First Off Camera Flash shot, I'm new to Photography

I used my Canon 6D, my 50mm 1.4 lens, and my Canon flash with a wireless system.
I am new to photography, so go easy on me, but I will use all the tips I can get. I used Adobe lightroom to edit 2 versions of the image, and then I used Photoshop to combine them together (person in shot[me], and the background).

I'm pretty nervous posting this up on here because I'm new to portraits and off camera flash but I really would love tips and tricks. I'm also new to posting on here, I posted the link to the flickr, and the html because it wouldn't upload as an attachment.

To be honest, I don't like how my skin looks almost plastic.
http://flic.kr/p/iittL​d

<a href="http://www.flick​r.com/photos/97771207@​N04/11355806904/" title="Off Camera Flash by adamsauer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.stat​icflickr.com/5502/1135​5806904_883206f02f.jpg​" width="500" height="333" alt="Off Camera Flash"></a>

You successfully moved it off camera, but without softening and using the direction of the light to your advantage you didnt help yourself that much. Right now you have a pretty hard directional light causing hard side shadowing. Use a bigger light source, or get the flash closer, or both to soften the light. It might be better not to be so much off to the side as well. Portraits with a single light are tough.

Best place to learn:

http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com/2006/03/lightin​g-101.html

Would you recommend buying a Gary Fong lightsphere to make the light softer and cover more?

adeum wrote in post #16524627
Would you recommend buying a Gary Fong lightsphere to make the light softer and cover more?

NO!!! They dont make your light softer. To make your light softer you need to make your light source bigger, the lightsphere and other faux tupperware dont do anything in that regard. What they do in certain circumstances is spread light around the room to bounce off of adjacent surfaces to make the the light softer. But that assumes you have such surfaces, and that you couldnt do the same without that device (you can) But for off camera work you should be thinking umbrellas or perhaps a softbox, something that actually increases the size of the light source.

I personally prefer bouncing(when I don't have modifiers that is), it's all covered in the link.
There's a section on just that: http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com …ing-off-of-walls-and.html

Honestly, for this photo, the hard light IMHO worked well. The shadow it casts on the ladder also works to give it a moodier feel.

I kind of agree with Josh. I also think the OP did a good job (lucky?) with the reflections in the glasses, as the eyes are fully there. The only thing I'm not fully keen on is that he is on the right side of the image, looking right. But that's a real nit.

I might try moving the flash up a bit higher to move some of the shadows down a bit.

I found "Light Science & Magic" and "The Speedlighter's Handbook" facinating. I don't have much experience yet, but it made me appreciate lighting a lot more.

KirkS518 wrote in post #16527049
I kind of agree with Josh. I also think the OP did a good job (lucky?) with the reflections in the glasses, as the eyes are fully there. The only thing I'm not fully keen on is that he is on the right side of the image, looking right. But that's a real nit.

I see this as a "normal preference".

what gives.

I used to think that if you're looking right, then you should be on the left to give it some space. But I saw plenty of photos by Joe McNally where he did the opposite. After looking at them for a while, It grew on me. So right looking right will work just as well .... as long as you have a "balancing" object on the left and not just empty space. In this case, he did (the step ladder). If that step ladder has some sentimental value, it'd be perfect

I think for a first attempt at OCF this is quite good. It was never going to be perfect first time. I would recommend some kind of softbox to soften light though.

Thank you for all the advice everyone! The ladder has no significance, originally, I had the flash on the ladder, but I didn't like the lighting, so I moved the flash to the other side of the room. I'm waiting for my flash stand and umbrella to come in the mail (it's been 3 weeks).

I have a few other shots that I'm kind of happy with, but would of been extremely happy if I had a 2nd flash or even a 3rd.

Get McNally's book if you haven't already. There's a lot you can do with just one flash . David Hobby's Strobist.com as well as Neil Van Nierek's blog has been invaluable to my study of flash photography

Talley wrote in post #16527160
I see this as a "normal preference".

what gives.

I guess I'm just old school.