Time to cram

[Reed]

My mother wants me to take pics of her and my father this Sunday. They are both dying. Very likely this will be the last taken of them and I want decent ones. I really don't have any portrait equipment. I have a D7000, SB600, a light stand and an umbrella.

I am thinking of putting of putting the light at about 45 degrees, shooting through the umbrella with a white reflector on the other side. I am assuming that using the Commander mode will take care of the exposure. Can this work? The umbrella has a black cover and can be used as a reflector if that will work better.

Speaking of Commander mode, I haven't even gotten into it in the manual. Going to be doing a lot of reading.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Reed

[Jim Poor]

Set up some stuff and practice a lot between now and then.

Can you go outside and use natural light? I'm not sure about their mobility, but it may be better than trying to master CLS in a few days.

How big is your umbrella?

What's the space like you're considering using? You may get better results from a bounce than a single umbrella. Even better, shoot through the umbrella AND bounce. Your idea of 45 degrees and a reflector isn't bad either, but the bigger area you have throwing light at the subject, the less shadows you'll get.

EXTRA BATTERIES!

Depending on the mode you use, the commander can handle exposure, but you need to be able to compensate some too just in case the camera doesn't see things the same way you do.

Learn exposure compensation. For Nikon cameras using CLS, you can shoot in manual mode and still use exposure compensation for the flash, or you can dial in the compensation in your controls for the commander.

[Jim Poor]

P.S. I just noticed it's only a couple hours from you to me, so if you're willing to make the drive, I'm happy to help with the learning curve.

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by Jim Poor

P.S. I just noticed it's only a couple hours from you to me, so if you're willing to make the drive, I'm happy to help with the learning curve.

I just had to say that that is a really, really nice offer, Jim.

To the OP: I'm so sorry to hear your parents are so ill. I wish you the best of luck in capturing a lovely portrait of them. My thoughts will be with your family.

[Niresangwa]

Originally Posted by SusanH1970

I just had to say that that is a really, really nice offer, Jim.

To the OP: I'm so sorry to hear your parents are so ill. I wish you the best of luck in capturing a lovely portrait of them. My thoughts will be with your family.

+1. Where's Sime's 'Like' button when you need it?

[RLucas]

Originally Posted by Niresangwa

+1. Where's Sime's 'Like' button when you need it?

+2. That's a cool thing for you to do Jim!

Reed. My thoughts are with you and your family.

[Reed]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts. Rereading my post, I guess it can sound like things are imminent. It's not really that bad, we (hopefully) still have a few months. I want to do it quickly because my mother brought it up so I won't have to argue with her to get the photos.

To answer Jim's question, I have a 33" umbrella. After thinking about it, I think I'll bounce it to get wider coverage. I have a white foam board handy for a reflector. I worked with the camera and flash some today and figured out the Commander.

Jim, I really appreciate the offer to meet up, it won't be forgotten. Unfortunately, I will be working tomorrow and early Sunday. I'll have to pass on meeting the dogmeister this time.

I'll grab my wife for a while tomorrow and shot her.

Err, that's with the camera.

[Ambrosia76]

I too have been trying to learn how to do more 'studio' type portraits. I borrow one of my girls porcelain dolls as a stand in to practice with the lights. It gives me a human like subject and has helped a lot.

Plus it doesn't complain about having to sit there while I make adjustments like my kids do.

[dawnwithacamera]

Ambrosia, I have been thinking of doing the same thing, I want to buy one of those lifelike baby dolls from Wally World to practice on. One day my kids may actually cooperate and give me grandchildren!!

[Jim Poor]

Hope it went well. Since it appears you have more time than I originally thought, you could try again, applying what you learned the first time out.

Let me know if you want to swing by for some time in the studio.