Lighting for Portrait : Day 3

[ccting]

Purpose: Playing (and not yet start learning..).

Equipment & setting of 2 light sources
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a) 2 in 1 umbrella with 2 YN560 1/4 power as main light,45 degee top lighting, farther away to create smallest triangle (one without foot handicap ). 5 feet from subject

b) softbox with 1 YN560 1/16 power placing near to camera as small light source, 4 feet in front of subject to create soft diffuse fill light

c) No hairlight, kicker as lacking of lightstands, reflectors and flashgun


Camera setting:
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D5100, f/5.6,1/200s, ISO 200, Manual, handheld as lack of stable tripod, "kid" lens, 55mm

Composition:
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Ignored..


Post Production:
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Cropped 50% for privacy (my wife has been cropped).
Resolution has been reduced to 10%.
No further adjustment, pure from camera.


Output:
==========


Question:
a) Fill light ok?
b) Main light ok? Do i need to move the main light further away and increase the power? I use 2 YN560 both at 1/4 I can't really increase anymore to avoid overhead
c) Subject-background is about 20 feet. Why I still can see the background so clear at 1/200s 2 f/5.6 ISO200?

One day one post: Next post Lighting for Portrait : Day 4.

[graciousness]

a) Fill light ok?

Looks ok to me, even though this is cropped and you really need to see mama included in this photo to see the whole effect of your lighting set up.

b) Main light ok? Do i need to move the main light further away and increase the power? I use 2 YN560 both at 1/4 I can't really increase anymore to avoid overhead

This looks fine to me, too, and have to say that this is the best lighting you've shown so far. It's not underexposed for once! So good job with that. Again, hard to determine your set up because this is cropped and need to see the whole photo. Too bad your wife doesn't like to be seen.

c) Subject-background is about 20 feet. Why I still can see the background so clear at 1/200s 2 f/5.6 ISO200?

Can't see the background but yeah, I believe you will need to increase your light output if you do want to get the background darker, oddly enough. The position of your lighting is also important in this and need to be more concentrated on subject.

If you want to see the effect of this, play around with same subject (non moving would be ideal), same camera settings but different flash output.

Next time, try to take photos of maybe your friends who aren't so camera shy or just your kid whilst sitting on a chair. Then you don't have to crop anyone away and you can actually show the whole photo.

Just one more thing - the focus around his face is a little soft on him. I don't know if this is the case with your wife, but this is something that you should note when you're shooting, too, and not just your lighting set up.

[zona5101]

nice. Your quality of light from the umbrellas is very nice, soft light. Shadows are shallow and smooth. Remember/write down your set up here so you can repeat it when you are thinking about composition and background.

I am not sure how much if any fill your soft box is adding. You can test that by taking another shot with the same set up with the sb turned off and see if you can tell any difference. I suspect not - I only make that statement because your distance and power on the softbox seem like it would have negligible effect on the image.

[ccting]

Originally Posted by zona5101

nice. Your quality of light from the umbrellas is very nice, soft light. Shadows are shallow and smooth. Remember/write down your set up here so you can repeat it when you are thinking about composition and background.

I am not sure how much if any fill your soft box is adding. You can test that by taking another shot with the same set up with the sb turned off and see if you can tell any difference. I suspect not - I only make that statement because your distance and power on the softbox seem like it would have negligible effect on the image.

Thanks Grace and Zona .. you two are very helpful. Going to sleep first then think about the advice. I need time to absorb those great advice..

@Grace
I use manual focus as the "kid" lens has problem to autofocus in low-light situation... I focus more on my wife's eyes as she can see while my baby can't.

Next time, try to take photos of maybe your friends who aren't so camera shy or just your kid whilst sitting on a chair. Then you don't have to crop anyone away and you can actually show the whole photo.

My baby is a bit hyperactive, and it is not possible to have him to sit on chair still.

@Zona,
My softbox has 3 layers , inner side with white form, middle layer silver, outer with black. The diffuse reflection is extremely weak - even weaker than a piece of paper or wall bounce. That's to say, even 2 X YN560 with 1/4 will not overpower the softbox with 1 YN560 @ 1/8 or even 1/16 power level. that's why i wish to buy a silver reflection umbrella as i think it is waste of flash power by using that umbrella. I did not use softbox as main light because i need to reduce the triangle light on the face.

[zona5101]

Softboxes do eat up light. That's why in a strobist (shoe mount flash) set up you typically see umbrella as they are more efficient.
Don't be afraid to move that softbox within a foot (or closer!) of the subject, just out of the camera frame. The closer the light, the softer, more wrapping light you get.

[Doug Sundseth]

If you want to drop out the background, you need to move the light closer to the subject (and reduce the power as necessary to maintain a good exposure). Reason: Light falls of as 1/D^2, so if the light is correct at (say) 0.5m, the light at 3m will be 1/36 as strong (just over 5 stops darker). OTOH, if the light is at 1m and correct, the light at 3m will be 1/9 as strong (just over 3 stops darker).

On the lighting scheme: Looks good for an even lighting style. If you want stronger face modelling, keep the lights in the same places and reduce the power of the fill light.

Overall, it's by far your best lighting yet.

[ccting]

Thanks Dough and Bruce, and Grace,
I have chopped down all the advices, and I will try again tonight.