Note to self and all other xsi users...

[Robin Usagani]

they are SOOC you know. I think the exposure is not that far off considering she didnt use additional lighting.

 

[JeffieLove]

Thanks Schwetty

 

[gsgary]

I think I'm just going to add a smidge of noise reduction in LR... Maybe 20 on the luminance and leave the detail at 50...

The only one of these that really needs to be cropped is the one of them in the tree... I need to crop at the middle of their thighs instead of their knees and I'm going to crop some of the sky out...

I'm sorry but i would have deleted all 3 of those, you need to learn how to use flash and ambient or they will never stand out

 

[JeffieLove]

Way to be an ass... They are easily fixable.

Do you seriously have any idea how many professional photographers use primarily natural light and then fix everything in post??? That's what I'm trying to learn. I have a flash, I am trying to learn how to use it, but I personally don't think that the time to learn how to use it is on a session that is very important to someone else. I'm waiting for a nice day where I can take my kids out and practice on them. Or even my best friend's daughter(s). That's the only practice subjects I have unfortunately...

Anywho, that's the end of my rant...

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Way to be an ass... They are easily fixable.

Do you seriously have any idea how many professional photographers use primarily natural light and then fix everything in post???

You pointed out a very common and flawed train of thought.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Just for chuckle
Flickr: Discussing OT: Photos with and without flash in Wedding Photography

But really Jeffie, your exposure is perfect ( sky isnt blown and the branches do not look like a cardboard). All you need is a little flash to light up the subject a bit. Since the flash will be very little power, you wont even notice the flash.

 

[gsgary]

Way to be an ass... They are easily fixable.

Do you seriously have any idea how many professional photographers use primarily natural light and then fix everything in post??? That's what I'm trying to learn. I have a flash, I am trying to learn how to use it, but I personally don't think that the time to learn how to use it is on a session that is very important to someone else. I'm waiting for a nice day where I can take my kids out and practice on them. Or even my best friend's daughter(s). That's the only practice subjects I have unfortunately...

Anywho, that's the end of my rant...

A professional photographer that has to fix everything in post is not a pro, i wouldn't delete them because of exposure it would be because they just look like snap shots just not very exciting. Thats just the way i see it

 

[KmH]

Way to be an ass... They are easily fixable.

Do you seriously have any idea how many professional photographers use primarily natural light and then fix everything in post???

I think it is wrong to call those photographers - professional. I don't consider being paid as qualifying someone as a pro. A pro is an expert.

I find that most so-called natural light photographers don't understand how photography, light, their camera, a lens, or photographic lighting work. No doubt some are good at composition or posing, but the majority that I have seen don't have a good grounding in the basic fundamental technical aspects of doing photography, let alone the advanced fundamentals technical aspects.

To me, an exposure error of more than 1/3 stop was a mistake made by the photographer.

 

[gsgary]

Take a look at this guy he is a great photographer and teacher uses flash for everything
Drew Gardner Photography
Next Saturday i'm going on a master class (mixing ambient and flash) with this guy
briangriffin.co.uk

 

[o hey tyler]

Do you seriously have any idea how many professional photographers use primarily natural light and then fix everything in post???

Do you seriously have any idea how many professional photographers use both natural light and flash and get the exposure correct in the camera??? That's what you should be trying to learn. You have a flash, and you have daylight. Trying to make excuses as to why you don't have time to use it, and this is described in the next sentence which I didn't edit. "I'm waiting for a nice day where I can take my kids out and practice on them. Or even my best friend's daughter(s)." However, that's not the only test subjects you have, I'm sure you have a plethora of children's toys laying around that would sit nice and patiently with you by a window while you learn how to use your flash for fill light.

If you are hanging around with people being careless with their exposures and "fixing it in post", they've got a lot of learning to do.

 

[JeffieLove]

Do you seriously have any idea how many professional photographers use primarily natural light and then fix everything in post???

Do you seriously have any idea how many professional photographers use both natural light and flash and get the exposure correct in the camera??? That's what you should be trying to learn.

I am trying to learn how to get everything right in camera using only natural light. That's what I've been trying to get answers on for the last week or so since I've been in my "slump"... All anyone can tell me is that my photos are underexposed... I'm shooting in aperture priority... The only "light meter" I have is the in camera one. I've been trying to find out what else I need to make natural light work for me. Apparently I don't have everything I need. I've posted for CC and I've gotten, "Nice shots!" or I've gotten, "They're under exposed." Nothing asking what I'm doing to see if anyone can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong, no questions are being asked of me for more details for anyone to try and help me... That's what I'm looking for. Apparently I'm in the wrong place to get that help...

