This isn't exactly what I planned (because I'm a procrastinator) but it is definitely something I have been meaning to try.  While the pictures are not my favorite, I did learn a few things and a few things I would change for next time (like don't use your kids for test lighting). This month I had Nathan sit for me while I moved my lighting all over the place.  There are 5 different light setups, 2 pics for each setup.

So I started with what I always do, which is bounce the light off a wall. Whenever I'm taking pictures of kids, this is the easiest thing for me to do, stick my light on a tripod and bounce, because the kids are usually bouncing off the walls too. Setting up a direction light when you are always moving just doesn't work.  It fills the room with light but sometimes it can look flat, which is why I wanted to try some new things.

Jakey is my very unhelpful reflector assistant

Then I tried putting my light right behind me, about five feet away from Nathan, ehhh... 

For the next two, my softbox is placed at a 45 degree angle behind him at camera right. The softbox is just out of the right-hand side of the frame and is very close to Nathan.  A reflector is also just out of the frame on the left-hand side.  A little dramatic lighting for you.

Now the light is behind him off to camera left, about four or five feet above him, with a reflector at a 45 degree angle in front of him.  This is horrible for a portrait but the plane looked awesome.

The light source in this photo is slightly to the right of the camera and is three feet away from Nathan, I felt this was the most flattering. And then dad came home just in time to join the fun!!  In all, I would have preferred some ambient light as well, which I did not have and you can totally tell by how large Nathan's pupils are, boo.

This feels like a totally weird post for me, I feel like I should write a lesson plan and include diagrams. oh well...