Getting Ready to Shoot

Tomorrow, I am shooting my "Editorial Portrait" at lunch.  I am glad I stopped by yesterday WITH my camera and equipment.  I took some test shots and was a bit nervous.  Here are some things that did not work or I forgot.

• Wireless transmitters were not working on light stand.  These are new.  Turns out that it was an issue with the setting on my SB-600's.  Went home and got both speedlights working with the two transmitters.   They are ready to go.
• Forgot 18% Gray Card.  Now that I learned how to use it effectively, I was disappointed with myself.  Taking it tomorrow for sure.
• Did not have my reflectors or my black foam board.  What was I thinking?  Answer...I wasn't.  Definitely will need these for final shoot tomorrow if I am going to take the best advantage of my light. 
• My softbox has shipped.  I am hoping it arrives before tomorrow's shoot!
• Had my 70-200 with me, just wasn't happy with the results.  Going to use a more wide angle tomorrow.
• Thinking I might like taking this from a ladder looking down on subject. 

Think I just typed my "to do" list for tomorrow!

Second Assignment, "Still Life" - Done, Posted, and Critiqued..

Well, I struggled with this one.  Just coming up with an idea was tough.  We had a theme like relaxed/peaceful.  Not sure this hit it, but I tried.  I actually stretched this project over a series of three shoots before I ran out of time and had to submit.  I changed backgrounds, books, glasses and lighting each time.  Here are examples of the three sessions.

First Try

Second Try

Third Try - Submission

All the lighting was coming from a small LED light, and my SB600 Speedlight which was on camera.  Wish I had had the lighting class I took last Saturday for this assignment.  I thik I would have enjoyed this assignment much more if I had worked that speedlight off the camera.

Comments by Don centered around the reflection in the glass (great, per Don, Brandy glasses are some of the toughest to photograph.  I would have been well served adding some fill to this so the glass would not have reflected the room.  I agree.

Would like to shoot this again, but we are off to the next assignment which is an Editorial Portrait.  That should be interesting.  I have purchased a transmitter for my Speedlight along with an umbrella.  Looking forward to seeing if we can utilze that to come out with some shots to use for that assignment.

Learning lots!