Brand new... my first family photo

[rozell]

I took this two last night. The frist one I was quickly running out of sunlight and sadly couldn't get the exposure right in the background. The second one I think is better, though I think a reflector on camera's right would have decreased shadows. I would love feedback.

 

[Dagwood56]

I like them both. I think the darkness in the first one makes a nice background. The only thing I see really wrong with the second one is that its tipped a bit - doorframe lines in background slant. You might be able to crop and straighten that in photoshop. I like the reflection of the tree in the window.

 

[lextalionis]

You have a nice family! Here are some quick comments...

I looked at your exif [Nikon D70, flashed fired (assume onboard flash, 1/60th sec (flash sync speed btw), and f4.2 with a (max f of 4)]

Assuming you don't have an external flash (highly recommend a good one and use bounce flash indoors, diffuser semi-direct outdoors).

1. Try setting your camera to full manual mode and start with a shutter of about 1/20 sec, stop at it's widest (4 in this case for your lens), flash in I-TTL with FEC (flash exposure compensation) of -1, ISO 200.

2. try multiple shots with settings in #1 making only slight adjustments to shutter speed stay below 1/20 sec, make most adjustments to FEC and maybe try ISO 400 (depending on ambient light).

Great starter shots...I presume you got an early x-mas present?

Roy

 

[spiffybeth]

i like the first picture better. everyone looks happier. i rather like the dark background anyway.

you have a great looking family.

 

[rozell]

The first shot i used a SB-600 attached to the camera with a diffuser.

The second shot, I used the SB-600 in commander mode to my left and bounced of ceiling.

Can you explain "flash in I-TTL with FEC" and how to set that on my camera/flash?

ps pretty crazy you could see how i shot the picture, how did you do that?

 

[LaFoto]

Heya rozell, welcome to ThePhotoForum.

I merged your two threads for you and the now ONE thread is stored in the General Gallery. The Beginners' Place is more of a Q&A-forum, see, while the galleries are open for everyone AND designed for photo sharing. OK?

 

[lextalionis]

Can you explain "flash in I-TTL with FEC" and how to set that on my camera/flash?

ps pretty crazy you could see how i shot the picture, how did you do that?

Nikon calls it I-TTL and Canon calls it E-TTL (just has to do with smarter evaluative flashes these days...don't get too caught up on these acronoymns)...now FEC...this is important!

FEC (Flash Exposure Compensation)...essentially provides more or less power to the flash...read your sb-600 manual...you'll learn how to adjust these whilst still in I-TTL mode.

I know about your shots by looking at the exif data in the photo app I use.

Now since you are using a SB-600...you can really learn to do "slow shutter sync" or "dragging the shutter" with your setup (what I told you to do in my first post)...essentially you are lowering your shutter speed to expose the background...and using the aperture and flash to expose and stop the subject action. Look up dragging shutter here on these forums...fairly easy technique to pick up.

Roy

 

[D-50]

You're right about killing the shadows on number two. I find simply bouncing the flash off the cieling while on the camera works well mayeb a light on either side to lessen shadows as well. I number one did you use photoshops shadow highlight filter on their faces? the colors look odd to me, like the result of toning down highlights in photoshop. Try a rear sync in a shot like number one to bring out the background or set up on a tripod take one of the scene without them in it and then one with them in it, combine the two correctly and you'll have a well balanced shot. Howeevr if you were going for a dark background what you did was fine.