DSLRUsers.com

Not really, but "Mostly Invisible" isn't as impressive.

Please comment on the culmination of my indoor flash technique to date:



less invisible but a more pleasing/flattering portrait



I'm so happy i got this down, so feel free to point out the final flaws.

I find it disconcerting without any catchlights, but I have the feeling that was part of the look you are going for?

Also, on a side note, I have often wondered how to photograph people with glasses (myself included) without getting that nasty double image through the frame.

Ant.

Hamster, well done. I would call it almost invisible in the first. I think you have produced a very even lighting in these photos. I would also remember that many try for shadows to create form to a portrait, so there a few ways to skin a cat (no offence to cats intended)

Ant: I've forgotten the exact explanation for it, but it's something to do with the fact that the reflected light itself isn't on the "plane" that the camera sensor is on, so as such you don't see the reflections at all. Either that or my dad's glasses are multicoated

But the simple reason why there aren't any catchlights is because the in the first picture, the flash wasnt' the main light at all. No visible "flash" actually reached my dad's face, hence no catchlight. The main light instead was the kitchen lights on the ceiling (ambient) with diffused flash as fill. In the second picture I increased the power of the flash and also the shutter speed to see what it would be like with only flash illumination. By gelling the flash and matching WB, i was trying to eliminate all traces of flash, which i think i did quite well in the first picture.

Is there anything wrong with that method?

hamster wrote:Is there anything wrong with that method?

Hope that's not addressed to me. I would be the last person to say that anything is wrong with a picture and they are both nice portraits. The glasses thing is probably why I hate having pics taken of me as well.

Ant.

Ant: Sorry, it was addressed to everyone. Maybe i should have asked "Can anyone think of a way to streamline this method?"

Sorry for the misunderstanding.