to get the exposure just right.

I lowered the power of the strobe to the very lowest it would go, and still I couldn't use a big aperture.

Do you have any suggestions? I looked at the kit you use, and I see they are relatively high powered strobes. What do you usually keep them on? How do you get away with using a large aperture without overexposing with the strobe?

Sorry if these are silly questions, but I'm awfully green with off camera flashes! I'd appreciate your insight!

Thanks Seona!

Ok, try lowest power, a softbox, you may need to diffuse more by putting some white sheeting over the softbox (be sure not to cover any air vents) and move your lights further away from your subject - is space allows. shoot on about 3.2 and see how you go. this happened to me when I first got my lights and I was ready to sell them on ebay !

cute !!!! Use the same set up again, put that cute little person further away from the backdrop, so he's not sitting right on it with his back, use about 2.8 and focus on his eyes. try again, as everything else is great, a willing model is the first step, they're hard to find !

And download this free action - awesome awesome, cleans up your backdrops even if it's a white backdrop, black backdrop etc DPWN LOAD IT PEEPS !

http://www.thecoffeesh​opblog.com …kdrop-fix-action-and.html

If you have someone who lets you practice with their baby, you're set. Practice makes perfect. take a pen and paper to write down your poses with your settings so you know what works and what doesn't !

Sorry for being MIA for a while, i have been shooting my butt off, and then comes the editing, almost up to date before it all starts again with a wedding this weekend......

There's some new blog posts and photos on my blog, if you want to have a look and if there's any Q's on how to shoot similar, let me know & I'll answer.

Make sure you all watch the 2 tutorials i posted & download the 2 free actions as well.....

have fun

Thank you 1move, I am suprised it is under exposed i thought it was over exposed for sure, thanks for that. I will try again with a greater F stop, i wish i had this answer because i just took some pictures over the weekend and and i noticed most were not in focus. Thanks for the suggestions.

1move wrote in post #12470259
I am sorry if I am jacking the thread of the OP but I am going to try and take a stab at it as the OP seems really busy at times.

I think its a great first photo, good positioning of the subject, you got great catch light in the eyes.

A few things I think would do to make it a little better;
-photo seems under exposed
-eyes arent in focus
-used a greater F stop to make sure the baby is in focus but the background is blurred out.
-give it a little more color on the clothing so it has that extra punch

Thanks Seona, that coffeshopblog is great, i have been on it for hours!!

Two things ...

1) I failed to find the tutorials/actions on the blog.

2) How many edits do you provide your clients? What are your means of delivery? (e.g. DVD, Download, etc) Do you give them unedited ever?

I'd be very curious to know. Thanks!

Hey Jerry - here's the links to the tutorials & actions :

Baby Powder room - for newborn skin , I also use this on children & adults
http://www.thecoffeesh​opblog.com …owderroom-free-pspse.html

Powder room backdrop fix -

http://www.thecoffeesh​opblog.com …kdrop-fix-action-and.html

Awesome tutorials on indoor & out door natural light :

http://www.photography​concentrate.co...ing-your-home/

http://www.photography​concentrate.co...iding​-outside/