RIA: Some shots with Flash....

shotokan101

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Some of you will be "familiar" with my recent attempts at a shot I called "Sweet Temptation" - my latest attempt at this is the first shot shown here and I've added a couple of others I also took tonight with off camera flash.



1) "Sweet Temptation"

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2) "Timely Reflection"

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3) "Minted"

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4) "Horny"

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As usual all comments and feedback welcomed :thumbsup:


JIm
 
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Really like 1 and 3 (for obvious reasons...chocolate!). Not sure about 4, don't know why. Is 2 straight? It looks a bit wonky...

Good to see a lot of 'experimentation' on here, not just 'the best' of what you have. It provides a good lesson, for those that follow it, of where things go wrong and how to correct them. :)
 
Really like 1 and 3 (for obvious reasons...chocolate!). Not sure about 4, don't know why. Is 2 straight? It looks a bit wonky...

Good to see a lot of 'experimentation' on here, not just 'the best' of what you have. It provides a good lesson, for those that follow it, of where things go wrong and how to correct them. :)

Yay ! - broke my Duck - thanks :D

NUmber 2 is dead straight - as far as I can tell anyway :cool: - and camear was resting on the surface the watch was on when shot taken as well :thumbsup:

My fav. is number 3 - and not just because it's NOT a Choccie Eclaire :rotfl:

Number 4 is - I would agree - "Problematic" and I think I will leave working on that one till I get a softbox - perhaps using a reflector as well as the diffuser may have helped a little - dunno really - just thought I'd try something different again :)

If I ever get it sorted out I'll probably start a Lladro collection thread and then a Schwarovski thread and then a Country Life Collection and then ...... :suicide: (not joking BTW) :devil:

JIm
 
I haven't got a clue when it comes to lighting, as all I have got to work with to date is natural light really (don't have a flashgun, etc). I'm mostly interested in Landscape Photography so don't really have an urgent need for one yet, except to highlight the foreground perhaps.

What was bugging me about 4, which is probably linked to the lighting issue, was it looks a bit soft around the edges. Ignoring the obvious shadows and a slight White Balance issue, the horse just doesn't seem to stand apart from the background...they blend too smoothly. Get what I mean?

Greg
 
I haven't got a clue when it comes to lighting, as all I have got to work with to date is natural light really (don't have a flashgun, etc). I'm mostly interested in Landscape Photography so don't really have an urgent need for one yet, except to highlight the foreground perhaps.

What was bugging me about 4, which is probably linked to the lighting issue, was it looks a bit soft around the edges. Ignoring the obvious shadows and a slight White Balance issue, the horse just doesn't seem to stand apart from the background...they blend too smoothly. Get what I mean?

Greg

"No" :hiya: - and "My God ! - It's so cr@p they can't even tell it's a Unicorn - Despite The Title !" :eek:

But seriously.....the "effect"you're probably referring to was mainly intentional and is a combination of the lighting being bounced pretty much vertically down onto the head of the figure - with a little soft diffusion spillage lighting up that side of the face. The "blurring" effect is I think due to the DOF due to focussing on the head/horn to get that sharp and trying to get the rest to fade - focus wise - a little us you move down the figure.

The PP later with some black recovery/enhancement has further shadowed/merged the lower part - this was partly necessary due to there being some unwanted reflections of the underside of the figure on the gloss surface - couln't quite get rid of the last of it without diving into Photoshop and cloning it out so couldn't be bothered for this pass TBH :rolleyes:

Hope that is what you were referring to and helps to explain it a bit better ?

Thanks for the feedback again.

Jim
 
Ah, ok that explains it...yep, I just don't like it then! :devil: :rotfl:

Actually, I can appreciate what you were trying to do now, I think you've kind of succeeded then, but I guess it just doesn't do anything for me on this occasion. And, of course it is a Unicorn...:facepalm:

Still, I really do like the sweeties! :smashin:
 
Cheers Greg - I'm sitting eating a bar of Aero at the moment :D

Jim - Sweetie Boy - Maxwell
 
#3 for me JIm,quite like #2 as well, where are you shooting these,softbox?

Thanks Neil - no softbox yet - just had the Xmas credit card bill in :eek::eek::eek: and been "cautioned" ;) - so just resting on the black lacquered coffee table (yes right in front of that blue leather couch :D) with the new flash (Shhh!) fired off camera and bounced/diffused.

