Please CC 1st time requesting

[wannabephotog]

First time requesting CC. Practicing with 5 yr old beauty (my granddaughter). Using natural light only while researching lighting. Please advise what lighting you would use to improve these images. Or overall general critique what can this uber newbie do to improve?

Thank you!!

 

[PhotoWrangler]

Ok well I tried. I can't figure out what you're doing incorrectly.

 

[480sparky67 66]

Which tag from Photobucket are you using? The Direct Link or IMG code?

If you copy the Direct Link, you need to insert the URL using the Image Icon (

). If you're copying the IMG code (which has the

 

[unimeson]

Why not try tinypic? Besides, it can be easier to use if there's an image upload button.

 

[wannabephotog]

Which tag from Photobucket are you using? The Direct Link or IMG code?

If you copy the Direct Link, you need to insert the URL using the Image Icon (

). If you're copying the IMG code (which has the tags included), you need only to insert that into your post.[/QUOTE]

Thank you!!!!

 

[unimeson]

What a natural beauty & sweetie! Wannabephotog, I just found a Jim Richardson's piece on shooting with available light. Probably useful for you. Jim Richardson on Photographing in Available Light -- National Geographic

 

[KmH]

What lighting you use is not as important as how you use it.

However, strobed lighting has a technical advantage over continuous lighting. That advantage is the ability to control the ambient light exposure separatrely from the strobed light exposure with a single shutter release.

I would recommend you start by leaning the basics of photographic lighting. A very good book for that is in effect an introduction to photographic lighting; Light Science and Magic, Fourth Edition

All of the images appear under exposed. For a portrait, skin highlights should be between 235 and 240 in the red channel.

In the top photo you used the following camera settings:
f/5.6
1/2500
ISO 3200

Because of the high ISO and under exposure there is a lot of image noise.

You didn''t need a shutter speed of 1/2500. By using a slower shutter speed (4 stops worth to 1/150) you could have also lowered the ISO 4 stops from 3200 to 200 and gotten the same under exposure. To get 240 on the red channel on her left cheek highlight I had to add 2.75 stops. So for a correct exposure you would have needed your ISO at about 1200.

Using a tripod though, you could have reduced the shutter speed even more to 1/75 and also lowered the ISO to 600.

 

[wannabephotog]

What lighting you use is not as important as how you use it.

However, strobed lighting has a technical advantage over continuous lighting. That advantage is the ability to control the ambient light exposure separatrely from the strobed light exposure with a single shutter release.

I would recommend you start by leaning the basics of photographic lighting. A very good book for that is in effect an introduction to photographic lighting; Light Science and Magic, Fourth Edition

All of the images appear under exposed. For a portrait, skin highlights should be between 235 and 240 in the red channel.

In the top photo you used the following camera settings:
f/5.6
1/2500
ISO 3200

Because of the high ISO and under exposure there is a lot of image noise.

You didn''t need a shutter speed of 1/2500. By using a slower shutter speed (4 stops worth to 1/150) you could have also lowered the ISO 4 stops from 3200 to 200 and gotten the same under exposure. To get 240 on the red channel on her left cheek highlight I had to add 2.75 stops. So for a correct exposure you would have needed your ISO at about 1200.

Using a tripod though, you could have reduced the shutter speed even more to 1/75 and also lowered the ISO to 600.

Thank you for all that advice keith. Being the noob that I am, I used aperture priority instead of full manual. The first few shots were way underexposed so I kept raising the ISO. Not till 100 shots later did I realize the shutter speed was at 1/2500. Back to the drawing board.

 

[wannabephotog]

What a natural beauty & sweetie! Wannabephotog, I just found a Jim Richardson's piece on shooting with available light. Probably useful for you. Jim Richardson on Photographing in Available Light -- National Geographic

She is amazing isn't she? I enjoyed the article. Thank you. Every time I think I have a handle on exposure I find out I'm still way off base.