Day 249 – Portrait Lighting Practice

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.

Day 248 – Harvest

The birds appear to have beaten us to most of the pears, but our apple tree and grapevines are going gangbusters.

Day 247 – Wagner Ware

Another item we inherited from Sweetie’s grandfather. We figure this vintage cast-iron tea kettle is close to 100 years old, and boy is it heavy! It has to weigh ten pounds if it weighs an ounce.

Day 246 – A little gem near Lake Tahoe

Spooner Lake is one of our favorite places to take the dogs for a hike. Given my heart issues, the trail is reasonably easy for me to handle, and the scenery . . . AWESOME!

The lack of rain is evident in the shoreline.

Given the very dry winter, there were almost no flowers to speak of. Just a few here and there, but again, the view was still lovely.

Another view from the trail – through the trees.

Seriously…isn’t this gorgeous?

Day 245 – 56

Just messing around in my make-shift light studio today. My friend gave me some seamless paper, so I tacked it to the wall and set up my lights. I needed the practice because it looks like I’ve got another portrait gig coming up and I wanted to be sure I was comfortable with my lights and backdrop. Besides, I just need to keep practicing and trying new things.