Test shots with daughter

I just started learning / experimenting with off-camera flash and talked my daughter into being a willing subject the other day. These were shot on my porch with our woods as the background. A cloudy/overcast sky was providing light from camera left, and I had a YN-568 speedlight bouncing off a white ceiling camera right and just a bit in front of her. I don't think they came out too bad, but am thinking I need to get a little bit more light in her eyes next time - I think the speedlight should have been even more in front of her than what I had it. These were shot with the T4i and 70-200 by the way. Waiting to hear from the experts...

Great test shots but there is no "Pop" in her eyes. Some kind of catch light I think is needed.

Oddly enough, the thing I can't see past is her lipstick. Her hair, her eyes, her dress all tone together PERFECTLY, she couldn't possibly have styled herself any better, but she chose lipstick that is a pink toned magenta ish color rather than one that has brown/orangey undertones. It doesn't match and is a huge disconnect for me. Having said THAT, I LOVE these images. I would like to see a bit more light in her eyes to bring out the beautiful brown in them, perhaps you can kick it up in post??? Regardless, I quite like these, the background of green leaves goes perfectly with her hair and outfit etc. She is stunning, well done!

suecassidy wrote in post #16147706
..... but she chose lipstick that is a pink toned magenta ish color rather than one that has brown/orangey undertones. It doesn't match and is a huge disconnect for me.....

Well, she is only 15 (going on 25 of course). Plus I don't have the nerve to tell her I don't like it.

OK, thanks for the comments. I don't have much experience shooting with flash, but I was thinking the same thing. I'll try moving the speedlight next time, and experiment with the umbrella that just arrived in the mail. If those two changes don't do it I guess I'll have an excuse to get another toy.

Does this work? Just some quick experimenting. (Though I still want to get it right at the point when the camera sees the image).

IMAGE LINK: http://s857.photobucke​t.com …1024_zps6826d98​c.jpg.html

Love #1 and #3.

Great work!

As far as lighting, are you sure the bounced light had any effect? Do you have one w/o flash...these look pretty much naturally lit to me.

RickRandhawa wrote in post #16147882
As far as lighting, are you sure the bounced light had any effect? Do you have one w/o flash...

Funny you should mention that, as I had posted in the flash/lighting section a story about this. I inadvertently set the flash under a ceiling fan on the porch, around the corner from me such that I couldn't see it. A couple of times the flash intensity went way down and I couldn't figure out why, until I realized that there was a slight breeze and it was slowly turning the fan and from time to time a fan blade was blocking the flash. On those shots you could definitely see that the left side of her face was really dark. From where the sun was in the sky her face would be lit mostly by flash in shots 2 & 3, and shot 1 would have the left side of her face lit by flash and the right side by the overcast sunlight.

suecassidy wrote in post #16147706
Oddly enough, the thing I can't see past is her lipstick. Her hair, her eyes, her dress all tone together PERFECTLY, she couldn't possibly have styled herself any better, but she chose lipstick that is a pink toned magenta ish color rather than one that has brown/orangey undertones. It doesn't match and is a huge disconnect for me. Having said THAT, I LOVE these images. I would like to see a bit more light in her eyes to bring out the beautiful brown in them, perhaps you can kick it up in post??? Regardless, I quite like these, the background of green leaves goes perfectly with her hair and outfit etc. She is stunning, well done!

I had the same feeling

but nice start for sure!

nice shots. beautiful model, btw, good luck with your 15yr old. Have you tried underexposing the background some? To me it's a little bright and kind of takes my attention away. And I agree with Rick a bit that these do look like ambient. nice work overall.

disneydork06 wrote in post #16151982
Have you tried underexposing the background some? To me it's a little bright and kind of takes my attention away.

Well, that was the original plan. It was a mostly overcast day, and it started out with the background being underexposed. But then the sun kept popping out from behind the clouds and I didn't do a good enough job of keeping up with it.

Then I guess I did something right These were shot on my covered porch at around 4 in the afternoon, on a generally overcast day. The sun was to my left, so any light hitting my daughter from my right was from the flash (bouncing off the white ceiling). I had the camera in manual and the flash was in ettl w/ evaluative metering.

Since it is outdoors, a little reflector fill might do wonders for the eyes.

I think it is well done, as is, though.