The Duelling Pistols....
Unlike my other work I spend a long time composing this shot where previously I was too eager to get to the flash challenge. I must have spend 30 minutes trying different compositions.
Pic1 shows undiffused flash pointing directly at the subject, not pretty! Diffusion was going to be key to this shot and through experimentation I managed to get something near with a soft shadow from the RHS pistol on its side onto the book. To reduce/eliminate this I used SB-600 with diffuser through an AP diffuser pointing upward so only a small contribution to overall exposure as made (pic2). Pic3 shows how light was reflected directly, not diffused toward the main subject. The reflector made the light source much bigger illuminating gently without shadow the entire photo. Pic4 is the finished article and can also be viewed in the still life gallery.
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