Over exposing for good skin tones??

[vintagesnaps]

I've yet to understand the under and over exposing people talk about doing. But then I'm a longtime film photographer so I guess I learned how to get a proper exposure. Even when I'm shooting with my digital camera, and I shoot DNG/Raw and manual, I do very little editing (although I don't do portraits/weddings where I can see that could be necessary); if I'm out shooting in good light often as not I've been able to print directly from the media card (well I put it in the computer and open it if you call that post processing). When I'm shooting B&W film I sometimes bracket shots but that's to make sure I have a negative that's not too dense or too thin.

Probably you're finding out that getting a proper exposure would minimize the amount of editing you'll have to do. If you have to salvage almost everything from a shoot that could be telling you that you might need to learn how to be setting your camera to get decent exposures in various conditions (although I've managed at times to have a whole roll of film not turn out well so even with experience sometimes we all make mistakes). I feel like from what I keep reading on here that people might be trying to take on clients before having mastered using their cameras in various lighting conditions etc. I think getting in more practice and mastering using the camera would help someone be successful as a photographer.

 

[JustJazzie]

I've yet to understand the under and over exposing people talk about doing. But then I'm a longtime film photographer so I guess I learned how to get a proper exposure. Even when I'm shooting with my digital camera, and I shoot DNG/Raw and manual, I do very little editing (although I don't do portraits/weddings where I can see that could be necessary); if I'm out shooting in good light often as not I've been able to print directly from the media card (well I put it in the computer and open it if you call that post processing). When I'm shooting B&W film I sometimes bracket shots but that's to make sure I have a negative that's not too dense or too thin. Probably you're finding out that getting a proper exposure would minimize the amount of editing you'll have to do. If you have to salvage almost everything from a shoot that could be telling you that you might need to learn how to be setting your camera to get decent exposures in various conditions (although I've managed at times to have a whole roll of film not turn out well so even with experience sometimes we all make mistakes). I feel like from what I keep reading on here that people might be trying to take on clients before having mastered using their cameras in various lighting conditions etc. I think getting in more practice and mastering using the camera would help someone be successful as a photographer.

Im not sure I understand where you are coming from as you're comment does not have much to do with my question. I'm not asking about how to get a correct exposure, I am fully capable of using a light meter correctly, and I never said anything about having "clients" Or implied I was"salvaging an entire session" it is pretty arrogant to assume I don't know what I am doing when you haven't seen the photos in question.

I simply asked about a new to me method of exposing pleasing skin tones as it is DIFFERENT from snapping a "technically correct" exposure.

 

[vintagesnaps]

That was my mistake, for some reason thinking this was about photo shoots/photo sessions, and I got the impression from what was described that the photos hadn't turned out. People seem to often post about over or under exposing images but I don't think that seems to be the most effective way to get a good end result. Especially two stops over or under seems like it would just give them photos that are too dark or too light and need correction. Photos that aren't properly exposed just seem to end up not turning out as well as they could, or create photos that need a good bit of editing to try to correct for lack of good exposure.

 

[wyogirl]

The over/under exposure compensation "rules" came out of the black and white film era. Light meters meter for medium gray. You can meter something that is completely white and the meter makes it medium gray, same with black. That is why once you meter, you may have to compensate for that. Its less a problem with modern metering modes, but that is where the idea came from.

 

[kathyt]

I do the technique she is speaking of to get correct skin tones. I spot meter on the skin, and overexpose, on average, about a 1/3 of a stop.

 

[Josh66]

Digital hand held light meters usually have a default light reading setting of 1/10 stop steps, which illustrates how accurately many pro photographers control exposure.

Which meters?

I use a Sekonic L-358 (which I am led to believe is more-or-less industry standard), and 1/3 stop is the highest "resolution" it can do. You can set it for 1/2 or 1/3 increments, but nothing beyond that.

I'm not sure what good 1/10 increments would do anyway, since it wouldn't be a usable setting on any camera.


As far as overexposing to get good skin tones, I just use the exposure my meter gives me - I haven't noticed it being wrong yet.

 

[table1349]

Digital hand held light meters usually have a default light reading setting of 1/10 stop steps, which illustrates how accurately many pro photographers control exposure.

Which meters?

I use a Sekonic L-358 (which I am led to believe is more-or-less industry standard), and 1/3 stop is the highest "resolution" it can do. You can set it for 1/2 or 1/3 increments, but nothing beyond that.

I'm not sure what good 1/10 increments would do anyway, since it wouldn't be a usable setting on any camera.


As far as overexposing to get good skin tones, I just use the exposure my meter gives me - I haven't noticed it being wrong yet.

Perhaps you should RTFM! Page 8 to be exact. Depending on how you set the dip switches you can have either 1/2 stop, 1/3 stop or 1/10 stop. That's how my L-358 works.

 

[Josh66]

OK, but still... It would give me settings that I wouldn't be able to use.

And that would make it FULL stops for shutter speed, and 1/10 in aperture only - which would be even less useful. If anything, shutter speed in 1/10 stops would be the most useful - at least that might give you a setting that is possible to set your camera to.

 

[table1349]

Hmm... Still. It would give me settings that I wouldn't be able to use.

Opps....................:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

Do you ever work with adjustable studio lights?

 

[Josh66]

Hmm... Still. It would give me settings that I wouldn't be able to use.

Opps....................:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

Do you ever work with adjustable studio lights?

Well, it all makes sense now. No need to make fun of me though, lol.

I don't use studio lights, but I do know that they are adjustable in 1/10 power increments - I just forgot, I guess.

edit
Still - Why does T revert to full stops when you enable 1/10 stops for aperture? *That* doesn't make much sense to me... (I get it, with studio lights - but why could they not ALSO let us meter with T in 1/10 stops, and aperture in full stops? Could be useful for, say, exposures between 2 and 30 seconds.)

 

[JustJazzie]

I do the technique she is speaking of to get correct skin tones. I spot meter on the skin, and overexpose, on average, about a 1/3 of a stop.

Thanks Kathy! I'm gonna give it a shot next time I shoot!

 

[paigew]

Yep I spot meter off the skin, as well as ETTR 1/3 stop. But more important than that is a custom wb imo.

 

[EIngerson]

I gauge correct skin exposure by looking at the value of the RGB red channel.
I want highlights on the forehead, cheeks, tip of nose, and chin to be between 235 and 240 in the red channel.

If you use LR, you can't check the RGB red channel in the same way. I use Camera Raw.

Here is another approach to skin tones: How to get pleasing skin tone | SmugMug

Thank you for that.