I made my first shot!

[kjpshoot]

I noticed the softness right away. Zooming in confirmed the camera moved.

I hate using a tripod, guess i need to get used to it.

You should concentrate in improving your hand-holding techniques, not 'getting used to it'.

I only just realized i didnt use the face detector, could that also be it?

Facial recognition won't affect how well you hold your camera still.


Improving your Hand-Holding Technique

Wow that was helpful

 

[kjpshoot]

@kjpshoot , This is really good for your first shot! Your 1/100s shutter speed probably didn't help you. I try and stay at least double the focal length of the lens I'm shooting with. so if your shooting at 100mm focal length, make sure you don't fall below 1/200. Tuck that arm into the side, try and make your body a tripod. Don't be afraid of bumping that ISO a stop or two to get some gain on the shutter speed. If your exposure is correct, all will be good.

Did you meter the background?
Did you meter the face?

I just learnt something new from your little math up there. I never really paid attention to the focal length before i shot it but now knowing that i have to double the release speed is a step ahead. I couldn’t meter for the background( don’t know how to do that yet) without losing focus on the face.

Thanks for the body tripod trick

Well, in a shot like this, learn that you have to quench the ambiant light in order to illuminate the subject. It sounds like you got lucky because you got good face illumination and seperation. Understand what you are trying to accomplish and your images will take off.

I used a strobe light, well after some trial and error on the intensity. I understand to quench the ambient light, I’m supposed to meter the subject right?

 

[weepete]

Thank you weepete for your comment, what techniques do you think needs refinement?

Hand holding technique, as sparky has already linked you too. Also you need to think about how you are going to use the camera and compensate by raising your shutter speed. Below 1/60th sec is a bit dodgy and only for still subjects, 1/125th for people walking, 1/250th for a slow run, 1/500th + for sports, could even go to 1/800th or 1/1000th for pro athletes. Minimum hand holding shutter speed should be the focal length, so 1/100th is the minimum you want for 100mm, 1/500th for a 500mm without IS/VR/OS. May have to up this more if you are swinging the camera about too

I think you white balance is off a bit too, looks a bit too yellow/green to my eyes.

 

[weepete]

I used a strobe light, well after some trial and error on the intensity. I understand to quench the ambient light, I’m supposed to meter the subject right?

I tend to meter the ambient and set it at 1-2 stops under, then use flash to bring the exposure on the person up.

 

[jcdeboever]

it

@kjpshoot , This is really good for your first shot! Your 1/100s shutter speed probably didn't help you. I try and stay at least double the focal length of the lens I'm shooting with. so if your shooting at 100mm focal length, make sure you don't fall below 1/200. Tuck that arm into the side, try and make your body a tripod. Don't be afraid of bumping that ISO a stop or two to get some gain on the shutter speed. If your exposure is correct, all will be good.

Did you meter the background?
Did you meter the face?

I just learnt something new from your little math up there. I never really paid attention to the focal length before i shot it but now knowing that i have to double the release speed is a step ahead. I couldn’t meter for the background( don’t know how to do that yet) without losing focus on the face.

Thanks for the body tripod trick

Well, in a shot like this, learn that you have to quench the ambiant light in order to illuminate the subject. It sounds like you got lucky because you got good face illumination and seperation. Understand what you are trying to accomplish and your images will take off.

I used a strobe light, well after some trial and error on the intensity. I understand to quench the ambient light, I’m supposed to meter the subject right?

it can be useful in calculating stop difference. that can be a guide to setting the intensity of the strobe. I meter the camera for ambient and let the strobe light the subject. again, for this image and situation

 

[Derrel]

Although the photo has some technical flaws, it's still quite an acceptable and friendly rendering of the man and the lighting and location. Personally, I'd crop the image down a bit. As 480sparky mentioned, I too can see camera movement; Adobe Photoshop has an algorithm that can lessen the impact of motion blurring/camera shake, so there is a possibility that the shot could be improved with regard to the degree the camera shake is rendered.

My personal feeling is that a slight bit of cropping off of the top area, and a little bit of side-cropping could strengthen the overall impact of this portrait. Secondarily, I might be tempted to use the "Sharpen" command on the slightly out of focus frontal areas of his face, to make them look, well, sharper. For a first effort, this is commendable for its artistic impression and overall "feel". Keep working at the craft, and you'll do great, it's clear to see!

 

[kjpshoot]

I used a strobe light, well after some trial and error on the intensity. I understand to quench the ambient light, I’m supposed to meter the subject right?

I tend to meter the ambient and set it at 1-2 stops under, then use flash to bring the exposure on the person up.

How do I achieve this? Will it be on manual mode?

