I have two photos to share. They look VERY different but have a look. For the first one in the dark alleyway I was trying to do something different and shoot a little wider than I normally shoot. The second photo is more of what I normally do and it helps to have a stunning model to work with.

Enjoy the set and feel free to give me constructive criticism. Please take into consideration I had only one small Nikon SB-25 to work with and very low ambient light to work with. I had to use my phone's lit screen to "focus-assist" in the first one.

#1

For a one-light set-up you did very well, both shots have a sense of drama. And you're right, she is a very attractive model

I'd be tempted to darken the brighter area at the end of the alley behind the model in #1.

Thanks Liam! I tried darkening the bright area behind the model in #1 but when I did that I lost the separation between the model's dress and the darkness surrounding her. Also I was having trouble printing as #1 kept coming out too dark in prints. So I borrowed a Sypder3 colour calibrator and will rather side with having everything a tad too bright than having it too dark and.

For my one light setup I did use a Lumiquest light modifier:
http://www.lumiquest.com/products/ultrasoft.htm

I've only used it this once but it seems to work great casting a soft light while remaining portable. Best of all it won't blow away in the wind like my umbrellas!

agree with liam-but honestly, my first thought in shot 1 is: what is she scratching?

other than that, great use of a single light-kudos

daniel

So I decided to draw up a simple lighting diagram for the first photo and have added it to my original post. Hope it helps someone on this board.

Daniel, I am not sure what she is scratching? But I am not very good at posing yet and I thought this particular pose had lots of "attitude"? I will watch more America's Top Model and work on posing.

Hello Spencer.

Good to see you posting more photos.

You ARE lucky to have so many friends/models with which to experiment.

I also applaud your use of the simple tools and the scene/location. And I also think your inclusion of the "behind the scenes" and the lighting diagram should be helpful to many here. So that makes this post more "valuable" in the forum.

I like the alley shot. I understand Liam's suggestion and agree with him. I also understand your comment about the dress blending into the black. From my POV, it means change the garment if you stick with that light or change the light if you stick with that location and dress.

I do like the walls and black in the alley. But...the darkness alludes to night. The view behind the woman looks like day. So...an inconsistency I would try to make "match" by either shooting at night (so day is not shown behind the woman) or by adding more "ambient" so more of the alley is shown including the day shown in the end.

The pose? I don't care for it. She is so pretty it seems a shame to do that. I could be more drawn to her and the "fashion" (garment) with a different approach to posing the figure. But...that is a matter of taste.

I hope these comments help you and encourage you to keep trying and experimenting.

Very effective job of matching the tone of the lighting and scene to the background and context of the shots to create mood: cool and distant, hidden in the shadows in the first; and warm close and intimate in the second.

However in the second shot short lighting would have been far more effective and flattering than the broad lighting which over emphasizes the arm, makes the face look wide and asymmetrical, and hides the far eye in shadow.

Chuck

I'm sorry she had a tummy ache in that first pose. That shouldn't have been shown.