Its been awhile..

[SherryJane]

Hello all,
I've got a canon xti and bought a light kit containing 2 umbrella lights and a light meter. I'm trying to achieve a small studio in my basement and I just cant seem to get the pictures to turn out, they are just too dark. I've read posts on positioning the lights and have tried to move them just about everywhere with no better results. We recently went on a cruise and I noticed the photographers used a apollo softlight? ( think thats what it was, BIG light with a cover on it) with only one umbrella. Can anyone tell me when I have a plain white backdrop how to get a seemless white background with the lights I have (I also have them turned up as much as they will go) or what I should purchase to get more light there? I'm not using a add-on flash on my camera other than the flash on it but am looking to pick up a 480ex.
Thanks for any input you can give me.

[lostmysnorkel]

Hi Sherry,

I will try and answer as best as possible:

Firstly, your pictures are too dark because you are not exposing correctly. You are underexposing for the light. Take a meter reading and set the camera at that aperture (shutter speed won't affect the exposure if you are using flash - as long as you keep it at the flash-sync speed).

So, meter the subject - set the camera for that exposure. You then need to light the backdrop. Meter the backdrop with the subject light OFF, and set that at 2 stops over the subject reading.

Shoot at the subject's exposure and your background should be blown out, with the subject exposed correctly.

You will need some room between subject and background.

Hope that helps.