I'm still figuring out glamour/boudoir lighting. For this shoot I didn't get a choice of location and got there to find a very small flat with nothing much exciting furniture wise and low ceilings/small crowded rooms. I decided to use the window, but there was a porch awning outside it was a cloudy winter day. To get around this I faked the window light with a flash on a stand out on the porch, and I balanced it with my assistant holding another flash inside in an octo box. I like the shot, but any tips appreciated.
TIA!
I like the shot, too. The only thing I would say is; you have a strong highlight on her jaw and under her jaw on her neck and this makes it look like a lit shot, as this area would not catch window light like that. There are other but more subtle clues as well. Was the fill ight slightly behind her? I would have thought, for a window light effects, it should be from the area to your right but not behind her, say 45 degrees to your line of sight, or nearer your camera, maybe. and maybe a bit less power on the fill 1/2 stop less reduction at most. However, it looks great as is and who is to say there was not another window behind and right of frame.
Much more difficult is the question of colour balance. Soft daylight is blueer than a typical interior light as walls, carpets furnishings add warmth usually, so that is harder to fake but would perhaps be the finishiing touch for max effect.
Thanks Ian, all very good points. :)
Of course a reflector, rather than a second flash might have made it easier to emulate window-light. Again just to the right of your lens and depending on size etc close or further back. Not saying your shot is below par or such, just making comment about the naturalness of the daylight effect, nothing else. It does look very good.
I really appreciate your input, actually. This was a first time try for me on this and I probably could have used a reflector here. You've given me some thoughts for "next time"! :)
You maybe suprised how contrasty a shot you get with window light, in such a set-up with the subject close by the window. The room of course, bounces next to nothing back, to naturally fill-in the subject and the area behind your model is around a corner, as usual, so no light gets there in many rooms. Of course, we are about making worthwhile images, not just acurate depictions of the situations we shoot. So it is up to us how we go about handling the situations we find ourselves in.