Experiments with backlight

Cowboy Studio kit -> Lighting experiment -> no one willing to help with the learning -> No problem!

Spent most of the day reading a book that will help with work. Finally finished it off. Wanted to do one last test before going to bed. The wife and kids are not going to help with this, so it became a self portrait experiment.

Key light -> Check (direct light or bounce main flash off wall)

Fill light -> bounce flash off floor

Back light -> Yes vs. No using secondary slave flash

and yes.. the "cowboy" triggered the idea of using a hat and black San Francisco jacket..

Looks like Daddy Narayanan is no cowboy. Also realizing my weight loss for the first time in a close up picture. Now I know why my mother was so unhappy with the yoga making me skinny to a point where I look malnourished! 

It is good for the tummy to be toally gone but my cheeks have disappeared as well and that needs to be looked into..

This one almost works.. except the slave flash, which is a 280 speedlite seems to flash full power. If there is a way to reduce it or put a diffuser there, that would help. Took 10 shots with different light combinations and two came out okay. Have a lot of learning ahead to figure out this whole lighting scheme..

The portaits take a backseat for now and we will do landscapes over the break!

Experiments with Black Muslin

This mornings first attempt with black muslin background..

and the end result which requires a lot more photoshop than the white background, possibly because I did not use the backlight to get her hair outline lit up in the shot. 

Also, any dirt or blemish on the black just picks up light like that... so the trick seems to be to place the model farther away from the background when it is black.

Have to stop the experimenting for now and get back to work, errands etc.

No more holding foam boards

Child labor laws in the Narayanan household now prohibit using the little one as a "light girl" or "grip" or whatever the movie term is for a person supporting the cameraman with the lighting setup.

The lighting positions have been set after at least 20 flash photos of Jr. and the little one, who were extremely patient with daddy as he kept saying "no", "not good enough", "lets try again" etc.

Were it not for the fact that all this posing comes with the Daddy's birthday gift pacakge (pre negotiated) we would not be here within 24 hours!

You can see part of the setup here..

and the final result after minimal photoshopping..

Spent a good hour ironing the muslin cloth to take out the creases it it. One downside to ordering this online. It came nicely pacakaged like a dhoti that makes it way from India for Diwali and ends up looking like a lungi of sorts in photos because of the rectangular creases from suitcase compaction! 

Have a few more kinks to iron out and we are there!

San and the kids have made my birthday very special by getting me something that will keep me occupied and searching for perfection without leaving the house for some time.

Studio setup

The new muslin backgrounds and key light setup arrived while I was out of town earlier this week. Finally got to set it up late last night.

We now have a studio in the house that can pretty much turn night to day at the drop of a switch. 

Cowboy Studio simply rocks!

You can keep adding things to the setup over time!

This morning, my models woke up and were so surprised to see me all ready.. clicked these as they wandered in front of the muslin cloth. 

This gets pictures that give the new Portrait white look..

Cannot wait to try the black background and get some Film Noir looking shots.