Maybe I should hire a model? The shoot I thought I was going to do may not come to fruition, so you are stuck with me again. I’m working on getting the lighting right: no weird shadows, getting highlights in hair, and creating shape.
Okay…set up: Soft box at 45 degree angle to subject (me) at camera right. Light was about 6-feet high and angled down (that’s the light that you see on the top of my head). Light over my shoulder was my Speedlite at about 1/8 intensity bounced from umbrella. Pop-up flash at lowest intensity (1/124) used to fire Speedlite, but at that intensity did little add illumination.
In the shot below the Speedlite did not fire, but I still like the lighting in this one.
Carissa Snedeker Photography 
Photos 1, 2, and 4 could maybe use a reflector in front to get rid of the under-the-chin shadow.
Actually #4 is probably alright because it blends in with the sides, but 1 and 2 have an isolated shadow.
Now . . . I say that because you mentioned wanting to rid, or at least soften shadows, and that one is fairly sharp in both photos. A reflector in your lap or just off camera could bounce some of the high-mounted light.
Disclaimer: I know nothing about flash shooting, lighting, bounce-lights, etc. I know about umbrellas because I used to golf.
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P.S. I follow this blog. http://rifqisphoto.wordpress.com/blog/
He works on a shoestring budget, but does some nice things with lighting, and he explains his process and set-up. He’s not a pro, but he is dedicated to learning the craft.
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Thanks for the link.
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Hmm. I don’t feel the shadows under my chin are that sharp.
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I did say I don’t know squat. Sharp is the wrong word. Deep, or dark is more like it.
I don’t shoot portraits, so had you not said you were working on “no weird shadows”, I would likely not even have noticed it.
I’m just remembering rough guidelinss for when shooting outside; the sun creates what are called “unflattering” shadows under the eye-brows, nose, and chin. This is from the Nikon camera manual, so it’s not in-depth, but they suggest shooting in shadows or reflected light so as to diffuse the light and soften the shadows.
On-line articles I’ve read say to use a reflector to shoot some light “up”. What? You didn’t think I came up with that, did you?
Seriously, I typically look at the eyes, and that’s about it. The rest blends into the background for me.
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Yeah, I know about reflector to put some light under face. Didn’t try it this time, will likely do so in the future. All of these shoots are experiments and practice, practice, practice. 🙂
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I really like the last one… the subtle shadows make it so much more dramatic 🙂
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Thanks, Bashar!
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