First photo shoot-really dark photos

pequenina_13 · Mar 4, 2008

I need help, i did my first photo shoot with just natural light(two big windows on either side of models). The pictures don't look dark when on screen but when i printed them, it looks like I took them in the dark. The models are hardly visible. I did not use flash, camera on manual. Most pictures were are 1/60 or 1/50 and F4 or F4.5. Please view the pictures and let me know what i did wrong. What setting does everyone takes pictures? Do you really use manual for all photo shoots? They want me to do their baby photos and i don't want to do the same mistake? Please help!
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii53/pequenina_13/DSC_0780.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii53/pequenina_13/DSC_0761.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii53/pequenina_13/DSC_0757.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii53/pequenina_13/DSC_0753.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii53/pequenina_13/DSC_0731.jpg

Arch · Mar 4, 2008

you did ok... they are under exposed tho. Do you do any post processing?... these can be saved in PS with some adjustments.

pequenina_13 · Mar 4, 2008

They look ok on the computer screen but when i printed them, the models are hardly visible, really dark. The pictures look like they were taken in the dark. I've also tried to adjust them on PS cs3 and they still too dark and their skin looks too orange, contrast might have to be adjusted too. I'm new at PS so not sure how to get a perfect picture. With my settings, the photos should have been ok or not?? I don't want to do the same mistake.

Arch · Mar 4, 2008

It depends on how much ambient light was in the scene... you lightmeter will guide you to the correct exposure, especially with the natural light set up you where using, but it looks like you were a few stops out.
Im not sure how you are viewing the above images tho... they are all way too dark on my screen, so maybe your monitor needs calibrating?... if they are printing out as dark as im seeing them above then thats probably the main problem.

Sandspur · Mar 4, 2008

I checked one of them in Photoshop. It's about three stops underexposed.

Do this: open in PS go to Adjustment>Levels> bring white point up to where data begins.

DO NOT do any other adjustments until you've done this!! Because they will all be wrong and throw your images into more problems than you already have.

Let us know how it works.

Good luck.

Check the Photoshop tutorial on my page below if you don't already know how to adjust levels properly.

Sandspur · Mar 4, 2008

Oh, and one more thing ... calibrate your computer screen, It's apparently WAY off!

pequenina_13 · Mar 4, 2008

My teacher keeps telling us to put the light meter at 0, he calls it the happy spot. What you are seeing on your screen is probablt correct. I've tried calibrating my monitor but don't think i did it right. thanks for your help!

anyone else have any advice for me?

pequenina_13 · Mar 4, 2008

thanks sandspur, do you know how to calibrate my monitor properly?

table1349 · Mar 4, 2008

What calibration hardware are you using? My preference is the Spyder2 Pro. Expensive but works wonders. I re-calibrate every 30 days. I should do it every week, but this is a hobby not a business so it is not as critical as I have time on my hands to print later.

Once you have your monitor properly calibrated with calibration hardware and with a correct profile then you can actually see the photo as you shot it. From there you can make proper adjustments to the photo. With some calibration hardware/software you can even create a profile for you printer.

One other thing that may help is check the histogram of you shots as you are shooting them. There are lots of threads on histogram use. They will also help you to get shots that are much closer to the proper exposure. I have never found a LCD view on the back of the camera to be correct. That is where the use of the histogram will help.

pequenina_13 · Mar 8, 2008

I haven't calibrated my monitor using any type of hardware/software. I've just uses instructions from a search I did on google. I will look into buying the hardware you suggested, thanks alot. Thanks for the tip on the histogram too. This really does helpme out.

Early · Mar 8, 2008

Aesthetically, I like the photos the way they are, and don't understand why they won't print up that way. I don't know what brand printer you're using, but with my Epsons, my photos always came out exactly the way they looked on my computer screen.