Help Please with Lighting and Exposure, colors off, no control of finished lighting

[tryinghard]

Hello. I just got a EOS T2i. Manual and several books not clear to me for answers I'm seeking.
I have never so far learned exposure and and lighting well enough to have control.
If only I could get a book that shows shots (of interior houses hopefully) and says what was used for the dial, aperature, shutter and ISO
or one that says under these conditions, these should be the settings. I think I could learn better that way than theory I don't have time to learn or interpret
to my situation. I am a realtor and take photos of houses.
Flashes generally make hotspots and shadows. I know to use a tripod yet I don't get light enough photos and coloring is always off.
Can anyone give me some clues for interior shots with settings AND tips for lighting. As you know light comes in windows but even when that is not a problem
the shots usually come out too dark and colors distorted.
Also I just got a Tamron SP 1-24mm and am seeing too much distortion. I like wide angles for interiors. Haven't tried stitching panos.
Any direction greatly appreciated. I work 14 hours a day time is limited.
THANKS!

 

[2WheelPhoto]

strobist.com check out tutorials section

 

[cgipson1]

Hello. I just got a EOS T2i. Manual and several books not clear to me for answers I'm seeking.
I have never so far learned exposure and and lighting well enough to have control.
If only I could get a book that shows shots (of interior houses hopefully) and says what was used for the dial, aperature, shutter and ISO
or one that says under these conditions, these should be the settings. I think I could learn better that way than theory I don't have time to learn or interpret
to my situation. I am a realtor and take photos of houses.
Flashes generally make hotspots and shadows. I know to use a tripod yet I don't get light enough photos and coloring is always off.
Can anyone give me some clues for interior shots with settings AND tips for lighting. As you know light comes in windows but even when that is not a problem
the shots usually come out too dark and colors distorted.
Also I just got a Tamron SP 1-24mm and am seeing too much distortion. I like wide angles for interiors. Haven't tried stitching panos.
Any direction greatly appreciated. I work 14 hours a day time is limited.
THANKS!

Every house is going to be different.. there are no "set it this way and it works every time" rules! If you don't know the basics.. and don't want to learn, you would be better off hiring someone to shoot for you.

 

[tirediron]

All you need to learn is how to use the Yellow Pages. Look under "Photographers, Professional". I don't sell houses for a living, and would have no idea how to go about it. When I sell my house, I will be calling a member of your profession to assist me. I know that it's going to be expensive and I know I could do it myself, but I know that I'm paying for professionalism and expertise. This is no different; call in the expert, spend a little money and get a top-notch product instead of trying to muddle your way through it on your own and getting a (at best) mediocre product.

 

[1000_Islander]

Cameras today, like your Canon T2i are very advanced. Yet, it still takes considerable skills to yield good photos, even under 'ideal' outdoor conditions. You either need to set aside a few months or more likely years to become proficient, or as previously mentioned, hire someone with the appropriate skill set.

 

[KmH]

I think I could learn better that way than theory I don't have time to learn or interpret

You would be wrong.

There are no shortcuts to consistantly being able to produce goos photographs.

That EASY button Staples advertises - isn't real.

 

[Kerbouchard]

Put it on a tripod, set it to aperture priority, base ISO, set your aperture to around f/8. Use the time delay and push the shutter button. If it's too dark or too bright, use the exposure compensation button and adjust either way. Try again. When you get something you like, you are done.

Despite what some of our other members are saying, it's not that complicated. Pick up a copy of lightroom and you can fix the distortion automatically, as well as make minor adjustments and resize it for web use. If you shoot in RAW, you can also adjust your white balance afterwards to make sure your colors are accurate.

To help with the colors, try to only have one source of light. Either have the blinds open and use natural light, or keep the blinds shut and use indoor light. Different light sources will cause color casts that can be difficult for a beginner to compensate for. One source of main light will keep it simple. That isn't to say you can't have lamps or accent lights on. They will help to create some atmosphere for your photos.

Also, if you want to take it a step further, you can pick up a calibration target, which is an item that has a pure black, pure grey, and pure white tone. Basically, you take a shot with the target in the frame, then you remove the target and take the same shot. When you are processing your photos, you can use the calibration target as a benchmark so that you can guarantee your white balance is accurate, as well as your tonal distribution. Here is an example of one. PhotoVision DT14010 14in Pocket One-Shot Digital Target DT14010

If those steps are too complicated or more work or time than you wish to invest in this, I would defer to the previous answers and recommend hiring it out.

 

[tryinghard]

George/Kerbouchard, I loved your response! Thank you. I can totally relate to what you said and am already giving it a try. This morning when I read the first couple of answers I figured this site was only for those making a living at photography and I was in the wrong place, so I went on the internet and found a video that had me setting the aperature, shutter and ISO at suggested settings to find out what the results were. This is a great common sense start. I got so turned off by the books that didn' put things together quickly enough so I could understand taking a shot! I've hired photographers, one great one and some so so ones. I watched each. I think the great was using time delay as you are suggesting. I've been a 'point and shooter' for years and just went back to the SLR to have some fun with my wide angle. Thanks again!

Put it on a tripod, set it to aperture priority, base ISO, set your aperture to around f/8. Use the time delay and push the shutter button. If it's too dark or too bright, use the exposure compensation button and adjust either way. Try again. When you get something you like, you are done.

