any suggestions on this picture

gsd · May 30, 2008

Is there anyway to prevent the shadows in the eyes? I took this picture forcing the flash ( internal flash of rebel xti ) and still got the shadows. The pictures I took not forcing the flash the faces looked darker. Is there a way to correct this photo in Adobe Photoshop? I have version 7 and am planning to upgrade to cs3 soon. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you.

GeorgiaOwl · May 30, 2008

I'm no experct, but I think if you'd have turned the subjects about 20 degrees to their right it might have eliminated it. As for how to do it in PS i have no idea. i've tried using the PS fill-flash tool and it always washes out everything for me.

Socrates · May 30, 2008

gsd said:
Is there anyway to prevent the shadows in the eyes? I took this picture forcing the flash ( internal flash of rebel xti ) and still got the shadows. The pictures I took not forcing the flash the faces looked darker. Is there a way to correct this photo in Adobe Photoshop? I have version 7 and am planning to upgrade to cs3 soon. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you.

Subject's backs to the sun. No flash. Spot meter the exposure for their faces. No need for PP.

gsd · May 30, 2008

I hope this is not a dumb question but how do I Spot meter the exposure for their faces? and what is PP? Thank you

Socrates · May 30, 2008

gsd said:
I hope this is not a dumb question but how do I Spot meter the exposure for their faces? and what is PP? Thank you

I don't know the specifics of your camera but all SLRs that I've used over the past forty years have a selector switch for the meter. The "spot" selection identifies a 1% spot in the frame that the meter will read. Nikons typically offer you a small spot, a large spot, a selection that averages the entire scene and an intelligent "matrix" selection. Check your user manual. I'm suggesting that you meter only the faces and set the exposure accordingly. If your camera can't do that, set it for automatic bracketing. If auto-bracketing is not provided, do manual bracketing. Another solution is to physically move the camera up to their faces and take a meter reading. Then, back up and use the meter settings for the shot.

A lesser solution is to invest in a reasonably powerful external flash head and use that instead of the useless popup.

PP is "Post Processing," such as what you would do with PhotoShop or PhotoShop Elements.

gsd · May 30, 2008

Socrates, When you say set exposure do you mean set iso and shutter speed? Sorry if this is another dumb question. Thank you.

kundalini · May 30, 2008

Spot Metering from Wikipedia. Search better sources. With subjects wearing white on a sunny day, meter on their face and be careful not to blowout the highlights.

PP = Post Processing i.e photo editing software.

Without turning your subjects, the use of a reflector and fill flash would help.

Socrates · May 30, 2008

gsd said:
Socrates, When you say set exposure do you mean set iso and shutter speed? Sorry if this is another dumb question. Thank you.

I mean shutter speed and lens opening. To me, "exposure" is the volume of light needed to strike the film/sensor for a good picture. (Others may disagree with my definition.) The ISO value actually changes the exposure that's necessary and, for the purpose of this discussion, should also be considered.

As a general rule, you want to keep the ISO value as low as is reasonable under the circumstances because, almost by definition, a high ISO photo will not be as good as a low ISO photo. (High ISO introduces electrical noise.)