Self portraits + a couple of the girlfriend.

Bristol Pete

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Sorry to bore you with some more of my work but getting into flash more and more and set these up tonight. Used the SB800 on the D3, which was set to manual 1/250th and F8 ish, which in turn triggered two SB600's. One was placed behind me firing through a home made snoot, which was actually a fosters beer can, thus creating the 'hotspot'. I also placed green/red paper over the flash head to create the colour. I then triggered a second 600 which was situated to my right at various outputs until I got something I liked. Ideally a third 600 could be situated to my left at about 1/128 power just to lift the face slightly. The 800 was a combination of anything from 1/4 down really and I think another snoot aimed at the face could work nicely. I triggered these with a remote......

And for anyone who reads Amatuer Photographer, sorry for the classic Geoffrey Crawley pose, its an in joke with the guys at work.

Finally, if anyone can guess the team of the jacket I am wearing in 1, I will shout them a beer at the Bristol meet !

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Very impressive lighting Pete. Excellent shots.

Thanks. I am trying absorb as much technique as I can as I want to get better and better as a snapper. Whilst I am shooting less and less sport I can see other ways of shooting or in the least trying to shoot. I am already thinking about shooting mountain biking like this again pretty soon.
 
I like the last one, it would have been easy to blow that highlight on the shoulder, but it looks great.
Poses in the first ones are a bit too David Brent for me, but nicely lit!
Allan
 
Great shots Pete - I especially like the second to last one....as someone has said, reminds me of an ipod style advert.....very good.

ps - looks a bit like a Fiorentina jacket to me :smashin:
 
Hi Pete,

Nice experimentation with good results.

A cheaper alternative to the third SB600 would be a reflector of some sort - good enough if you just want to lift the shadows on the dark side of your face slightly.

Regarding "absorbing technique", something I read on the strobist blog was to shoot the background flash through an object such as a plant or a glass of water. Gives a bit more interest to the background and may be something you'd like to have a play with. Hope you don't mind but here's one I had a go at a while ago:



Sorry about the model, by the way, I have a shortage of willing volunteers!

Cheers.
 
Some nice experimentation there Pete. I think the first four would look much better in mono as that would suit the darker feel, I think they look just a touch underexposed in colour, particularly #4 in which you have lost the eyes completely. The last two are much better, especially #5. I have just ordered a speedlight for my 5D so I will be experimenting soon enough too, though with only one flash.........at the moment.
 
Great portraits! Really like the last photo. Great skin texture detail.

I can see what you are saying about lifting the side a little.

Also think a stand mounted reflector might do the trick for a little less cash than another flash.
You can pick them up pretty cheaply on Ebay I think. I need to get a stand for a reflector, so if you go for one and find one let me know!

@ksten: Like the idea of using an object to create the "backlight art". Hmm, you got me thinking. BTW, I also need some "models". Think the kids are getting fed up of being photographed and not really suited to this kind of 'staged modeling' :)
 
Cheers all. This was literally a suck it and see test really and towards the end I got frustrated as I could not get what I wanted. However, noted about the reflector and nice idea about the textured back drop.

Overall I can see me doing a lot of this once I have my manual control set up, though I am sure we could over egg the pudding.

As for the David Brent shots, well, as I said, a gag for some friends, but evidently I am a little like him in my mannerisms.....:eek::suicide:

Steve, get yourself a wireless transmitter or some cactus triggers. I think Tobers got em dirt cheap on that fence place called flea-bay.
 
Some nice experimentation there Pete. I think the first four would look much better in mono as that would suit the darker feel, I think they look just a touch underexposed in colour, particularly #4 in which you have lost the eyes completely. The last two are much better, especially #5. I have just ordered a speedlight for my 5D so I will be experimenting soon enough too, though with only one flash.........at the moment.

Steve, have processed this one in bw. I like it what do you think? The only downside is that you loose the colour of the gradient of the snoot hitting the wall behind the subject. Oh, and in error I shot these in jpeg rather than raw some not really able to push the exposure.....

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Great shots Pete - I especially like the second to last one....as someone has said, reminds me of an ipod style advert.....very good.

ps - looks a bit like a Fiorentina jacket to me :smashin:

You are correct, I owe you a pint. My Dad is a welsh italian chap called 'Giovanni Dylwyn Schillachi Jones'. :D
 
... I am sure we could over egg the pudding.

I think that is definitely the danger in the early days of messing around. To learn the techniques we push everything to the nth degree and end up with extremely vibrant, dynamic photographs .. which is fair enough but may not always be the look we would like. I think when we can get beyond that and learn some subtlety it will raise the quality of the images without screaming about the way it has been lit. Unfortunately, I don't practice it enough to get anywhere near that stage!

Cheers.
 
I think that is definitely the danger in the early days of messing around. To learn the techniques we push everything to the nth degree and end up with extremely vibrant, dynamic photographs .. which is fair enough but may not always be the look we would like. I think when we can get beyond that and learn some subtlety it will raise the quality of the images without screaming about the way it has been lit. Unfortunately, I don't practice it enough to get anywhere near that stage!

Cheers.

Yeah, I have already concluded that it is one thing setting this up and getting what you want, but the real skill comes in doing this on the fly and setting up double quick time in various light. I am covering some stuff on Sunday and I intend on using all three flash guns to strobe some sportsmen, but know it will be trial and error. I suppose thats the benefit of being a full pro in that your assistants do the leg work etc and you have time to set it up before the shoot begins. Still my mission is to learn and be a better photographer so it all helps....if I dont get this right I might pack it all in and become a full time lady boy. :hiya:
 
These are really interesting Pete. I think the last 2 work better then the first 4. #5 is especially good. The ones of you are a little too dark around your face to work. Your mono conversion works better but it's still a bit dark. But as Steve says, this looks fun. I'll be interested to see what your next shots look like...
 
Looking interesting but the light on your face is overwhelmed by the background in my humble and inexpert opinion. A bit more balance to bring more light on your face would make a lot of difference. Gordon is a bit of a star at this sort of thing.

Like #6 of your girlfriend. There's something about that tan line......
 

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