Outdoor Potrait Photography + right exposure

[darshan_nabar]

Hello Guys,

When I take a photograph in the outdoor by reducing the aperture I get a good color saturation of the sky and the exposure is right. However when I shoot somebody in the same background the subject turns dark. When I increase the aperture, the background is washed out but the subject is bright. I tried using a flash to brighten the subject but that helps only when the subject is very close. Can somebody help me how to take bright pictures without washing the background?

regards,

Darshan

 

[Ptyler22]

Well you could use a polarizer, this will deepen the blues in the sky and cut glare, or just keep playing around with the flash, and you should be able to make it work

 

[farmerj]

Graduated Neutral filter, Polarizer to a degree or fill flash.

 

[Samanax]

Got any sample pictures?

 

[NateS]

Graduated ND would be kind of silly for any shots where the person was in the whole frame. I don't think you'd want their top half darker than their bottom half.

You are on the right idea with flash. What flash are you using? I have an SB-600 and Stofen Diffuser. It works great for shaded shots to light the subject while I expose for the background. I usually also have to throw on a ND (not grad ND) to block some light so that I can shoot around f/2.8-f/4 outdoors with my crappy 1/200th max sync speed. I use a 3 stop ND filter.

 

[JerryPH]

Basically... underexpose the daylight settings in camera and overpower the sun with off camera flash.

No ND filters, just proper use of off camera flash, a touch of sharpening and a little vignette added:

 

[itznfb]

I tried using a flash to brighten the subject but that helps only when the subject is very close.

get a bigger flash

 

[Chairman7w]

That is the classic dilemma of shooting in bright sunlight. Fill flash is definitely the way to go. This was taken in the middle of the day (note the shadows) and before I turned on the flash it was basically just silouettes. It's not perfect by any means, but you can see their faces now.

 

[farmerj]

There's no "right" way to do something like this.

Several techniques work. Some work easier than others. If you have a flash, fill flash works, if you have a ND filter, that will work. It would be interesting to see how a polarizing filter would work to do this.


Learn several techniques, put em all in the bag, and use what comes easiest to you.

 

[itznfb]

how would a ND filter work, don't ND filters reduce incoming light evenly, so the subject would still be overshadowed by the bright light?

 

[farmerj]

how would a ND filter work, don't ND filters reduce incoming light evenly, so the subject would still be overshadowed by the bright light?

You wear sunglasses? Same thing there. All a ND filter is, is a sunglassed for your camera.

 

[itznfb]

how would a ND filter work, don't ND filters reduce incoming light evenly, so the subject would still be overshadowed by the bright light?

You wear sunglasses? Same thing there. All a ND filter is, is a sunglassed for your camera.

makes sense. i've never used one... seems useful though.

 

[Dao]

hum ... ND filter may not work since the effect apply on the object(s) and the background at the same time.

A gradient ND may help in some situation to avoid blown sky. Meter the sky and use fill flash still works better.


Or do it the Strobist way

 

[musicaleCA]

Oh my gods...that's a lot of SB's. What the hell...Certainly can't argue with the results though.

 

[farmerj]

NICE video.

I can see a bunch of Vivitar 285's on the horizon.