KCook wrote: The main light is really harsh. You said a diffuser was used on the speedlight, but the usual little clip-on molded plastic diffusers really don't do anything. A 5-in-1 reflector was mentioned, but not how it was used. The "scrim" core of these 5-in-1s make a much better diffuser than the little plastic deals. Or, you could have bounced the speedlight off the white reflector face of the 5-in-1. If you are stuck with the speedlight on the camera, here is a link to a study I did -
kellycook.zenfolio.com/speedlight
The full use of a 5-in-1 with the speedlight needs the speedlight to be off the camera. Which is not that big a deal. Light stands can be cheap, and it's not hard to find RF trigger sets for $50 USD, or less. Once you have the speedlight on a stand, an umbrella can come into play, which will be an even more effective diffuser than the 5-in-1. And umbrellas are fairly cheap as well. Unfortunately softbox rigs for speedlights can take you north of $50.
I prefer monolights to speedlights, which is why I have only 1 speedlight. But for right now, find a way to get your speedlight off the camera onto a stand, additional lights can come later.
Kelly Cook
KCook wrote: The specular highlights are very near center, so the light must not have been very far from the camera. Linkys for ideas on setups with a single light -
photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/10-wa...ne-light--photo-3313
www.iheartfaces.com/2013/02/off-camera-lighting-tips/
www.dpreview.com/articles/2148100943/the-one-light-studio
neilvn.com/tangents/camera-and-flash-set...you-want-to-achieve/
Kelly
KCook wrote: Ehhh, what set? I see no link.
The typical sets with common light sockets are for CFL bulbs (spiral fluorescents). The output from these bulbs, even those with high Watt ratings, is much lower than any strobe. So when a CFL is the main light the camera will need to be at a much higher ISO, or the shutter speed much lower. That low shutter speed means that CFLs are Ok for still life subjects, not very desirable for portraits. Unless your subject is happy with sitting very still.
You could screw a slave light into the same socket, instead of a CFL. But the slave units are extra large in diameter. That obstructs using an umbrella with the typical "head" design. Though you could jury rig an umbrella with a separate fixture to hold the umbrella. I have not seen a slave used with a softbox. Dunno if there would be any issues with that attachment.
Unfortunately there are no good solutions that are on the cheap. Something, usually more than one something, will have to be sacrificed.
Kelly
KCook wrote: AE programming for flash depends completely on the specific camera (we now know is the D800) and the specific flash unit. This is called "TTL" flash control. TTL is common practice for on-camera flash work in the field. But in a studio, with multiple flash units, most pros do not use TTL, instead they are running everything in manual mode. This is especially true if any of the lights are monolights instead of speedlights. Which is "trial and error", unless you are using a flash meter. Even without a meter, you have complete control over your studio environment, so that trial and error phase will be a brief one. With practice a pro will remember which settings work for any of the setups that he uses frequently.
Kelly
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