Dark shadows on face when I shoot vertically?

[Rolypoly]

Hi Everyone!

I'm really hoping someone helps me out wit an issue i'm having and have no idea what it is or how to fix it... when I shoot with my camera vertically I see that I get shadows or dark sports on the persons face, skin, hands etc. I took this photo with a Nikon D7000 and a 50mm 1.8

take a look at the left side of his face

 

[Overread36]

Welcome to the site Rolypoly I've edited your post for you, but in future you want to use the tag link to embed photos in the forum :)

As for the dark "spots/shadows" on the person face, if I'm seeing the same thing you are then its not a factor linked to the aspect of how you shoot (ie portrait or landscape) but a factor of the lighting itself giving a very strong downward cast on the subject; thus resulting in those shadowed areas being much darker and the camera showing this fact in the exposure. To correct a simple reflective surface (white) can be used to bounce light up and unto the shadowed areas - a reflector can be used for this and they don't run very much in cost at all. You can also use flash to "fill" in the dimmer areas via fill-flash methods (this is typically as simple as just leaving the flash in auto mode to start with).

 

[gsgary]

I'm just seeing a badly exposed photo, holding the camera portrait and landscape will make no differece to the exposure

 

[bazooka]

I see what you're talking about... his right side looks a stop or more darker than the left. Do you have a shot from the same scene that does not have this 'shadow'? We're you shooting in a cemetary? j/k

 

[Big Mike]

Do you have any more examples?

This is something that may pop up when someone is using too fast of a shutter speed with flash. It doesn't look like you used any flash here, so that probably isn't the problem.
It might still be a shutter issue, as the shutter curtains travel in the vertical direction (horizontal when the camera is vertical).

I checked the EXIF data and it said that you shot this at 1/6400, ISO 400 and F2.0. Why did you choose those settings? More specifically, you could have shot at ISO 100 and still had a shutter speed of 1/1600 to get the same exposure.. That's plenty fast enough and you'd get less noise in the image (lower ISO).
To take that a step further, the image is underexposed, by quite a bit. So you could have (should have) used an even slower shutter speed to get more exposure.

But back to your problem, I'm wondering if it's just an issue of using an ultra fast shutter speed of 1/6400. Most DSLR cameras only go up to 1/4000....and even then, most people never need to go that high.

Try some test shots of a monotone wall that is in bright sunlight. See if you can replicate the problem repeatedly. If you can, then it's probably a shutter issue and I'd advise you to call Nikon.

 

[gsgary]

F2, 1/6400 i think it could be under exposed

 

[bennielou]

Looks like to me that you shot auto, and the camera metered for the brightness of the background.

 

[Rolypoly]

The photo is obviously underexposed lol but the left side of his face is noticeably darker, thats what i'm referring to. I used aperture priority, no flash... I'll try shooting with a slower shutter speed and see if that helps.

 

[Tony S]

Even though the background is brightly lit and the subject is underexposed you have to consider where the main light is hitting the subject. In this case, it appears to be coming from your right, which will result in a shadow on the subjects off side just as if you had used a flash on the right. Because of the underexposure and bright background it is much more subtle and difficult to make out. If you look at the childs "left" collor on the fleece you can see where the light starts to fall off from shadowing. The same light fall off occurs in the under the child's left armpit area.

Another thought too, is this happening in other lighting situations or just at this location? Other examples?

 

[Overread36]

I'm in the group that feels that the left side of the face is just the result of that side being less lit than the other as a result of the slight turn of the childs head, resulting in shadowing from a light source on the right side of the photo.

I agree with Big Mike - we need a monotone shot of something flat (like a wall) so that we can be sure this isn't just the result of the 3D shape blocking a light source as opposed to a shutter problem.

 

[Rolypoly]

I have another photo with the right side of his face with the same shadow....

 

[Rolypoly]

 

[DiskoJoe]

have you tried using a flash? do you still get these in direct sunlight? I agree with overread. Go take a picture of a flat untextured wawll like in your house or something so we can see if there is weird shadowing where there should be no shadows at all.

But your image does look odd.

 

[Tony S]

Were yiou by some chance under some trees shooting?

 

[rgregory1965]

Im a rookie and have on occasion while shooting vertically, ....my hand has partially got in the way of the flash......