Playing around, take a look! (6 pics)

Hello, first post with pics, so be gentle. I will be opening up a portrait studio soon in our new house and I pulled out my backdrops and camera and took a few shots (they aren't the greatest, but I'm not the easiest subject to photograph :P)
Also I didn't pull out my lights so this is straight from the flash on the camera itself, so take it for what it's worth.
Please take a look and any CC is greatly appreciated.[/SIZE]
Thanks!

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

2 more

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

To be gentle - Red eyes - and a portrait studio ?

Lets see more when you unpack the kit

Nice pillow/exposure in black

Yeah I know, the only thing I set up was background and camera, so I knew that it wasn't going to be great.
Trust me, when I open my studio it will be the fuill set up and much more professionallism put into the pictures!
Thanks for the feedback though/

#1 - I'm not a great fan of flat lighting from a flash, and this is a good example of why.
Catch light right smack in the middle of the pupil - that's too un-natural.
No depth to the image other than that provided by the almost non-existent shadows and the variations in skin color.
Much too much empty black space.

#2 - Lighting is much improved but still way away from good portrait lighting. Note the overly white neck and the hot spots from the flash.

#3 - The pose and the general interest is 100% improved with this one, but the lighting is still unimproved. The extremely black background with the black hair makes for a murderous tonal merge - no chance of seeing where the hair ends and the background begins.

#4 is back to #1 again with the same problems.

Almost anything done with the lighting and the backdrop would be an improvement.

honestly, you look dead (color). Red eyes I'll leave alone. Anyways, single lighted subjects arent ever that interesting, so dont sweat it too much.

Take Roberts advice. Search his posts- he has an excellent tutorial on lighting! I think the camera was having a hard time exposing you skin tones because of the all black background and outfit. Looks like you have a good feel for posing. Good luck.

lol, I KNOW the lighting is bad. Like I said I didn't set up my lights cuz they are all packed away. I was just bored and decided to take a few pics. looking more for comments on the poses. I know the lighting is horrible.
lol, thanks for the feedback though. I'll post more pics when I get my lights set up after the move, and hopefully I don't foul up the lighting after that.

Aside from the horrible lighting and background (is there really a background?), only #2 pose works for me.

Also, I have to say the picture growing out of your head in your avatar makes you like a digital vidio camera with the side view LCD screen open. Now that is a funny shot! :>

- d