Whats Wrong with this Shot

I was going though some raw shots from this year and came upon a real problem...

For the shoot I was trying to get fancy with an off camera flash but looking at the shots now B/c I think the lighting on the subject isn't good I like a shot where the flash didn't fire better! Lighting fail...

Anyways what would have helped the light look better?

Both of these are unedited raw converted to jpeg

Im just looking for C&C on lighting. I know the focus is kinda off and the poses isn't super these aren't "keepers" from the shoot I just picked them bc they are similar with flash and no flash. Thanks

I like the first image better as it feels more natural.

The second image w/ the added flash, it doesn't match. The flashes should have been gelled to match the ambient light. The way it is you have very warm rear light and blue flash.

I agree on the flash color temperature. I'd burn down the posts also, I think it would make a big difference.

Needs to be a black and white conversion IMO as there's too many colour temps

So a CTO gel?

I know I could fix stuff like that in post but I wanna know how to do it right for next time

I do like the second one more than the first. However, I agree with the others on warming up the flash with a bit of CTO Gel. I'd also consider flagging your lights to avoid lighting the posts, or artificially darkening them in post back to how the look in the unlit image. As they are in number 2, they take away from the photo.

The gel thay comes with rhe 600exrts is a cto right?

My thought is the background lights are too overpowering. It makes the model look dull and faded out. More punch is needed on her face. So, underexpose the back and pump up the power on the flash.

That said, I agree there is something about that first image. There's a certain dynamism to it. A little PP to turn her into a complete silhouette would do wonders to it.

Just my two bits.

Yeah I have 600exrts and a 5dm3 now so Im super excited to use the group funtion to wirelessly set off camera flash power

Having non-matching flash colors is not an issue in this case as you can very very easily match the color temperature on her face with background ambient lights in post-editing
P.S. I like the image with flash on her face better personally.

^^^ which is what I did in the edited shots I kept.

Just want to do it in camera next time.

-Duck- wrote in post #18250685
My thought is the background lights are too overpowering. It makes the model look dull and faded out. More punch is needed on her face. So, underexpose the back and pump up the power on the flash.

That said, I agree there is something about that first image. There's a certain dynamism to it. A little PP to turn her into a complete silhouette would do wonders to it.

Just my two bits.

This was my observation too. Duck beat me to it. I would have tried different positioning/distance between camera, background, and subject. Keep the back lighting but get the lights out of the frame.

A quick edit on the jpg.
Darkened the background, created an average blur of the scene and used as a soft light layer over the girl to balance color.

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I like the first image a LOT more! This shoot seems to work best as a near-silhouette, without being able to see the models face. The ambient backlighting sets to have been perfect for such imagery - love the rimlight! I also really, really like the strong glden cast that the entire image has.......how beautiful!

Seeing her face with more light on it just seems to kill the whole mood, for me. The addition of flash and face illumination makes it seem like you took something very beautiful and found a way to make it ordinary.

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