Some advice please.

Ok, I bought this set and a barn door that can attach to it, to practice practice practice lighting.

http://www.wexphotogra​phic.com …ox-hotshoe-plate/p1533418

Now the question(s),

1. I have set the background up as wanted with 1 flash, if ambient is not enough in front of the background whatever, I need more flashes or lights to light up the subject yes?

2. What do you expose for? after getting the background right do you then just use manual till the subject is correct? But would that not alter the background if using a white cloth with a colour behind?

3. I have 2 flashes, 1 behind the background, use 1 as a shoot through with a reflector? Or look at more flash/strobes? Remember this is just a hobby for doing my daughter/family never ever going to consider this as any thing other.

Any other tips? Thanks all.

I think you are making things unnecessarily difficult for yourself by setting the background first. After all, the background isn't the subject but merely an incidental. It's all about using your light intelligently rather than just blasting as much as possible at everything. It's rarely a matter of more, more, more flash units - especially in our smaller, low ceilinged British homes.

The real key in your scenario lies in background seperation - you simply have to get the subject away from the background (6ft is a good starting point; more if you can manage it). Closer than that and your main, frontal light is always going to contaminate the background. I'd suggest that you start off lighting the SUBJECT and then adjust the background light to suit.

The diagram(s) below may take a little working through but should demonstrate a space-restricted way of juggling the available power to get the difference you require between light on the subject and light on the background from the frontal light. With your subject exposure established, you then adjust the power of the background light (not shown here) to give the effect you need.

See how you get on with that, for starters.

Thanks looks great, will try it this way, will be intresting to get a 24 month old stay 6/8 ft etc away and still. But as you state, it looks like more lights are the way forward....

Dannybegood wrote in post #16001343
Thanks looks great, will try it this way, will be intresting to get a 24 month old stay 6/8 ft etc away and still. But as you state, it looks like more lights are the way forward....

You could try:

• Bribery.
  
• Glueing the shoes to the floor.
  
• Patience (oh, you'll have already gone that route - assuming it's your 24 month old!!)
  

Ah thanks re-read it, So light the background from behind with the "gel", light with shoot through the "glued" down human dynamo, but start from about 6 feet away and try all sorts of tricks to attain motionlessness!!!!!

Great tips.. just practice x3 I suppose.

Yep, after 6 decades I'm still practicing. Bound to get it right one day - law of averages.

Just finished trying with me as an OOF subject, the "small" houses you mention come into play. I have no room to get the distances required without some piece of furniture or a wall getting in the way. This is going to be harder than I thought. Got the general idea though. Thanks again.

Danny, even though you don't have all the studio gear that is being spoke of in these very long threads, I will encourage you to at least read them and ponder on how the information points directly at your problem. I was so in your spot a fews years back. I wanted better pictures of the kids and family for Prom, Christmas and special events. Yes I got some more equipment, but needed to learn how to use that stuff properly. I understand your lack of space at the house, got the same problem....now everyone knows when it's picture time, X and Y furniture gets moved.

This is a link to the third installment of this every, every exhausting discussion on lighting. I urge you to do the exercises that were given to the original poster. You will be best served by clicking on the link for the first and second threads and read everything in order to gain the most sense about the discussion. I promise you it will be worth your time. When you finish, you will have a powerful understanding of what your flash or flashes can do. It is critical to moving your casual picture taking of family up to the WOW level that you want.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=293111

Good luck,

Bob E.

Thanks Bob, yes you are right, furniture will be moved just need to identify which room to use. Thanks for the link(s) have been trawling through stuff any tips from wherever are greatly appreciated.