Thankfully, I was able to get in contact with a professional photographer who is very local to me (www.lintonphotography.com) and will be getting help from him and his wife. I will be second shooting weddings with them this season as well.

Do we really believe that REAL PROFESSIONAL photographers don't fix things like exposure mistakes and stuff in post? Do we honestly believe that professional photographers are perfect and get EVERYTHING right on every picture in camera???

 

[Overread]

JeffieLove I think its key to understand that a lot of the time you can't get it perfect in camera with only natural light as your main light source. That is why we have reflectors; flashes; softboxes etc.... ie a massive lighting support and control structure built up around photography - especially so in areas such as portrait and studio work where you have control over your subject enough that you can take time to manipulate the light.

A large or medium sides reflector would still leave you working with natural light, but let you at least shine a but of it onto the subjects, giving you a bit of a lift straight from the camera - before you have to worry about editing them.

When it comes to noise control readup and learn to use layer masks *you'll have to come out of lightroom since I don't think it fully supports selective area editing) and also selective editing in general. That way you can nuke noise in background areas with stronger noise reduction, whilst using a lighter amount on the subject and also mix that with subject sharpening. That way you can balance your noise control without having to always feel that its limiting you.

Myself I found ISO 400 to be usable, 800 in a pinch and any higher and I mostly wasn't shooting, but then I don't do much indoor photography outside of studio macro setups, where I have flash to counter the light loss.

 

[o hey tyler]

Do you seriously have any idea how many professional photographers use primarily natural light and then fix everything in post???

Do you seriously have any idea how many professional photographers use both natural light and flash and get the exposure correct in the camera??? That's what you should be trying to learn.

I am trying to learn how to get everything right in camera using only natural light. That's what I've been trying to get answers on for the last week or so since I've been in my "slump"... All anyone can tell me is that my photos are underexposed... I'm shooting in aperture priority... The only "light meter" I have is the in camera one. I've been trying to find out what else I need to make natural light work for me. Apparently I don't have everything I need. I've posted for CC and I've gotten, "Nice shots!" or I've gotten, "They're under exposed." Nothing asking what I'm doing to see if anyone can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong, no questions are being asked of me for more details for anyone to try and help me... That's what I'm looking for. Apparently I'm in the wrong place to get that help...

Thankfully, I was able to get in contact with a professional photographer who is very local to me (Welcome to Linton Photography) and will be getting help from him and his wife. I will be second shooting weddings with them this season as well.

Do we really believe that REAL PROFESSIONAL photographers don't fix things like exposure mistakes and stuff in post? Do we honestly believe that professional photographers are perfect and get EVERYTHING right on every picture in camera???

Nice job trimming down my post to only touch on one of the topics. The remainder of my statement stands. You're making excuses as to why you can't learn how to light without both natural light and flash. But more as to why you can't practice it indoors with readily available subjects that are willing to sit still. I have two flashes I use off camera and I seem to do O.K. without a light meter. It just takes practice, and less excuse making.

Who are you trying to impose what the other should believe? Do you have some infinite photographic wisdom that I am somehow not able to see? No, I don't believe that professionals botch exposures with the intent of fixing it in post. I believe that as a professional (one that is acting as such and not necessarily just getting paid) will try and get it as close to the proper exposure IN CAMERA.

But what do I know?

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I am trying to learn how to get everything right in camera using only natural light. That's what I've been trying to get answers on for the last week or so since I've been in my "slump"... All anyone can tell me is that my photos are underexposed... I'm shooting in aperture priority... The only "light meter" I have is the in camera one. I've been trying to find out what else I need to make natural light work for me. Apparently I don't have everything I need. I've posted for CC and I've gotten, "Nice shots!" or I've gotten, "They're under exposed." Nothing asking what I'm doing to see if anyone can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong, no questions are being asked of me for more details for anyone to try and help me... That's what I'm looking for. Apparently I'm in the wrong place to get that help...

Thankfully, I was able to get in contact with a professional photographer who is very local to me (Welcome to Linton Photography) and will be getting help from him and his wife. I will be second shooting weddings with them this season as well.

Well, if you are consistantly under exposing using the in camera light meter, the fix is simple. You consciously adjust for it. People here can only help so much. You need to analyze what is going on and make decisions to adjust for it. There is no easy fix, because every shot you take varies. The light varies. What you meter varies. There is no magic setting. You need to understand that before you knock people for not helping you.

I also think you need some patience. You've only been doing this for a year, right?

 

[Robin Usagani]

Start mastering the spot meter and manual setting as well. That's the key. Aperture priority really helps beginners to take controls of the camera a bit, but it will hurt them in the long run.