Project365 - Shoot the Snoot !

Introduction
In reading one of the various photography blogs I like, I come across many kinds of instructional "how-to" sections. Sometimes they have videos on YouTube, sometimes it is a vague description. Last weekend, I learned about gobos and snoots. Go ahead, look them up, I'll wait...
The Setup
The camera was my trust Canon 60D, and I affixed my 17-40mm f/4 L lens to it. I shot my Canon Speedlite 430EX IIflash, set at 1/32 power at 28mm. So low power & wide dispersement. Not that it matters when you use a snoot ! (You DID look it up didn't you ?)
The Photos
My semi-willing model puts up with most projects, but this one I expected to annoy her to no end ! Fortunately, I had the flash dialled low enough, she didn't even flinch !

I think I need to learn how to NOT capture the flash reflecting in my kodel's eyes ! You can really see this old dog's cataracts this way.

This photo shows off the snoot well. The light is concentrated on Annie (on the left), while sleeping Sandy remains dimly-lit. This brings the focus to our model.

I purposely shot this photo further back. See how the light falls away ? It accentuates the middle of the frame, while de-emphasizing everything else.







Lessons Learned
I still have a lot to learn about flash photography. This simple technique helps by using a focused beam of light to help accentuate the subject - Annie in this case. This was relatively close-up work. Next time, I might see what happens when I am further away from my subject.