 

[kjpshoot]

it

@kjpshoot , This is really good for your first shot! Your 1/100s shutter speed probably didn't help you. I try and stay at least double the focal length of the lens I'm shooting with. so if your shooting at 100mm focal length, make sure you don't fall below 1/200. Tuck that arm into the side, try and make your body a tripod. Don't be afraid of bumping that ISO a stop or two to get some gain on the shutter speed. If your exposure is correct, all will be good.

Did you meter the background?
Did you meter the face?

I just learnt something new from your little math up there. I never really paid attention to the focal length before i shot it but now knowing that i have to double the release speed is a step ahead. I couldn’t meter for the background( don’t know how to do that yet) without losing focus on the face.

Thanks for the body tripod trick

Well, in a shot like this, learn that you have to quench the ambiant light in order to illuminate the subject. It sounds like you got lucky because you got good face illumination and seperation. Understand what you are trying to accomplish and your images will take off.

I used a strobe light, well after some trial and error on the intensity. I understand to quench the ambient light, I’m supposed to meter the subject right?

it can be useful in calculating stop difference. that can be a guide to setting the intensity of the strobe. I meter the camera for ambient and let the strobe light the subject. again, for this image and situation

I would be glad to get a recommendation link to Learn this.

 

[Derrel]

I used a strobe light, well after some trial and error on the intensity. I understand to quench the ambient light, I’m supposed to meter the subject right?

I tend to meter the ambient and set it at 1-2 stops under, then use flash to bring the exposure on the person up.

How do I achieve this? Will it be on manual mode?

Oh boy...there are multiple ways to shoot and meter flash + ambient lighting portraits. And part of the equation is the flash unit and the camera itself, but in general, my three-plus decades of flash experience leads me to the conclusion that, in most situations where one wants a specific result of flash + ambient, that the Manual exposure mode on the camera, and a manually-controlled amount of flash output is the _easiest_ way to get the desired result, consistently.

The issue is that when ambient lighting is the "main light" source, the brightness of the NON-flash portion of the exposure is determined by 1)the ISO in use 2)the lens aperture value and 3)the shutter's time duration. Now, when a "normal" flash burst is added, the shutter time MUST be at, or slower than, the maximum flash synchronization speed, which is usually 1/250 second, or 1/200 second, or somewhere in that area with a modern d-slr camera. So....the ambient light exposure MUST have a shutter time of 1/250 or slower. Say, 1/250 second at f/11 at ISO 100.

This type of scene is an ambient + flash shot, and there are in a manner of speaking, "two exposures" being made; one for the existing light, and a second exposure on the face, which is being lighted by both daylight AND by flash-lighting. The background areas, the far-away areas, are _not_ being lighted much, or at all, by the flash's output, in most cases.

If your camera can utilize a high-speed synchronization flash, and you own a high-speed synch capable speedlight or flash, then you could use a faster shutter speed, like say, 1/2000 second at f/4 and ISO 200, to "tame" the brightness of the background sun and highlight circles. Buuuuuut, only mid- to high-end cameras typically offer that feature.

I do not have time to explain the multiple ways one "might" shoot such a photo as this, but suffice it to say that YES, Manual exposure mode on the camera, and a manual, fractional power flash output level selection, made by you, at the time, is the fastest, easiest, most-consistent way to shoot this kind of a scene. The ISO, the f/stop used, and the flash-to-subject distance (but NOT the shutter speed's actual time, as long as it is synchronized with the flash!) will control the brightness of the flash lighting on the subject. Typically, as this type of range, a flash output power level of 1/16 to 1/4 power is going to be more or less "normative" as far as providing some fill-in lighting on the face.

When you work in Manual mode on the camera and the flash, it's easy to make changes, and see the effects of the changes, immediately, and to then make adjustments with confidence. In auto-mode flash, or TTL flash, it's sometimes a bit trickier to make fine adjustments that will be consistent across, say, 50 frames.

 

[kjpshoot]

For a first effort, this is commendable for its artistic impression and overall "feel". Keep working at the craft, and you'll do great, it's clear to see!

I used a strobe light, well after some trial and error on the intensity. I understand to quench the ambient light, I’m supposed to meter the subject right?

I tend to meter the ambient and set it at 1-2 stops under, then use flash to bring the exposure on the person up.

How do I achieve this? Will it be on manual mode?

Oh boy...there are multiple ways to shoot and meter flash + ambient lighting portraits. And part of the equation is the flash unit and the camera itself, but in general, my three-plus decades of flash experience leads me to the conclusion that, in most situations where one wants a specific result of flash + ambient, that the Manual exposure mode on the camera, and a manually-controlled amount of flash output is the _easiest_ way to get the desired result, consistently.

