c71clark wrote:
Well, to be honest, I would shoot in natural light, outside, or by a large window. A nice 42" reflector or 2 will do nicely along with the sun. But if you really want to shoot with your flash, just put the flash as close as you can, and use a large reflector on the opposite side to bounce fill light back onto the subject.
Find a friend to try stuff on. They get free pics, and you get practice.
Would something like the Alien Bees 5-in-1 reflector be good or are there other cheaper alternatives? I know that Alien Bees, as a company, usually puts out products that have really good value, but I believe I've saw these 5-in-1 reflectors somewheres else. EDIT: forgot about the foamcore option, will probably do that.
Kristy wrote in post #5787257
Find someone else to pose for you before you do work for pay without practice. You can always find someone willing.... Even if it's a trade for CD of images.
I'm not sure if I can find someone willing (I live in a REALLY rural place where there's no photographic people. You would think they're be somebody vain but no), but the trade for a CD of images sounds really nice and I never thought of that. Should I give out full sized JPEGs or downsize those? Or is that even a realistic question to be asking? I'm not really sure if this is real work either. I will most likely only get paid from parents saying "You have to take this. I will not take no for an answer" complicated by my parents saying "TAKE IT, TAKE IT, TAKE IT!" Maybe I should warn some of them to not flash my name around since I'm not really a working person? I'm still only barely 18 and the whole way I got into this position was to be to be in a real life situation for some experience. Last year, a "real" photographer (well, somebody who probably has more drive than I do. I really don't know what else to do besides photography, even though that's not the best thing to just choose, especially since fashion is what I really want to do) did the valedictorian's senior picture and it turned out pretty well. I'm not sure how she did it or what she used but I think it was borrowed lighting equipment. I'm think I'm going to probe her source.
On another note, most in the paper ads for photography are rubbish. One ad we inquired about basically still shoots film, and you don't even use your own camera! They just give you their film camera (expecting you to cover the film costs, which you will find out are funny in a second), you take 2 images, then you leave and they put your images on the internet on their site. What a joke. Even I have higher standards than that... and that could easily blow up in anybodies face too! What type of camera will I be shooting? What speed film? What brand of film? Where will I be shooting? What will I be shooting? How long will these 2 images take (lol)? I wouldn't want my name on some product that I'm not even sure is good looking either since they're be no preview, no histograms, no RAW to help guide me.
Kristy wrote in post #5787257A lightstand will make a fine reflector holder, but you'll need a boom arm for it.. best thing is another body.. mom, a friend anyone.. just hand it to them and tell them exactly where you want it... or bring one of your own friends along to assist.
Ugh, this is another problem I have. NOBODY really wants to help me out and I have the worst nerves in the world. I don't even know what "friends" I would actually call, but I can't exactly explain any more than that. My whole environment isn't very motivating.
Kristy wrote in post #5787257Never print your own images if you don't have a professional printer in your house... send the files out to a lab. There are several great labs out there.. I know MPix is very popular with some people.
Oh yes, that was my original plan. I guess I should have said that in the first post. Maybe I'm mistaken, but is Mpix a wide gamut printer? I actually do know about color management and printing shouldn't be an issue if it's on their side, so I'd like to take advantage of any extended color out of the sRGB or AdobeRGB if that's possible. I do have Mpix's ICC profiles and can do soft proofing I need, plus I have a calibrated monitor. I've also heard of White House Custom Color but have no experience with them. How are they? Would there really be a difference? What do you use?
Kristy wrote in post #5787257If you can find shade... natural light would be best.. A concrete jungle works well for beautiful catchlights... the sun just reflects from everywhere... See here...
Cut off full quote to save space, but anyways, thanks.
Titus213 wrote in post #5787264I would second Kristy's suggestion. Get a reflector - piece of foamcore - and fire the flash into it from the camera. Bounce the light back on the subject. Works very good, providing nice even, soft light as Kristy's image shows.
Thanks again. Ugh, I guess I should have mentioned I don't have OFF CAMERA flash. Crap. Should I just get the "ebay triggers" (well I would actually be getting the radiopopper ones since they're less dubious) or stay on camera, to have ETTL help some? While I'm not a pro at ETTL, I do know a lot of the basics and how ETTL works, so I'm confident it won't throw me for a loop. This is one reason why I have yet to get into lighting. There are so many decisions that have to be made, equipment wise, and I feel like if I'm not properly educated (which I haven't been able to do), I would really regret the decisions I make, which could really present a problem since I'm in a really tight situation for money. I'm not one to EVER let a salesperson work their magic on me, or am a person to go completely off "professional" reviews, but it's hard to get an image in my mind about where each company stands and what I should be doing. I already know that it's buying into a system.
