Canon 40D, 17-40 f/4 L, 430 EX II flash shot into umbrella

After reading a bunch of David Hobby's articles at strobist, I decided to get myself a light stand and umbrella, and oh what a difference it makes.

I don't really go for the self-portrait thing (I'm beardy and I don't have perfect skin), but this photo served two purposes for me: 1) it was a great way for me to experiment with my new equipment in comfort, and 2) it convinced me to trim my beard. I'm definitely better off after both of those.