Learning Flash

[midgett]

I made this image with a full cut of CTO on the flash to warm it up and the white balance set to daylight. The camera was comped -1 to saturate the sky and water and the flash +1. The flash was off camera and about a foot above her eye level and to camera left. Minor adjustments in CS3 to smooth the skin and sharpen/whiten the eyes.

[Mad Aussie]

The exposure on the sky is great and the saturation in the sky works for also.

I do find the diagonal presentation the wrong decision for this photo though.

I think the model is over saturated (especially obvious just above her lip) and a little under-exposed. I think some more flash might have helped. I think turning her slightly to her left may have helped hide that roll (no offence ... I have the same roll I think!) above her left hand also.

Fairly low in the sky is a smudge. A bird perhaps but it looks more like a spot of dust on the sensor. I'd be cloning that out.

Hopefully some of that is helpful.

[kat]

The exposure on the sky is great and the saturation in the sky works for also.

I do find the diagonal presentation the wrong decision for this photo though.

I think the model is over saturated (especially obvious just above her lip) and a little under-exposed. I think some more flash might have helped. I think turning her slightly to her left may have helped hide that roll (no offence ... I have the same roll I think!) above her left hand also.

Fairly low in the sky is a smudge. A bird perhaps but it looks more like a spot of dust on the sensor. I'd be cloning that out.

Hopefully some of that is helpful.

I don't have any of camera flashes so I can't comment on that part but for the rest, MadAussie has it down.

Beautiful colors in the sky!!! Just gorgeous!

[midgett]

The exposure on the sky is great and the saturation in the sky works for also.

I do find the diagonal presentation the wrong decision for this photo though.

I think the model is over saturated (especially obvious just above her lip) and a little under-exposed. I think some more flash might have helped. I think turning her slightly to her left may have helped hide that roll (no offence ... I have the same roll I think!) above her left hand also.

Fairly low in the sky is a smudge. A bird perhaps but it looks more like a spot of dust on the sensor. I'd be cloning that out.

Hopefully some of that is helpful.

I desaturated the skin slightly, you were right she was way too bronze, and brightened it up a little, does this look better? I think I will keep the diagonal perspective though because she likes it, and I think I do as well.

I also posted another photo, with out a diagonal perspective.

[kat]

That second one (the straight one) is my fav. She looks great.

[Mad Aussie]

I desaturated the skin slightly, you were right she was way too bronze, and brightened it up a little, does this look better? I think I will keep the diagonal perspective though because she likes it, and I think I do as well.

Well if the photographer likes it ... and the model/client likes it ... my opinion doesn't matter then

Definitely looks better to me with less 'bronze'

[scorpio_e]

I like the first one. Maybe just a tad desaturation. The angle does not work for me. I have not shot with CTO's. Did you use a double CTO gel?

The second one. I am not sure why but it looks like it was cut out and the background was placed in. I am not a fan of the purple background.

[Marko]

Love the sky and the backgrounds in these shots. The orange gel though is not working for me at all.

[nomad358]

Yeah I have to agree with Marko. Also, keep your eye on the horizon when shooting on a beach. Nothing looks more ridiculous than a lake or ocean tilted diagonally in a photo. I have done this a few times myself when I started, so I'm also guilty. Other thing is composition. You could have shot this in Portrait rather than landscape to fill the frame a bit more. There is too much empty space around the subject.
As for Flash, Try diffusing or moving your flash back a bit from your sublect. This will help eliminate the white hotspots on her face.

[midgett]

Yeah I have to agree with Marko. Also, keep your eye on the horizon when shooting on a beach. Nothing looks more ridiculous than a lake or ocean tilted diagonally in a photo. I have done this a few times myself when I started, so I'm also guilty. Other thing is composition. You could have shot this in Portrait rather than landscape to fill the frame a bit more. There is too much empty space around the subject.
As for Flash, Try diffusing or moving your flash back a bit from your sublect. This will help eliminate the white hotspots on her face.

I was using a 70-200, so I was probably 10 or 15 feet away. I started with a Westcot Mini Apollo softbox, but found it to be cutting the light way too much, it was silhouetting her even with +3 dialed into the flash, so I ended up taking that off and using a Sto Fen. I was also using a Manfrotto flash bracket I just purchased. I tried shooting a few in portrait, but found it very cumbersome with the bracket because of the way it juts out to the side of the camera, that thing is a beast and Im not entirely sure I like it. The added weight between that and the 70-200 2.8 was wearing me out! But your right, I agree that a 3/4 portrait would def have worked better here.

Thanks for everyones comments!