The worse you are more you need to post

Hi All,
Pinched the title from a members post. I fit this bill.

Mark1 wrote in post #11905427
Don't be intimidated. The worse you are more you need to post.

I originally posted this in the wrong forum. Reposting here and deleteing the image from the original thread. I hope that's allowed, please let me know if I've done the wrong thing.

edited from original post
Anyway, I've been lurking here for a while now trying to soak it all in.
I need some pointers on how I can improve please. This was my first attempt with my boys at OFC. Or more acurately first OFC attempt.... with my boys. I already realise I need to shoot with more dof, shooting at f9 or there abouts not f/4.5. Watch out for light fall off.
My setup was a 580exII sitting on a mantle piece about the boys eye level shooting at a cheepy ebay diffuser sitting on a chair. This was located left of camera. Had a 430exII on the floor behind the boys shooting up the wall to white it out, hence the falloff towads to top corners.
Setting for the shot
580 @ 1/2
430 @ 1/8
40D
70-200 f4
iso 100
f4.5 (don't ask. I don't know why)

First impression was that it was a really nice shot, but then I quickly noticed the chopped fingers... just something to watch!

Nice portrait. Watch for cut off fingers. I can tell it's a white background, but the edges are not white. Make sure your light is even. Also, about the lighting.. to much light on the left side and not enough light on the right side. It's enough light to see their faces, which is good, but the light is not even. Here is a video on high key portraits. High key is white background, so hopfully the video will help you create the fully white background.

Fingers, thanks I didn't notice that.

Though you can't tell from the shot, the boys were jumping around all over the place and my lighting didn't cover a wide area so I was in close on them and when they were in the "zone" I fired. Next time I'll shoot wider and then crop so I get all their hands.

That video was insightful. Thanks for the link. Big lights and the correct background obviously make this type of shot easier.

I don't have any umbrellas or softboxes, only the two speedlights, one diffuser and a cream wall. Am I asking a bit much from the equipment? Perhaps I should forget the high key and just concentrate on lighting my subjects.

Thanks again for the feedback.


.

needs a bit more sturation too.

Thanks for the feedback.

I've upped the exposure in the background to get rid of the vignetting. Also bumped the saturation a bit. Couldn't go too far with it or their skin started turning weird.

Not much I can do about the missing digits. They're refusing to join in now.

How does this look?

3583 x 2389

EMBED PREVENTED, IMAGE TOO LARGE: http://img402.imagesha​ck.us/img402/5167/boys​ocf.jpg Click here to see our image rules.

As you can see the light on the taller boy (left) is slightly stronger than on the righthand one. Also the shadow on the shorter boy's right cheek is stronger. With two flashes (and one used to highlight the background you might use a reflector to take some of the key light to the other side of the faces.

I know it is a formal "no no" but I am not that fanatic about cut off limbs and missing fingers and toes.... It is the facial expression and the eyes that should capture the attention of the viewer and with this shot you did well.