The issue is that when ambient lighting is the "main light" source, the brightness of the NON-flash portion of the exposure is determined by 1)the ISO in use 2)the lens aperture value and 3)the shutter's time duration. Now, when a "normal" flash burst is added, the shutter time MUST be at, or slower than, the maximum flash synchronization speed, which is usually 1/250 second, or 1/200 second, or somewhere in that area with a modern d-slr camera. So....the ambient light exposure MUST have a shutter time of 1/250 or slower. Say, 1/250 second at f/11 at ISO 100.

This type of scene is an ambient + flash shot, and there are in a manner of speaking, "two exposures" being made; one for the existing light, and a second exposure on the face, which is being lighted by both daylight AND by flash-lighting. The background areas, the far-away areas, are _not_ being lighted much, or at all, by the flash's output, in most cases.

If your camera can utilize a high-speed synchronization flash, and you own a high-speed synch capable speedlight or flash, then you could use a faster shutter speed, like say, 1/2000 second at f/4 and ISO 200, to "tame" the brightness of the background sun and highlight circles. Buuuuuut, only mid- to high-end cameras typically offer that feature.

I do not have time to explain the multiple ways one "might" shoot such a photo as this, but suffice it to say that YES, Manual exposure mode on the camera, and a manual, fractional power flash output level selection, made by you, at the time, is the fastest, easiest, most-consistent way to shoot this kind of a scene. The ISO, the f/stop used, and the flash-to-subject distance (but NOT the shutter speed's actual time, as long as it is synchronized with the flash!) will control the brightness of the flash lighting on the subject. Typically, as this type of range, a flash output power level of 1/16 to 1/4 power is going to be more or less "normative" as far as providing some fill-in lighting on the face.

When you work in Manual mode on the camera and the flash, it's easy to make changes, and see the effects of the changes, immediately, and to then make adjustments with confidence. In auto-mode flash, or TTL flash, it's sometimes a bit trickier to make fine adjustments that will be consistent across, say, 50 frames.

I tried to drink up all the details in your explanation but i guess i got stuck at some point which made me a little confuse. You mentioned that normally when the ambient is the main light, the exposure for THAT is determined by ISO, AV and TV and when the fill light is added, the TV should be exactly the same or slightly slower. Here’s my confusion; I read somewhere that Flash light does not care about stuff speed so why would i make it slower?

 

[Derrel]

Flash must be shot at Maximum Flash Sync Speed, called the X-sync speed, or slower. Otherwise, there will be a black band across part of the image. Flash speed "does not care about shutter speed" is on one hand true; for the areas lighted by FLASH, the shutter's Tv or Time Value is not a determinant of flash-exposure brightness...only the ISO, the Av or Aperture Value, and the flash-power and or flash-to-subject distance.

So..the FLASH-lighted part, him, his face: the shutter time could be 1/200 second or 1/100 second, and the flash will remain the same brightness....buuuuuuuut>>> when the Tv is changed, the ambient light exposure's brightness will change, both on him, and on the brightness or dimness of the background.

You can set the ISO, set the Av, and set the Tv, and set the flash power. When you do those things, the brightness of the flash-lighted part or the exposure will NOT change as the shutter speed is adjusted, but the non-flash-lighted exposure WILL change in brightness.

 

[kjpshoot]

Flash must be shot at Maximum Flash Sync Speed, called the X-sync speed, or slower. Otherwise, there will be a black band across part of the image. Flash speed "does not care about shutter speed" is on one hand true; for the areas lighted by FLASH, the shutter's Tv or Time Value is not a determinant of flash-exposure brightness...only the ISO, the Av or Aperture Value, and the flash-power and or flash-to-subject distance.

So..the FLASH-lighted part, him, his face: the shutter time could be 1/200 second or 1/100 second, and the flash will remain the same brightness....buuuuuuuut>>> when the Tv is changed, the ambient light exposure's brightness will change, both on him, and on the brightness or dimness of the background.

You can set the ISO, set the Av, and set the Tv, and set the flash power. When you do those things, the brightness of the flash-lighted part or the exposure will NOT change as the shutter speed is adjusted, but the non-flash-lighted exposure WILL change in brightness.

That brings me to another question. For a beginner like me would you advice to use the flash on manual mode or just use HSS and not bother about all the struggles to get the intensity right because that is a headache. I’m not trying to run away from it, I want to know how different angles and Light-subject distance affect the resulting image and i want to concentrate on that. After all that is cleared, i will then work on manually adjusting light intensity. What say you?

 

[chuasam]

Eyes seem slightly out of focus
And too much wasted space above his head.