Mishka's Studio -July and it's time for the outdoors

This month, I had quite a few opportunites to do a lot of photos outdoors. I barely finished the patio,  the pergola and decorations just in time for our last doll meet. However, it was just me in these sets, and these pics are the result.

So in these photos, I used a strobe flash and in a few pics where the lighting was good, I used a smaller aperture and higher shutter speed to get as much natural light in these pics. I use the strobe only when  shadows are too deep and facial features are obstructed. What I do is aim the light above the subject so as to not get too much glaring light on her - I prefer light that has at least one bounce from a wall or ceiling and onto the subject. Sometimes I use a colored ceiling to bounce light off to get a warmer effect, or if not, change the white balance to reach a slight warmer effect.

Another thing I work hard to do is get the subject to pose as natrually as possible, and this sometimes requires pre-planning, and I have a repertoir of fixed poses drawn on on paper, and I use these poses in all the pics I do. Eventually you remember them. I go for natural poses and use those that work best for the situation. Say if I have a standing or sitting pose, I will adapt the subject accordingly. I also focus on hands, legs and head/eye contact. Eventually you figure these out. Another thing to keep in mind is to get the eyes right, and this may take several tries. Some people use suction cup tools too move the eyes, and others will add round spheres or marbles behind the eyes. 

Anyway, enjoy the pics below

Mishka

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