Had a great weekend and ventured back into portraiture a bit for a practice sunset photoshoot. Since I was going for the practice anyways, I'm satisfied with how they turned out. I'm learning this now so when a friend of mine is ready for me to take some photos next year, I've got it dialed in.
I discovered that my flash may not be adequate to get the coverage I need; I'll need to practice a bit more with the flash to really know the limitations. I can tell the coverage is poor because the dress starts to get a little yellower towards the bottom, I had the flash mounted on-camera rather than synced off-camera. Pushing the flash forward would have helped or maybe even better flash modifiers. I should also diffuse it a bit more so the flash isn't as visible on her arms too; her arms and cheeks look a bit blue/desaturated rather than a natural color.
IMG_9609.jpg by
Alex Glanville, on Flickr
This next photo still has the flash mounted on the camera, but I pointed it down more. As a result the flash hit the ground and you can once again make out some of the blue flash but this time in the bottom right corner, reflecting off some rocks. As the cliff continues into the background, it starts to blend in to the ocean and background. Which isn't super.
IMG_9614.jpg by
Alex Glanville, on Flickr
So, I'm going to need to find a new location or push the model back a bit more so I can clearly separate the foreground from the background. I'm also going to recommend a different color dress, maybe a white or a blue. The muted green just doesn't work for this photo. I'm also going to look into renting the 20mm 1.4 again or a 35mm 1.4. I like my 50mm 1.4 but when it comes to these full body shots I think I'd get much better results with something a bit wider -- and I'll also be able to get closer with the flash.