C&C, please!

Alistair · Feb 28, 2011

The title says it all!

I know I'm in a small room, and I'm hoping this week I can convince the family hit the park so I can try to take some outdoor shots, and see how I work with that. At any rate, this is my 2nd real attempt with flash guns, and shot this through a umbrella with a single YN - 468 about 4 feet from the couch.

1)

2)

3)

4)

BekahAura · Feb 28, 2011

The umbrella needs to be closer to the couch by about 2 feet... or you need to give your flash more power (if possible)... or you need to open up your aperture... or you need to bring up the ISO (as a last resort). All of these are underexposed.

Very cute kid though. I like 2,3, and 4. I'm not a fan of the wide angle shot though, it distorts him too much IMO.

Hope you get a chance to shoot outdoors, until then though, keep practicing inside =).

tirediron · Feb 28, 2011

Don't forget the little things; ensure that the child's face is washed beforehand.

Jeatley · Feb 28, 2011

These are all underexposed and dark and moody!?

o hey tyler · Feb 28, 2011

Is it just me or is #1 Distorted? The child and the animal both look a bit squatty.

Alistair · Feb 28, 2011

Bekah,

Thank you, and I was thinking of putting up the power on the flash as well, but to me within the camera it looked exposed correctly. This has been my biggest struggle as of late, not blowing out or underexposing. Plus, I think I might have buggered up something in post processing?

Tirediron,

I know. =P He was sitting still watching Elmo, so I had him for about 5 minutes where I could adjust so I took advantage of it. =D I'll try to remember for next time, tho.

Tyler,

Yeah, your right. Opps! Ha!

I played with the post processing a bit more, and this is what came out of it, didn't change to much. Just moved the temp, and exposure by 1/3 of a stop or a little bit more in Lightroom.

BekahAura · Mar 1, 2011

Much better =) Now practice getting it right in the camera in the fist place :greenpbl:

Alistair · Mar 1, 2011

Bekah,

Thanks. Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do. *laughs* This whole lighting thing is semi complicated until it clicks, or so they say at any rate. Just trying to figure out how far everything goes for proper exposure and such, along how much a umbrella tends to drop the aperture.

Like I said before, they look fine on the LCD screen, but I assume LCD screens are a little more brighter in the camera? Or am I missing something here?

o hey tyler · Mar 1, 2011

It would behoove you to take a few test shots on your camera, and then look at them on your computer screen right after. It's best to adjust your brightness on your camera's LCD so that you can at least eyeball exposure. So if you take a photo, and it looks fine on your camera, and then it's underexposed on your computer, you need to turn down the brightness of your camera's LCD screen to compensate.

Alistair · Mar 1, 2011

Tyler,

Silly as it sounds, thank you. I didn't think that would effect it, really. I'll go ahead and do that then! Thanks!

To check/test my flashs GN, is best to shoot at 10 feet (Or say 3 meters?), with the zoom head full, or another setting? The ones I have on that current flash are 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 70mm and 85mm. I know a dumb question, but the more I'm reading up on it, the less they seem to explain that part. I think I'll fine after this question and really start testing things out more cause at least I'll know the rating, and all that math. =D

KmH · Mar 1, 2011

Alistair said:
but to me within the camera it looked exposed correctly.

You can't use the camera LCD to evaluate exposure. o hey tyler's suggestion only works if the LCD is always viewed using the same amount of light that is also coming from a single angle like your computer display.

The camera LCD can be used to verify framing/composition, highlight and blacks clipping (by looking at the histogram (or 'blinkies" if blinkies is turned on)), and by zooming into an image to verify focus accuracy.

o hey tyler · Mar 1, 2011

KmH said:
Alistair said:

but to me within the camera it looked exposed correctly.

Click to expand...

You can't use the camera LCD to evaluate exposure. o hey tyler's suggestion only works if the LCD is always viewed using the same amount of light that is also coming from a single angle like your computer display.

I don't think you're giving the LCD screen enough credit. I wouldn't base all of my exposures on what I see on the LCD, but it VASTLY helps to have it give you some semblance of what your photo will appear on the screen. I have made exposure adjustments in the field based on my LCD screen, and it's definitely helped me when I got to post processing.