Lighting

[Bukitimah]

I took this photo recently. I am using Nikon D300, Tamron 17-50 f2.8 non VR lens and the settings are as follows:

F4.5, ISO 400, 1/250 sec, 50 mm and external flash.

There is a strong morning sun coming at an angle as you can see from the photo. Please give me your advise on how you would set your camera and where I have not done correctly for a better shot.

 

[Trever1t]

all you needed here was a little bit more flash power to fill the backlit subjects. Otherwise nice shot!

 

[AperturePriority]

I would under-exposure about 2/3 of an fstops to have the rim lines making dancers pop. Also, focus needed on dancers, not at the lanterns. But I like your picture Bukitimah.

 

[KmH]

According to the EXIF data the flash was off, but fill light was needed.

You used Center-Weighted metering, which is good for portraiture, but in a scene with that much dynamic range I would have used spot metering.

I would have metered several spots and then by using flash, controlled the ambient light exposure with my shutter speed, and the flash exposure (fill) with my lens aperture. Being experienced I can do the calculations in my head in just a few seconds. I'm much more adaptable than an inanimate, unable to think, camera is.

The 2 dancers look to be at the near limit of the DoF and are somewhat OOF. Your point of focus was 12.6 m (EXIF data) from the image sensor and the near limit of your DoF was 8.9 meters from the camera. http://dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

 

[Bukitimah]

Dear KmH, I have switched my external flash on but I didn't use TTL. I am not sure why it did not register the flash. would this PP photo be better?

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

Possibly some fill flash to light the shadows?

 

[JesseColeGuthery]

Hard to say what would make it better, as better is subjective. I would ask myself what I'm trying to show. If its the ladies dancing as the primary subject then they appear a bit underexposed and slightly out of focus. Perhaps either get them brighter or darker.

Because of the lighting, framing and focus I would assume the door is the main subject. But because there isn't a lot of contrast range to make the door pop out your just looking for focus.

But it all depends on what your trying to tell us with the picture.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Those two are yoddling the words filllllllllll flashhhhhh