Help with studio photography with Canon 40D

bridget7777 · Dec 17, 2008

I just purchased a Canon 40D and am having big problems trying to shoot indoors under studio light. I upgraded from Fuji S9100 which I had mastered in the studio - it had very few settings and was easy for me to set up. Now I feel as if I am back at square one! I feel like I am totally just missing something obvious with the camera setttings. Please, any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

This is the type of lighting I would like to achieve.
Studio portrait - Harri (5) on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

This is the shot I just took with the Canon 40D, thanks to my grandpa for standing in as my model! (it's completely unedited). I have one large softbox (500 watt) on the subject and a two lights (250 watt each) on the backdrop. I now realize he is too close to the backdrop light and his face is washed out on one side. Every photo comes out looking very pink toned and flat. Skin doesn't look like skin. He has tan skin and here it looks very pink. I've tried so many ways of changing the tone, colors and every setting I can see. My camera was set on P mode, Tungsten white balance, auto ISO (which shot the photo at 800), and other info displayed for the photo (which I don't know anything about) says 1/50, 5.0, (+/-) +1.

This is a photo I took with my Fuji S9100 with a shop light (not my new fancy softbox light), 250 watt bulb and two of the same lights used in the above photo aimed on the backdrop. Still not perfect but much better than I'm getting now with better equipment.

jlykins · Dec 17, 2008

If you want to shoot in P mode, you're going to have to dial down the exposure compensation to keep from blowing the highlights. If it were me, I'd be shooting in manual, and adjusting my exposure to get a correctly exposed image. As far as the pink tones, you need to set a custom white balance. Look in your manual, it will tell you how in there. Keep shooting and have fun! The second image is nice BTW.

bridget7777 · Dec 17, 2008

Thanks for your reply! I know I should be using M mode but there are so many MORE settings that the image gets even worse. This is going to be a dumb question but how do I adjust the exposure? Is it the row that you can adjust from -2 to +2? Great, I'll try the custom white balance. Thank you much!

jlykins · Dec 17, 2008

I'm not sure about the actual proceedure on your camera(I shoot Nikon)but yes it is the -2 +2. You can also get the directions for changing it in your manual. Sorry I can't be more help with that. I'm not familiar with Canons.

Ls3D · Dec 17, 2008

Flip the power switch all the way to that 3rd position and the large wheel will enable exposure compensation in some modes. You may need to meter by pressing the shutter release halfway before you can compensate it.

Not sure I would go auto ISO, set to 400 and increase exposure for less noise. May try this and auto white balance as a test. Better yet create a custom white balance in your studio space.

What lens? Your other camera is nice and sharp and took a great picture.

-Shea

bridget7777 · Dec 17, 2008

Great, I will try those things. I did the custom white balance and just snapped this shot of myself... Much better! The gray background looks gray rather than pinkish and my skin pretty much looks like normal skin. Does anyone know what should be changed based on this shot? Thanks!

bridget7777 · Dec 17, 2008

Oh and the lens is actually the one that came on the camera, 28-135mm

jlykins · Dec 17, 2008

bridget7777 said:
Great, I will try those things. I did the custom white balance and just snapped this shot of myself... Much better! The gray background looks gray rather than pinkish and my skin pretty much looks like normal skin. Does anyone know what should be changed based on this shot? Thanks!

The only thing I would change is location, to my studio :love: JK it looks nice. Great shadow under the nose. Well done.