Jim
 
Hi Jim,
Some of you will be "familiar" with my recent attempts at a shot I called "Sweet Temptation" - my latest attempt at this is the first shot shown here and I've added a couple of others I also took tonight with off camera flash.
I quite like them all. The watch does look a bit wonky, but I think that its just down to the one side being brighter than the other and the l/h side appears to be further back than the r/h side. The unicorn is certainly a good subject for lighting experimentation. I think it looks good! The positioning off-centre doesn't appeal to me much, though.

Paul :cool:
 
Thanks Paul :)

Tried rotating the watch pic. and prefer it personally in the new orientation.


DSC00339-rotated-resized-2.jpg



Also tried another "subject"



"Two Pair-o-Keets"


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I can't help it - I like reflections :rolleyes:


Jim
 
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I like #1 and the 'new' rotated watch picture, agreed it works much better with that orientation.:smashin:
 
Thanks - although I now realise I actually posted the "N-1" shot of the watch - on viewing the rotated version last night I noticed a slight skew effect and attempted to correct this with some fine rotation - only to post the still-skewed shot - need to stop doing this stuff in the early hours :rotfl:

Jim
 
Cheers Paul - I actually tried a full 180 on the watch shot and whilst "interesting" it just looked too wierd - even for me :D - as did the "other" 90 degree one.

The full 180 shot I saw could well have worked really well (IMO) if I had the PP skills to enhance the reflected watch image and tone down the "real" watch image to the levels of the current real watch image - if you get my drift..... :rolleyes: - as i thought it might "sucker you in" and make you do a double take.... :facepalm:

Jim
 
Hello there

I like the original watch one, the black background works well.:smashin:

There not a lot I can say about the others Jim. I find it hard commenting on this sort of photography as it doesn't really do it for me.:rolleyes: Not just these shots but any sort of still photography.


Cheers Holo:smashin::smashin:
 
Cheers Frank - I appreciate the feedback.

I can understand where you're coming from regarding the still-life stuff and I realise it's not everyone's cup of tea - not even sure I "like" it that much myself in some respects and I'm only really "playing around" myself at the moment while getting some info. on flash and lighting posibilities etc. as well as getting a feel for my lenses.

I'd certainly never consider restricting myself to such shots but finding it a fun and challenging diversion at the moment.

Jim
 
i also, only do such stil image stuff just for experience, apart from the macro I love that stuff if you cant get out and about to take large scale pictures it is as said above great for learning about dof/ lighting even how reflections have an effect on the image. all the pics have merit but that Damn unicorn I would have to shoot it or knock it off the mantlepiece, wherever it is to put it and me out of our misery:D. Mike
 
i also, only do such stil image stuff just for experience, apart from the macro I love that stuff if you cant get out and about to take large scale pictures it is as said above great for learning about dof/ lighting even how reflections have an effect on the image. all the pics have merit but that Damn unicorn I would have to shoot it or knock it off the mantlepiece, wherever it is to put it and me out of our misery:D. Mike

Well I'm guessing that you're not gonna want the Water Fairy shot I was considering trying next week then :devil:


...and just for you Mike - quite possible a "Unicorn Portfolio" in the near future - posibly to include some macro(ish) shots ;)

So what is it with the Unicorn then ? is it the shot itself or the figure in general ?

...and nobody like/dislike the "Two-Pair-O-Keets" then ?

Jim

EDIT: - you will all be pleased to know that I've eaten all my choccie eclaires now - except for the leading actors who I've kept safe for posterity :)
 
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hi Jim, the unicorn shot To me looks a little underexposed, for some reason it isnt standing out, obviously ,the substance it is made of makes it a very hard thing to light, but hey it,s all experience, but sadly I just Detest cutesy/cuddly/sickly etc,etc ornaments:devil:.

As for the parrots, I think I would have spent most of my time trying to get more of the facets showing on all of the birds,the two outer birds look a bit one dimensional(could of said flat but wanted to impress:)). Jmo:cool:. Mike

I want to know who in your relationship chose all the cutesy ornaments you keep mentioning:D
 
Thanks MIke - I knew I should have gone with my Owl instead of the Parakeets ;) - but the Parakeets just gave a much better reflected image :facepalm:

Cheers,

JIm
 
Hi Jim, :hiya:
... quite possible a "Unicorn Portfolio" in the near future ...
Yea!!! Bring on the horns. :eek: :rolleyes:

...and nobody like/dislike the "Two-Pair-O-Keets" then ?
What's the use in me responding, if you're just going to ignore me? Eh? Eh? :D I said I quite liked them! :smashin: Admittedly I called them birdies, but that's close, isn't it? :confused:

Paul :cool:
 
just a thought. does your sony flash have a modeling feature?, would make it easier to see what parts you do and dont have lit , or a torch could help somewhat, more portable than a lamp. Mike
 

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