First run at portraits

First try ever really with off camera flash. All shots were taken using a single 430ex bounced into a 43 inch soft silver umbrella. The light was about 35-45 degrees camera left and above my wife's head (judging by the catchlights and shadows maybe not high enough?). She is ready to give birth to our second son any day now so I really had to work to get these pictures up here!

In the first picture I was using my Xti's max shutter sync so it is all lit by the flash. I had a DIY reflector but nothing to hold it!

The second picuture I tried to balance with some daylight coming through a window off camera right (about 90 degrees) without much success.

Any comments/criticisms would be most appreciated. This forum has been a great learning tool and I look forward to experimenting alot with light.

Edit: I had no idea what to do with posing so any advice there would be helpful too.

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Nicely done. Best of luck with the new little one!

The B&W is very nice. My advice is to shoot a lot more pictures of your wife...she's beautiful

Not bad at all. The first could use a bit more separation from the background - something I struggle with continually. The second is a good conversion, good pose (except for the cropped feet). If you pulled her a bit further away from the background it would help.

Your wife is beautiful lady. And congrats on the new one coming.

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Thanks everyone for the comments.

For your run of the mill portrait do you think that the light in the first picuture is coming on too harsh of an angle? Leaving the shadow on the left side of her nose and mouth.

Titus213 wrote in post #4946772
Not bad at all. The first could use a bit more separation from the background - something I struggle with continually. The second is a good conversion, good pose (except for the cropped feet). If you pulled her a bit further away from the background it would help.

Your wife is beautiful lady. And congrats on the new one coming.

I ran out of space in the room, but I will try again.

BTW, the little guy isn't here yet.