Studio Lighting

Whoa, how is it the end of July already?  This month has been BUSY with family, holidays, work, and volunteering.  I thought summer was supposed to be relaxing?  Oh well, better next year, right?  It's all a learning process.

Back to our chronological posting here, we come to the part when I become even more addicted to photography.  I know, I'm having deja vu, too.  It's not just you. :D

Long story short, I learned some more about studio lighting this spring.  I did some work for another photographer and as part of my payment I received a studio strobe light from her that she no longer used. I had a light stand already for my flash, as well as a white shoot-through umbrella, so I used that for my light modifier on it's maiden voyage in my living room.

Of course, the kids were partially obliging to posing for me yet again.

This was at 8pm.  It was dark outside and I was getting this kind of light for my photographs.  To say I was giddy is an understatement.

I tried it again the next morning, so I was getting window light and strobe mixed together.

There is a lot less shadow now since the window light is providing a nice fill from camera left.

With this image, Danielle is being lit by the window and the strobe is acting as a hair light from above and behind her head.

A few weeks later, I bought an octabox (that big beautiful 5-foot diameter light modifier on the right).  Here, I was experimenting with triggering my strobe (in the octabox) with radio triggers, which in turn triggered my flash using an optical slave system (behind the white umbrella on the floor beside the table).  Yes, I was getting very geeky.

This gave me mixed results, but it was fun trying it out anyways.

Look at those catchlights.... *sigh*

In this photo, you can see the fill from the flash more clearly on the (camera) left of Micah's face.

I decided I didn't like the two lights together very much (because I don't have a second light stand and plus flash is daylight balanced and the strobe is tungsten, so the white balance doesn't match).  So I went back to just one light the next time I took it out to play a week or three later.

Showing off her new Sunday dress made by Auntie Courtney.

I can't decide which I like more, this one or the next one.

And then there is Danielle...

Of course, Micah needed to get in on all the fun!

Anyways, hopefully I didn't bore you too much with sharing more about my photography. It's one of the things that makes my heart sing:)