Birthday Dinner

[dawssvt]

A bunch of our friends went out to celebrate my girlfriend and her twin brother's birthday. Here are a few shots.

Tell me how I can improve! C&C welcome...

1
http://joshhunt.smugmug.com/photos/418026246_2FRib-L.jpg

2
http://joshhunt.smugmug.com/photos/418025846_jY3gP-L.jpg

3
http://joshhunt.smugmug.com/photos/418025392_erKyy-L.jpg

4
http://joshhunt.smugmug.com/photos/418024380_4EmXU-L.jpg

5 (the only edited one out of the bunch)
http://joshhunt.smugmug.com/photos/420849341_JuSPD-L.jpg

[Scott_Quier]

Tell me how I can improve!
Ummm .... put me in the middle of #3 next time :rofl

OK - maybe that wasn't so funny.

These look like nice snapshots that portray the fun of the evening - that's most important and I think you did that well!

Pay a little attention to the color of your primary light source. I think I see a color cast from the florescent lighting?

In some of them, you have some slight shadows in the eye-sockets. No worries if that's what you want. To correct, a touch of fill flash (be sure to gel it to match the ambient) would solve that easily enough.

[joshhuntnm]

Ummm .... put me in the middle of #3 next time :rofl

OK - maybe that wasn't so funny.

These look like nice snapshots that portray the fun of the evening - that's most important and I think you did that well!

Pay a little attention to the color of your primary light source. I think I see a color cast from the florescent lighting?

In some of them, you have some slight shadows in the eye-sockets. No worries if that's what you want. To correct, a touch of fill flash (be sure to gel it to match the ambient) would solve that easily enough.

you made me laugh, Scott!

[dawssvt]

Ummm .... put me in the middle of #3 next time :rofl

OK - maybe that wasn't so funny.

These look like nice snapshots that portray the fun of the evening - that's most important and I think you did that well!

Pay a little attention to the color of your primary light source. I think I see a color cast from the florescent lighting?

In some of them, you have some slight shadows in the eye-sockets. No worries if that's what you want. To correct, a touch of fill flash (be sure to gel it to match the ambient) would solve that easily enough.
I was using my 430EX II pointed at the ceiling with the little card on the flash pulled up to provide a little fill flash. What you suggest I do better in this situation?

[Scott_Quier]

I was using my 430EX II pointed at the ceiling with the little card on the flash pulled up to provide a little fill flash. What you suggest I do better in this situation?
The little pop-up on the 580 is just about worthless - not nearly big enough to supply enough fill light in thse sorts of situations.

Check out the Ziggy's suggestions in this thread (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=109832).

Of the lot, I like the Better Bounce Card the best for most spaces with a 8' to 10' suspended white ceiling. When you don't have something to bounce off of, the light scoop works quite well!

[anwmn1]

Dawson-

A couple things I want to point out first- The link below your name goes to that website which is Josh Hunt's site. Are you aware of that?

When I tried to view your website using the info on your profile it goes to google homepage.



As far as the photos the biggest improvement would be changing the white balance. Are you shooting manual, aperture priority, or other? If not shooting manual...start! You will find it easy after a while and will learn to quickly make adjustments the more you play with it.

You can make all kinds of cheap and small flash diffusers so you don't have to carry around all kinds of gear for small gatherings like this. I have several sized better bounce cards which I can fold, roll, or even just slip into my back pocket of jeans or crago pocket on shorts/ pants. A Sto-Fen Omni Bounce (http://www.stofen.com/Store/Products.htm) is almost ideal as well as it fits directly onto the flash and does not increase its size at all.


You have some good looking friends that don't seem to be camera shy- take advantage of that and shoot a ton. That is the best way to get better....shoot...shoot...shoot.

[ivar]

Dawson-

A couple things I want to point out first- The link below your name goes to that website which is Josh Hunt's site. Are you aware of that?I think they're related.

Even though #4 has the two 'dead on' and in the middle, it's my favorite; On the first one, I think the PoV should have been lower, or they should have tilted their head a bit more up.

[joshhuntnm]

Dawson-

A couple things I want to point out first- The link below your name goes to that website which is Josh Hunt's site. Are you aware of that?



Dawson is my son; we share this site.

[anwmn1]

Dawson is my son; we share this site.

:thumb

Just checking. I tried to view his site to see other stuff he had shot to get a better idea of how he shoots and where he is at.


My son is already asking for his own site and he is only 9! :rofl

[Travis]

The little pop-up on the 580 is just about worthless - not nearly big enough to supply enough fill light in thse sorts of situations.

Check out the Ziggy's suggestions in this thread (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=109832).

Of the lot, I like the Better Bounce Card the best for most spaces with a 8' to 10' suspended white ceiling. When you don't have something to bounce off of, the light scoop works quite well!

To add to Scott's great advice... The ceiling can be an excellent source for bouncing soft light if the ceiling is white. If not, you will need to adjust for the color shift that the light would pick up. These photos, though, look like the incandescent lights over powered the flash creating the yellow hue. Try some cooler white balance settings in LR or ACR and see if the resulting color shift is more natural.

It looks like y'all had fun time! :D