C & C's: 14yr-old niece - Is this photo ok?

Hi all,

Dilemma:
My sister really likes this, but I am not sure and I honestly do not know why I am not happy. What do you all think?

Does this photograph work? // Would you be happy with this?

Image:
Unedited - just posted as a reduced size and resolution to conform with these Forum rules.

Setup:
Single-strobe:
(Manual at Full Power) ocf set on a table-top at about 45%. This was sited at camera right pointing upwards. Behind her the sun was shining through the kitchen window directly behind her.

Gear:
Canon 40D, 1 x 580exII, 100mm F2.8 (2 x TT5 to trigger 580exII ocf)

Settings:
Camera: Aperture F4, ISO 100, Shutter 1/400sec, Evaluative Metering, Manual Mode.
Flashgun: Full Manual at 1:1 (full power) HSS=On activated and controlled by the attached Pocket Wizard Flex TT5's.

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you have the light pointing up like you would do with a flash light to tell scary stories. Position the flash 45 degrees and above the subject to get more natural light. The shadow should be under the nose and slightly to the side. It also looks like the light is over powered. Stop it down a little. That should create a nice portrait of your sister.

i'm no expert, but i don't like the shadow on her face, and the flash seemed to create a rather harsh lighting.


J.

I have to agree with HeleneD on this. The lighting is harsh and not flattering. Have the lighting come from above and diffuse it giving you more "natural" looking and softer shadows.

HeleneD wrote in post #10297602
you have the light pointing up like you would do with a flash light to tell scary stories. Position the flash 45 degrees and above the subject to get more natural light. The shadow should be under the nose and slightly to the side. It also looks like the light is over powered. Stop it down a little. That should create a nice portrait of your sister.

Thanks Helene,

Lol - that's exactly it! - she looks kind of scary!
Yep - there was nowhere else to place the flash (apart from the floor). The kitchen cupboard doors opened the wrong way, so if I tried to clear and use a shelf, then the 580ex would have been obscured anyway!

Additionally, I do not have any studio gear here with me in the UK at all (no lights, light-stands, modifiers, umbrellas or tripods). I just had the Joby Gorilla pod handy which was used to get some semblance of 'height' for this flashgun.

Yeah, the balance of light to her face and hair is totally way-off so I should have angled the 580ex a bit better with perhaps reduced output - maybe at half-power.

I will have a play tomorrow - assuming the weather holds-up, and perhaps I can get her to use an extended arm to point the flashgun down at herself - being my niece she'll have to listen to me!
(Her mother - who is my sister, approves of this pic' though)

I will also try to set a larger aperture to get the background to 'disappear'.

Thanks for your pointers and tips.

It's probably quicker just to re-shoot than to edit the hell-out-of-this!

I would ask someone to hold the flash for you. Make sure you dial it way down. 1/8 or 1/4 would probably be plenty

Too harsh for me.

Hmm - for me the shadows are too harsh. Could you bounce the flash off something to soften it as it comes back in? Might also want to think about a piece of white tissue over the flash head, just to add a little diffusion in there.

For me the main challenge, as Helen has said, is that the light is from below. If you can get it above that would help alot.

Guys/Gals

A huge thanks for your honest input. I totally agree - it's a crap shot and I really need to re-shoot.
As she has her exams now and for another 2-3 weeks, I will have time to find a better venue and apply the suggestions and tips that have been kindly put forward.
Once done, I will re-Post.

They call this "horror lighting" in my instructional book on lighting. Definitely need to raise the light to a more above angle and soften it some. Use a reflector or second flash to add some fill to the shadowed side of her face too. BTW nothing is a "crap shot" if you can learn from it!

Is your nice so of course all the pics are going to be OK. You can help your nice by using the light better. I would soften the light using an umbrella or softbox, changing the height of the light so is doesn't cast that nose shadow. Buy a white foam or a reflector to reflect some of the light to the other side and some hair light. Maybe you can use some ambient light for hair light. This tips plus other can help fix the light issues you had with this photo. Remember the closest the light the softer it is. Play with the angles of light but be aware of the shadows on the neck, eyes as well as the nose.

shadow seems a little harsh to me but if your sister likes it that's all that really counts.