First off camera experiments

After sucessfully bodging together a couple of Strobist inspired flash modifiers, and having now found my off camera cord, I thought I'd make a couple of test shots to see the effect on a real world glamour model in exotic surroundings.

Or, more realistically, a picture of one of my daughters toys on my coffee table. Glamour models and exotic locations to follow when Camelot call with my winning numbers.

First shot, the 'model' with bare, off camera light (Click thru for a larger version of each pic).



Puppy is nicely exposed, but there is a lot of uncontrolled spill on the background.

So next, with my Pringles snoot:



Much tighter, but still a little spill. This is probably useful for many shots where I need to focus on a subject without completely excluding all background, but I was hoping for a tighter, more controlled light... enter the Grid:



This is much better - light where I wanted it, but not where I didn't.

And just for balance, here's a shot that's not gridded - this one's taken with a diy 'beauty dish'. It's dark - very dark, as the dish eats flash power, but I kept exposure constant throughout as I wanted to see how the light was changed. Ignoring the poor exposure, the actual light is pretty good - even and softer than the bare flash:



I think we need a little more work on this one, but it's showing potential. More to follow when I have some spare time to fiddle... which hopefully will be soon, when my Wireless triggers, umbrellas and stands arrive....