From A Cats View

[Young Shooter]

Hello people how are u, long time no see, i have been busy working and building websites no time to post but i finally got some, this is the second time i have used my cat at my subject, she is a good poser, i took 2 one with my SB-800 and one without using my 50mm 1.8 please let me know what is better or what i could do to improve this next time.

[Seb]

Hello people how are u, long time no see, i have been busy working and building websites no time to post but i finally got some, this is the second time i have used my cat at my subject, she is a good poser, i took 2 one with my SB-800 and one without using my 50mm 1.8 please let me know what is better or what i could do to improve this next time.

Hello YS,

I like your composition but it seems to me that neither of these pictures is quite right.
I like the tone of the first (flashless) picture but it is lacking textures/sharpness. Also, there is an hot spot over your cat head that distract me.

On the second one, the textures and the sharpness are top notch. Also, there is no hot spot. On the other hand, the light of your flash is too strong and white. I am not too sure how it can be worked, I am honnestly not used to work with flash. Perhaps something like having a gold reflector over your cat and pointing the flash toward the reflector. Just some ideas.

My guess is that there could be some post processing to do on your second picture to warm up colours and make it look more neutral.

Seb

[Young Shooter]

Well i dont know
i seem to disagree, u know more then me and im listening to u, but the one with the flash, looks good, im looking at the eyes and the area of the cats head thats in focus, i dont know mabey its my screen but it looks fine to me, i made the flash bright like that so its more dramatic, but the eyes on my cat are so sharp thats why i like this the best i think

[Young Shooter]

I did one more thing to the picture to see if it makes it better, i took out all the color except the eyes, what do u guys think please

[LeeIs]

I like the third one best. I like the expression on your cats face also. She/he seems to be looking for answers.

[Young Shooter]

thanks for the comments

[Yoyo Szeto]

Hi Don,
I agree with Seb about the first shot. It also happens to me that the third shot is the best.
All the best.
yoyo

[Seb]

Well i dont know
i seem to disagree, u know more then me and im listening to u, but the one with the flash, looks good, im looking at the eyes and the area of the cats head thats in focus, i dont know mabey its my screen but it looks fine to me, i made the flash bright like that so its more dramatic, but the eyes on my cat are so sharp thats why i like this the best i think

Hello YS,

With all due respect, I stand behind my original comment. Perhaps I am wrong (I have strictly no pretention to hold the truth...) but these don't feel quite right to me.

That being said, I like your third version. This is an interesting take.

regards

Seb

[OldSchool]

A couple of thing to try with your SB800....

* Point the flash straight up and bounce off the ceiling. There is also a small white card that you can pull up when doing this, and it reflects some light straight on.

* You can put on the diffusion dome.

* If you are balancing with tungsten light, put on that amber gel.

* Or, just take the flash off the camera and use it in the wireless mode. This allows you to get very creative with what you do with shadows....

BR,
Tim

[Young Shooter]

Well thanks again, well i had the sb800 on my camera with the dome on faceing up towards the ceiling, i havent used the gels yet, but hopefully soon i will get the chance