Better Today..........

I learned something today....I now know why alot of photographers use the roll paper.........It took me almost 2 hours to iron this background

I love the pose on #2 but feel you could do with just a wee bit more light on Shelby. Her eyes are too dark IMHO.
Do you have a Speedlite flash to put on your Rebel XT?? That would (with a diffuser and bounced off the ceiling) add front fill whilst keeping the skin tones nice and soft.

Keep going Kathy - you are getting there

John

Kathy, find yourself some large sheets of card, 3 or more, and cover 1 with Silver foil (crumpled then stretched over the card)
the second with gold foil (as the silver above) or paint and one white.
Use these as reflectors to bounce light back into Shelbys face from below, just out of camera shot or propped against your tripod facing towards her.
I think the pics of Shelby would be better if you could get more light into her face and hair as John has mentioned.

I have got some creative card from our local pound shop to do this so if you have something like a dollar shop give them a visit and see what could be useful. :)

Angle poise lamps with daylight bulbs are handy too.

Thanks for your comments Guys !!

John, how would I use the speedlite ? On the hotshoe mount of my camera I have something on it that somehow works with my other lights, not sure how, maybe it's some kind of transmitter.

Stewart, do you mean poster board ?? I do have a reflector that came with my light kit, I just haven't figured out how to use it

Kathy - I use my studio lights in isolation and use the speedlite attached to the camera. I use the set up previously posted. The attachment you refer to is "probably" the studio light flash trigger. Although I have used that I prefer to use the studio lights in a static manner and the speedlite to create flash. Ensure the speedlite has a diffuser attached and is angled to bounce off the ceiling.
Like you - I am experimenting - so this is only a recommendation of what I have learned , and prefer, so far.

Have fun!
John

Oh........and for the reflector - well...... taking shot #2 - if Shelby had the reflector on her lap the light bounced off the ceiling would hit the reflector and bouce back under her chin to illuminate that part (as an example) - by the time the light hits the reflector it wont be full strength so will be nicely diffused to (hopefully) create a nicly lit , soft tone.
Again - it's all about experimentation!

Enjoy!

John

Isolation ? Static ?

Sorry.

Isolation = doing nothing but being switched on - like a table lamp.

Static = same as above, put the studio lights in their place and leave em there. Height, above the subject, angle about 45 degrees down, bootom of soft box in line with the middle of the face. Position , about 4 feet away

byteme wrote:

Sorry.

Isolation = doing nothing but being switched on - like a table lamp.

Static = same as above, put the studio lights in their place and leave em there. Height, above the subject, angle about 45 degrees down, bootom of soft box in line with the middle of the face. Position , about 4 feet away

But...they are flash/strobes will they still flash without the transmitter on the camera?

No.......
Thats what I am getting at - I use my studio lights as lights only (like table lights) and use the speedlite to flash.
It works for me.......

AhhHaa !! They have modeling lights, but I've never tried to turn them on without the flash. The modeling lights come on automatically