Photo of the day

[Elizabeth30]

Read up about spot metering and how it affects taking pictures in the snow and how I should bump my exposure to compensate. Also was playing with shutter speeds and paying little attention to aperture. Also paid attention to my histogram and tried to get it spot on. How does the exposure look?

 

[tirediron]

Overall, it's not bad; I think the entire exposure could be increased slightly.

 

[thereyougo!]

Read up about spot metering and how it affects taking pictures in the snow and how I should bump my exposure to compensate. Also was playing with shutter speeds and paying little attention to aperture. Also paid attention to my histogram and tried to get it spot on. How does the exposure look?

There's too much white n the right hand side which is unbalancing things. it's certainly not underexposed. You've cut off her hat and the crop is way too tight vertically and there is nothing in the right hand side of interest. Did you get a vertical (portrait) shot? A pity if you didn't as it's got atmosphere but would have been better had she been looking at the camera or if we could see who or what she is laughing at. TRhe exposure does look better but with so much white in the shot, it's difficult to see.

 

[cgipson1]

You consistently shoot in LANDSCAPE mode... horizontal format! For people (especially single subjects) try PORTRAIT mode... (i.e. turn the camera on it's side). Even if you don't FILL the frame.. it is still much more attractive. (and you really don't have to MAX out the frame on every shot! Leave a little room to breath)

The subject is still a little underexposed... even with the background slightly blown already. Shot vertically, you can avoid having so much of the blown out background in the scene.. more subject.. less background!

 

[KmH]

That and it's too bad you don't seem to get it about the wide open (or near wide open) aperture and focus issue either.

2 stops smaller aperture is not 2 clicks on the wheel, if your camera is set to the default 1/3 stop per click. 2 clicks is only 2/3 of a stop down.

The minimum 2 full stops down is 6 clicks on the wheel.

 

[Elizabeth30]

That and it's too bad you don't seem to get it about the wide open (or near wide open) aperture and focus issue either.

2 stops smaller aperture is not 2 clicks on the wheel, if your camera is set to the default 1/3 stop per click. 2 clicks is only 2/3 of a stop down.

The minimum 2 full stops down is 6 clicks on the wheel.

I was doing much with the aperture. I had it set in Shutter priority most of the time, a few with aperture priority and some in full auto mode just comparing the difference in the photos and I wanted to see what the camera would chose for those setting in full auto. I know how to view all the info on the camera but after I download them how can I go back to see what settings I had for each photo?

 

[Elizabeth30]

Ok here's a couple more shots from today's shoot. Yes I did get some portrait shots but I do like the landscape shots of people, why is that bad? What do you think about the composition and exposure here.

 

[CowgirlMama]

I would crop the first of those portrait, personally. It's just a lot of clutter on the left, nothing interesting and it takes the focus off your daughter. I think it's a really cute picture of her, though.

 

[ang1995]

I agree! And you have that pole and house in the background But i really like it, its cute

 

[thereyougo!]

Ok here's a couple more shots from today's shoot. Yes I did get some portrait shots but I do like the landscape shots of people, why is that bad? What do you think about the composition and exposure here.

Shooting portraits in landscape orientation is done less as it's harder to avoid chopping bits off people without making them look too small in the frame. It doesn't mean that it never works, but there needs yo be a reason to do it the other way. Even in the portrait orientation shot above the girl is positioned too low in the shot and there is too much vacant space, and white on white is just causing you all sorts of contrast issues. Why do you like shooting portraits in landscape orientation? What is it that you think you are getting from it. I just want to understand your thought process on this.

 

[TMBPhotography]

you crop that first one down and I think you have a winner. She's in focus and properly lit. Looks good.

 

[thereyougo!]

you crop that first one down and I think you have a winner. She's in focus and properly lit. Looks good.

If the shot had been done in portrait orientation there would have been no need to sacrifice IQ and image size. To crop this so it works means reducing the size by c. 60%.

 

[TMBPhotography]

you crop that first one down and I think you have a winner. She's in focus and properly lit. Looks good.

If the shot had been done in portrait orientation there would have been no need to sacrifice IQ and image size. To crop this so it works means reducing the size by c. 60%.

yes but theres nothing I can do about that. so working with what I have, cropping it is the best option going forward.

 

[thereyougo!]

you crop that first one down and I think you have a winner. She's in focus and properly lit. Looks good.

If the shot had been done in portrait orientation there would have been no need to sacrifice IQ and image size. To crop this so it works means reducing the size by c. 60%.

yes but theres nothing I can do about that. so working with what I have, cropping it is the best option going forward.

I realise that, of course. My point is that cropping it in post is a recovery option that has consequences: it limits your maximum print size: this one in particular by about 60%. It can also effect how a shot is exposed and focussed, and that is why I am challenging Elizabeth about the use of landscape orientation. Using landscape orientation is giving her more issues to do deal with and makes her DOF harder as the subject becomes smaller in the frame. It's so much better to get it right in camera. To do this, Elizabeth needs to know why she chooses to shoot this way and find ways where it can work and shoot differently so she can make her subject stand out better with fewer distractions.

Personally I don't like the background in this shot in any case as it's too distracting: the fence chops the scene in pieces. The fact that it's been thrown out of focus by a widish aperture (which one?) doesn't make it less distracting.

 

[Elizabeth30]

Ok here's a couple more shots from today's shoot. Yes I did get some portrait shots but I do like the landscape shots of people, why is that bad? What do you think about the composition and exposure here.

Shooting portraits in landscape orientation is done less as it's harder to avoid chopping bits off people without making them look too small in the frame. It doesn't mean that it never works, but there needs yo be a reason to do it the other way. Even in the portrait orientation shot above the girl is positioned too low in the shot and there is too much vacant space, and white on white is just causing you all sorts of contrast issues. Why do you like shooting portraits in landscape orientation? What is it that you think you are getting from it. I just want to understand your thought process on this.

I'm going to try and put into words what I'm seeing and why I like this. First thing I see is that she is positioned in the right side of the photo and I like photos that have that extra area of landscape in it?? Does that make any sense? I also see that by cutting off half her body she looks closer and the background looks more interesting i think. I feel the need to get more of a story into my photos like what's going on around my subject and not just the subjects them selves and landscape gets way more scene into a photo. I hope some of this makes sense. It's hard to put into words.....