First Pictures with Lighting

Just bought some lighting from MPEX here in Columbus Oh, got it out to play with it a little bit. From what I've read around here, I pulled some basic info on about where to start.

The following are with a Westcott 43'' umbrella (bounced), and a Lumopro LP120, all sitting on a Interfit 8.5 light stand. Lighting was 45 degrees out from subject, and 45 up from head of subject.

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No images?

I can see them just fine... I will log out and see what happens.

There we go. Had external links turned off in smugmug. Are they showing up now?

I think the lighting looks pretty good. Maybe a bit flat. The white balance is off giving a pink look to her skin. The candy cane is a bit blown out and distracting on the first one as well. Part of the problem with these images (I'm sure they were test images so this may not apply) is the rich color of the chair overwhelms the fair skin and muted shirt/background colors making them look a little lifeless (may be the wrong word) compared to the chair. I think they would clean up great with a little PP. Just my layman's opinion. Great job for a first attempt!

P.S. Remember the rule of thirds. Her face dead center leaves a lot of dead space on the top of the image.

So how do I not have flat light? Yeah the candy cane was an incentive to sit down, she'd been asking for one all day off the tree. She was ready for bed, so no playing dress up at the time. I see what your saying about the chair. I was trying to gain focus at the eye, then recompose a little to even the picture out. Am I still able to do this and position at a third. Ive always tried to stay close to where I have focused, and Im not afraid to crop in post.

Thanks for the response.

CliffordPhotography wrote in post #9148633
So how do I not have flat light? Yeah the candy cane was an incentive to sit down, she'd been asking for one all day off the tree. She was ready for bed, so no playing dress up at the time. I see what your saying about the chair. I was trying to gain focus at the eye, then recompose a little to even the picture out. Am I still able to do this and position at a third. Ive always tried to stay close to where I have focused, and Im not afraid to crop in post.

Thanks for the response.

Flat light was perhaps the wrong word. As I said PP would fix most nitpicks...including cropping to thirds. As I re-examine the shot ignoring the background and chair, she is lit very well.

LOL, thanks, for a quick "sit down in the kitchen while I set this up" using the back wall and only chair available as I wonder about setting. These were shot in manual, should I shot in manual, or in TV?

Do you have any suggestion of different camera setting for more of a pop right of out the camera.

Im playing in photoshop as we go back and forth here.

CliffordPhotography wrote in post #9148691
LOL, thanks, for a quick "sit down in the kitchen while I set this up" using the back wall and only chair available I was wonder.

Do you have any suggestion of different camera setting for more of a pop right of out the camera.

Im playing in photoshop as we go back and forth here.

I can't really offer a suggestion as I always shoot in RAW and PP every keeper shot. I can only say if I were to shoot in jpeg I would be sure to set a custom white balance using my Expodisc and set the sharpening and saturation settings pretty high for the most pop. Good luck!

Thanks Jet, I will try that in the 50.

The times I've shot RAW and can never actually seem to convert to use in CS4.

CliffordPhotography wrote in post #9148718
Thanks Jet, I will try that in the 50.

The times I've shot RAW and can never actually seem to convert to use in CS4.

If you learn to use Camera Raw in CS4 the benefits will amaze you. You can adjust exposure, white balance, color temperature, saturation, clarity, etc. before you bring it into CS4 which will result in much better images. It takes very little work to convert them. In Adobe Bridge you can right-click on a RAW image and select open in Camera Raw or in Windows Explorer just select open with CS4 and it will open Camera Raw by default on a RAW image. You should play with it and it will prove to be one of the best tools that PS offers a photographer. Good luck!

P.S. You can even open jpeg images in Camera Raw and adjust them...but not as well as you can a RAW image.

I will check that out. Everytime Ive tried to open RAW in CS4 I dont believe Ive had any luck.