What can I do to reduce these under the chin shadows

I have a small studio /office room wihich does not get any sun though out the day so I have to use speedlights.

I have then set so they are 45 degrees from the subject nd I am shooting through umbrellas, what do I need to do to reduce these harsh shadows?

If the shot above is an example of one of your "bad" shots, then you need to start charging immediately!!!!!!!!!!

There's nothing wrong with that shot. If you want to eliminate harsh shadows, soften the light. Move the umbrellas in closer so the light wraps around more. The closer the umbrellas the more varied (distance from each other) the points the light hitting the subject, causing the light to wrap around and be smoother looking. If the umbrella is farther away it becomes more of a singular point of light causing harsher shadows. If getting the umbrellas closer is not an option you can use some bounce to help spread the light.

Only way to eliminate shadows under the chin is to put light there.

Softness comes from making your light source bigger or closer. As Kechar said, move the umbrellas in as close as you can keeping them out of the shot.

How many speed lights do u have? If only 2, use a reflector right on top of the subject, the baby. That will lessen the shadow, but will not eliminate it.

If u have more than two, then shoot one of the light to it. U can even use a snoot to direct the light to a specific spot, under the chin.

"I have then set so they are 45 degrees from the subject nd I am shooting through umbrellas, what do I need to do to reduce these harsh shadows?"


You have a few options:

1) Ditch the umbrella's and bounce a flash off the ceiling/wall so the resulting light hit's the baby in a similar direction as your umbrella does currently, and just use a grey card etc. to make sure colour is accurate.

Note: this technique can sometimes be too soft, you can vary the harshness by varying the zoom in and out on your flash, i.e. for maximum softness you would use the wide angle diffuser aimed at the wall/ceiling.

2) Keep you umbrella in place, but also bounce a flash on the ceiling with the wide angle diffuser, this will give the appearance, of soft directional light, balanced with ambient.

You can use a reflector I guess, but I prefer the look of No.2, and a reflector can sometimes get in the way imo.

I agree. While you can have one light at an angle, I'd put the other right at the camera to fill the shadow from the angled light.

While decreasing distance does translate into 'larger source' apparent size, the falloff of intensity of light increases greatly!

This is with a light only 3' from the subject...

Kechar wrote in post #12376324
If the shot above is an example of one of your "bad" shots, then you need to start charging immediately!!!!!!!!!!.

This.

I would move it closer to the camera position rather than 45 deg. angle. For the posted shot I would probably have a strip or sb coming in from above the subject not coming in from an angle relative to his head. Of course you will have mre flatter lighting but that is ok for newborns.

Have the baby hold a reflector just out of site to fill in the shadow area (said tongue in cheek )

Look at the texture of the subject in shot 2 of post 7...the texture of the toy bear is much less apparent by MOVING THE LIGHT BACK where it becomes less contrasty! Bigger source, farther back...resolves the shadowing under the chin of the infant.

Rachel B wrote in post #12376225
I have then set so they are 45 degrees from the subject nd I am shooting through umbrellas, what do I need to do to reduce these harsh shadows?

Harsh?

Rachel B wrote in post #12376225
I have then set so they are 45 degrees from the subject nd I am shooting through umbrellas, what do I need to do to reduce these harsh shadows?

There are a lot of good suggestions above.

Completely eliminating shadows would make the image less interesting, as facial shape would be less visible in the image. Most portraiture includes deliberately placed (by choice of lighting setup) shadows to provide a third dimension to the image.

To my eye the light is too flat now. I would not reduce shadows.

I would however try to increase the subject isolation from the background and increase the drama a bit in the image. Maybe use the gauze material to give the baby a hood and let the little feet and hands show. Maybe try a different crop. Lower the height of the camera. Try to find some way to increase the intimacy of the image. My 2-cents

Like the shot though.... I would have gone for something more like this

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I prefer the original, no offense.