Despite what some of our other members are saying, it's not that complicated. Pick up a copy of lightroom and you can fix the distortion automatically, as well as make minor adjustments and resize it for web use. If you shoot in RAW, you can also adjust your white balance afterwards to make sure your colors are accurate.

To help with the colors, try to only have one source of light. Either have the blinds open and use natural light, or keep the blinds shut and use indoor light. Different light sources will cause color casts that can be difficult for a beginner to compensate for. One source of main light will keep it simple. That isn't to say you can't have lamps or accent lights on. They will help to create some atmosphere for your photos.

Also, if you want to take it a step further, you can pick up a calibration target, which is an item that has a pure black, pure grey, and pure white tone. Basically, you take a shot with the target in the frame, then you remove the target and take the same shot. When you are processing your photos, you can use the calibration target as a benchmark so that you can guarantee your white balance is accurate, as well as your tonal distribution. Here is an example of one. PhotoVision DT14010 14in Pocket One-Shot Digital Target DT14010

If those steps are too complicated or more work or time than you wish to invest in this, I would defer to the previous answers and recommend hiring it out.

 

[Kerbouchard]

No problem.

 

[ScottyP]

Just buy Adobe Lightroom 4. Seriously. Do it. I bought Lightroom 3 a few months ago and when they came out with Lightroom 4, they actually cut the price in half from $300.00 to $150.00. You will never ever make a better purchase for your camera. You can take those weird orange-y indoor photos and make them look perfect. You can up the light or just up the fill light on faces.
Watch a few free tutorials on YouTube or Google Videos or anywhere, and you will soon be doing much more than that. The beauty of Adobe Lightroom over Adobe Photoshop is that you do not damage your original digital image every time you make a change and save it. It simply makes a little "companion file" for each photo that contains your "recipe" for making it look good. You can ghange it as much as you want as many times as you want, and you never have to "save" the image itself, which degrades the data. Plus, you can monkey with one photo and then apply the same changes to all 10 or 50 shots you did in the same room to save time.
If you need to paste your dog's face onto your cat, get photoshop. If you just want the pictures you take inside people's houses to stop looking orange or dark, get Adobe Lightroom.

 

[ScottyP]

Not to say you shouldn't keep learning to use the camera better. Getting it right (or close) the first time saves you a lot of time in post.. Plus, the more you have to stretch to put lipstick on a pig, the more it shows.

 

[Dao]

It depends on what result you are going after. If just simple point and shoot (even with DSLR) with a wide angle, just shoot in RAW format. Then you get your result.

I'd seen a video online somewhere which record a conference or seminar regarding lighting. The speaker showed how to properly light a interior room with multi strobes wirelessly (without seeing the lights) and the result are pretty good. And you can even see the blue sky through the windows inside that room (instead of a blown sky). And it lights placement and camera/light settings varies from room to room.

So again, if you want to show the how the rooms looks like, just put it on tripod, shoot it in Av and adjust the exposure compensation. If you want to showcase the room, and make it pop. Hire someone (not every photographer can do it, I am one of them) that can or research, learn and practice more.

 

[tryinghard]

Great info George, Scotty P, Dao!! Thanks so much!! Great starting places! Appreciate the info! I am having fun learning this practical way and will seek out the video & similar info plus the software too.

 

[jamesbjenkins]

As a photographer who is always looking for more commercial and real estate clients, your question is very frustrating to me. Why are you not simply hiring a skilled professional to do this for you? In your post, you say nothing of a love for photography...only that you are trying to shoot these houses for work. You have a lot far better ways to spend your time than muddling through trying to learn something that it takes a professional years to master. I would never try to be my own realtor, you should not try to be your own real estate photographer.

 

[Kerbouchard]

As a photographer who is always looking for more commercial and real estate clients, your question is very frustrating to me. Why are you not simply hiring a skilled professional to do this for you? In your post, you say nothing of a love for photography...only that you are trying to shoot these houses for work. You have a lot far better ways to spend your time than muddling through trying to learn something that it takes a professional years to master. I would never try to be my own realtor, you should not try to be your own real estate photographer.

I find this attitude baffling. What difference does it make if he has a passion or love for photography?

I don't particularly enjoy or love cooking, but I still made dinner tonight. I guess by your standards, I should have called a professional chef? I don't particularly love changing lightbulbs or filters for my A/C, but I don't call out an electrician or HVAC guy every time it needs done.

There are certain tasks that people are just going to do for themselves. Photography is becoming more and more one of those things. No reason somebody with a few minutes can't take pictures of a home for a real estate advertisement. It's much the same as when I make lasagna. Heck, I'm not a chef, but I can follow a recipie.

Seriously, it's not that complicated.

Oh, and I took a look at your website...is this the sort of reason why somebody should hire a 'professional'?
http://www.ballengerphotos.com/Clie...54819_hRVrQx#!i=1513023743&k=wTHPw5L&lb=1&s=A

Or perhaps this fine example?
http://www.ballengerphotos.com/Clie...54819_hRVrQx#!i=1513025039&k=FM84xDg&lb=1&s=A

Oh, and my personal favorite...
http://www.ballengerphotos.com/Clie...54819_hRVrQx#!i=1620524767&k=WB4LKVR&lb=1&s=A