Manual Shooting Issues

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I'm new to shooting full manual and there is without a doubt a lot of trial and error, but I was wondering how I could improve...

I tend to have an issue determining my scene and exposure. I try not to shoot anything that is backlit because I understand it will turn out like crap.
On sunnier days, I move Exp. Comp. down usually to about -0.7 to -1.3.
I'll often reduce aperture, and accordingly have to slow down shutter speed.
As far as ISO. I have a tendency towards trying to keep it down to as low as possible. More often than not I have it set to 200 max.

I just recently downloaded Lightroom (in place of using VSCO) and I can clearly see a lot of photos I take are overexposed by what I understand of the histograms (there is a lot of clipping). Often where the subject is not caught properly at all; where I miss the crucial data that I am trying to capture.

It's a bit of a struggle and I have been feeling discouraged with all of these things that I am not grasping properly together.

I feel that perhaps I'm marching down the wrong path for my skill level perhaps and that there may be some things that are a priority for me to learn before mastery of the three pillars (shutter, ap, iso).

I used a Nikon D3300.
35mm Prime f/1.8g
70-300mm ED VR.

Eager to hear suggestions and ask again questions..
 
Back in the day of "manual only" you had to learn exposure before anything else.
The metering mode you use will affect your exposure, as well.
 
Back in the day of "manual only" you had to learn exposure before anything else.
The metering mode you use will affect your exposure, as well.

I forgot to mention metering. I have gotten away from Matrix because it doesn't tend to read scenes well for me. I try to stick with center-weighted and spot.
 
Try posting some examples with full EXIF.
 
Export as a JPEG. The original stays as it is and LR makes a copy.
 
Try posting some examples with full EXIF.

How do I move it from RAW format in Lightroom to what I'd be assuming Dropbox...?

Dropbox will allow you to upload a raw file. You can then post a link here to the raw file. Let's see some raw files.

Lightroom will process your raw (NEF) files -- it does provide analytical feedback about your raw file exposure.

Let's start by seeing some raw files.

Joe
 
Try posting some examples with full EXIF.

How do I move it from RAW format in Lightroom to what I'd be assuming Dropbox...?

Dropbox will allow you to upload a raw file. You can then post a link here to the raw file. Let's see some raw files.

Lightroom will process your raw (NEF) files -- it does provide analytical feedback about your raw file exposure.

Let's start by seeing some raw files.

Joe

You'll have to forgive me guys...quite new to this stuff.
I do have raw files uploaded to Lightroom right now, they are still there, how do I proceed in that way because the export I have in Dropbox is now JPEG.
 
Using your camera on full manual -- why? It's a lot faster and easier to use the camera in one of it's semi-auto modes like Aperture priority or Program mode. Use manual when you're using off camera flash or an external light meter.

Joe
 
Try posting some examples with full EXIF.

How do I move it from RAW format in Lightroom to what I'd be assuming Dropbox...?

Dropbox will allow you to upload a raw file. You can then post a link here to the raw file. Let's see some raw files.

Lightroom will process your raw (NEF) files -- it does provide analytical feedback about your raw file exposure.

Let's start by seeing some raw files.

Joe

You'll have to forgive me guys...quite new to this stuff.
I do have raw files uploaded to Lightroom right now, they are still there, how do I proceed in that way because the export I have in Dropbox is now JPEG.

Upload an NEF file to Dropbox. If you upload a JPEG then we'll be seeing the processing work. Better to see the actual raw (NEF) file. Dropbox will let you create a link to the file and you can post that link here.

Joe
 

Let's start with the barn. Here's a histogram of your raw file:

DSC_0083-Full-6016x4016.jpg


When Lightroom or any other processing software shows you a histogram they are not showing you a histogram of the raw file. They are showing you a histogram of their processed JPEG.
.
Your camera has a 12 bit ADC (analog to digital converter). 2 ^12 = 4096. Note how close your green channels are to the 4096 threshold. 4096 is your sensors clipping threshold. You have here basically a perfect raw file exposure. The goal is to get as close to the clipping threshold as possible without actually touching it. You're there.

The JPEG your camera made sucks, but no problem, we can do much better.

Now look at the histogram graphs and note the spike just before the right end of the graphs -- that's the sky.

Hang on and we'll process that file.

P.S. The software I used to get that histogram is called RawDigger.

Joe
 

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