Three Roses

[chauncey]

I finally got the lights...http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o00_s00

If you recall, I'm trying to duplicate candle light/golden hour in studio...
in this case one light was aimed from above and slightly behind the three different colored roses.

What say you all, and...what might have been a better direction for the light.

[Shadowman]

I think any direction would work, perhaps try backlighting. I'm viewing this on a thinkpad and the left middle rose is golden, was that the goal?

[Manfred M]

I agree with John regarding the lighting. In general flowers look best when backlit (just about anything is better than front lit).

The light looks hot and you are showing hot spots on the petals.

I kind of wonder why you are using this approach when you have a studio flash and large light modifier. Just gel the light with a CTO filter and use it to light up the flowers (use a daylight white balance in post).

[Dave Humphries]

If you recall, I'm trying to duplicate candle light/golden hour in studio...
in this case one light was aimed from above and slightly behind the three different colored roses.

Hi William,

I think before you start to shoot a subject, you need to decide whether the 'pretend' light source is 'candle' or 'golden hour' - why?

Think about it;

Candle(s) are point sources of light, so will give fairly hard shadows, they'll be quite close to the subject, so (if side lit) we'd expect to see fall off between one side of a wide subject and the other, light will be very directional and you might want to think about the realistic angles they'd illuminate a subject from (e.g. not from above). You might also want to underexpose the highlights by 0.5 stop - if you want to fool the viewer, that is. Some of these 'effects' you might be able to enhance in PP.

Golden hour is perhaps easier, since if the sky is cloudy, it might be a much larger light source with an overhead component, although bear in mind that golden hour (sun) light is still fairly directional, requiring a strong key-light to other ambient light ratio to replicate. Light fall off (from side) will be minimal though.

Were you considering using a second bulb, set to a bluer temperature, as fill for Golden hour? (to replicate blue sky overhead/opposite the sunlight).

For faux candle light shots, any fill ought to be either (apparently) from other 'candles', or reflected fill from surfaces, some of which ought to be in shot.

I have no doubt you're competent and artistic enough for me to leave you with those thoughts and let you find something that works.

I think you've set yourself a challenge here, there's far more to it than I realised when I read what you first proposed the idea in another thread.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing more results, Dave

[chauncey]

You guys are entirely too considerate...the more I look at this picture,
the more I think that it, pardon my language, just sucks.

[IzzieK]

The top rose doesn't suck William...just the two bottom one. Just my opinion...

[tao2]

Hi wm c,

The lighting's far too harsh, if yer trying tae emulate, firstly, candle light and then golden hour. Ye also seem tae be way over the top with sharpening.

Here's a single, actual candle, illuminating an object. No other light source. Ye need tae be much softer...

[rpcrowe]

The more we shoot and the more we post, the better our images become. At least I am speaking for myself!