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Dear Julie, I wish that I could help you more than I can. Everybodies flash unit, softbox, camera, and computer are so different. I honestly don't know how I got mine to look good besides testing. testing. testing. I put my softbox at all kind of angles, also my flash. I set my flash at different settings, my camera at different aperature and shutterspeed. I have an eye for when I start getting good stuff. I just had to be patient untill then.
If I could say anything that I think people make a mistake in when doing art or getting photographic reference is that they use old/bad equipment. One should save up, go into every photo store within 50 miles of your house, talk to every photographer you can, then buy a quality product. Research. Research. Research. Everything I have ever bought for my art (computer, printers, ink cartridges, paper, camera) I have spend hours calling and talking to stores about their product or going into a photo store, putting my memory card into every camera that they have and doing a hundred test shots. You may spend an extra $1000 that you need to pay rent with, but it will pay off in the end when you get way more than $1000 in commissions. If anybody, I know how it is to struggle with trying to make it freelance, but not having the money to buy canvases and paints. I grew up in a trailer on foodstamps. Now, I still drive a 1987 car that the driver side door doesn't open, so I have to crawl through from the passenger side. But for right now, my big investments go into my art. I believe I can make it if I handle these things right. Then I won't have to worry about money later.
Who knows. You may have already done that. I don't know, but just like the old saying, "You will never be better than your scrap." The same is with art equipment.
much love, Molly
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