Eros Fine Art Photo wrote:
Great job on all of them.  Really like the lighting and color saturation. 

Mind if I ask what your equipment and settings were?  I've gotten better with indoor shots using a hot-shoe flash on a light stand, but I tried it outdoors with a group and it was just a hot mess.  I wasn't shooting HSS, but it was a really overcast day and shouldn't have needed a fast shutter speed.

Oh wow thanks!  Ok so here is what I was using yesterday...

EQUIPMENT
- Canon 6D with tripod and on liveview, that's just how I always shoot now because my back isn't the best and I'm a tad shaky.
- Canon 24-105mm f4 and 85mm f1.8 lenses
- Godox AD600BM (BM stands for Bowen Mount) which you can now buy at Walmart of all places for $469, I like it because it does HSS and it comes with a battery so you don't have to buy a battery pack and deal with wires.  There's a TTL version for a couple hundred dollars more but I don't use TTL.
- A Godox X1T transmitter ($46 on ebay, I got the Canon version), it's nice because you just put in on your camera and it works with the AD600BM without needing a bunch of crap.  Just match up the channel on the light and the transmitter and that's it.
- Light stand for the Godox with 2 sandbags along with a 48" bowen compatible octabox I got off ebay for I wanna say $50 - $60.

As for settings, they kept changing because the sun kept coming in and out and my goal was to do hss the entire time even if I didn't need to just to test things out.  I constantly wanted to stay at around 1/1000 just because I could lol.  Anyway, let me brake down the image settings though just so you know.

IMAGE 1
Lens: 85mm f1.8
F- Stop: 5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/1000
ISO: 250

IMAGE 2
Lens: 24-105mm f4 at 67mm
F- Stop: 7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/3200
ISO: 250

IMAGE 3 - No Flash
Lens: 24-105mm f4 at 67mm
F- Stop: 7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/500
ISO: 800

IMAGE 4
Lens: 24-105mm f4 at 70mm
F- Stop: 7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/1000
ISO: 1000

IMAGE 5
Lens: 24-105mm f4 at 67mm
F- Stop: 7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/1600
ISO: 800

IMAGE 6
Lens: 24-105mm f4 at 75mm
F- Stop: 7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/800
ISO: 125

IMAGE 7 - No Flash
Lens: 24-105mm f4 at 95mm
F- Stop: 7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/500
ISO: 800

Finally, to process them I used VSCO filters here and there in Lightroom (all different kinds, I just looked for whatever I liked), did a little retouching there, and then I finished them off in Photoshop.  And I think that's it.  Hope this helps and thanks again!

Eros Fine Art Photo wrote:
Awesome.  They look very professional and well composed.  I'll definitely have to look into the Godox strobe.  I don't think my SB-24 flash will cut it, even though it's a good speed light for general purposes and indoor shots.

Thanks for all the info.  I really appreciate it.

No problem and thanks!  Yeah well for me I don't shoot events so I don't need a small flash.  Before this though I had 2 small yongnuo flashes and they would overheat and it was just too much for not enough power.  That's why I said screw it and got this.  I've only used it once and I already wanna buy another one lol.

MarkPalmer wrote:
I'll offer up a few humble, hopefully constructive criticisms.
I don't like your choices of composition -- #4 in particular is badly de-centered.
The model has a flat, dull emotional palette. It falls on you the photographer to bring something interesting out of him, if possible, and it looks like you weren't able to do so. Sexy or dangerous might have worked, keeping the energy coiled and taut, or maybe even something counterintuitive, like a smile.
The flash on the subject overpowers the rest of the scene to the point that the backgrounds look artificial, as if they were green-screened in. I would cut back on the flash next time and integrate the subject and background better.
I guess the overall lesson is: Good looks and a good camera are not enough to make a good picture.
Just my opinions, hope they help.

Thanks!  Totally get it, it's not for everyone.  It's a style I have always liked and wanted to do myself.  Like I think this looks great but obviously it also looks like she's not there at all but she was lol.