Portrait Practice

[JonA_CT]

... I just need to get the exposure right in the camera to save myself lots of time. I know I need to change the options on my camera to show the histogram when I chimp...I just keep not doing it when I go to use it, haha. Using the flash exacerbates this problem, as the hot spots get hotter and the cold spots get colder. This was really my first time using flash outside, and balancing ambient was as struggle for me. More reading and more practicing is definitely in order.

[NOTE: The following is NOT meant to be condescending!] Don't worry about the histogram, and don't worry about chimping. What you need to do is learn how to meter and read the light in the scene. Once you've got a histogram, it's too late because you've already captured the image; yes, maybe you can take another one, but maybe the moment has passed.

If you're not getting the exposure right in camera (and my definition is +/- >1/3 stop overall) you're not metering correctly. One of the most valuable lessons I learned in photography was in my grade 11 photography class back in 19 *cough* *cough* where for the better part of a week while teaching us exposure using the Lunasix F would take us through various scenes and teach us to 'see' the highlights, shadows, etc, and to be able to estimate, based on the dynamic range of the film where we needed to meter and what was likely to be over and under exposed.

My suggestion is spend a few afternoons out of doors, in varying weather (sun, cloud, etc) and find various scenes. Examine them in detail, make notes, take a picture ,and then examine that picture in turn and see how it compares with your Mk I eyeball exposure study... wash, rinse... repeat. Very soon you will find yourself looking at a scene and knowing instinctively what to do with your exposure.

This is great advice, and something I should certainly spend some time on. I'm sure it'll be much easier for me to think about setting flash when I can conceptualize the light situations on the fly.

If you're not getting the exposure right in camera (and my definition is +/- >1/3 stop overall) you're not metering correctly.

I've been doing that pretty consistently inside with flash/strobe, but I'm struggling outside without benefit of shade. My biggest problem seems to be the constantly varying light in a full sun setting. I set for one thing and before I snap the shutter the light as changed. I've started trying to overcome it by using program mode and EV, but even that doesn't account for rapidly changing light. Any suggestions there????

Agreed -- or in the case of my weekend, we were in the dappled light at the park, so moving a few feet drastically changed the exposure.

 

[Braineack]

dappled light sucks.

what I like about full shaded subjects outdoors, is you can set your ambient however you want, bright or dark. then you can use lights just as you would in the studio to light the subject in whatever way you deem fit -- since they are in full shade, you're working from a blank slate basically.

if youre doing paid work, and going to be posing outdoors in full sun, well, maybe invest in a scrim panel.

 

[tirediron]

...Any suggestions there????

Yes. Go home and come back when it's cloudy!

Seriously... you can't manage every situation perfectly. In a case like that, I tend to estimate the median exposure, shoot for that and deal with it in post, assuming I don't have the luxury of metering every frame. Likewise, bracketing have be very useful.

 

[JonA_CT]

dappled light sucks.

what I like about full shaded subjects outdoors, is you can set your ambient however you want, bright or dark. then you can use lights just as you would in the studio to light the subject in whatever way you deem fit -- since they are in full shade, you're working from a blank slate basically.

if youre doing paid work, and going to be posing outdoors in full sun, well, maybe invest in a scrim panel.

Dappled light is pretty cool for the areas that are OOF...but with moving subjects, you're right. It sucks.

Since I don't live in the desert, and since I live at 41*N, full sun is never a requirement here. I can always find shade. I also have no intentions of taking paid work, haha.

 

[JonA_CT]

Another one from Saturday. I'm really frustrated by the amount of work I've left myself in post by messing up the flash exposure. I've done a bunch of reading and I'm heading back out again this weekend to give it another go. I'm also going to gel my speed lights. In this shot, I tried using a sunlight filter in Color FX Pro to correct the flash light/sunlight color discrepancy, but it's a band aid at best.

As I get to them this week, I might post a few more. Onward and upward.

 

[tirediron]

So what is it, aside from the colour balance that you feel you messed up?

 

[jcdeboever]

These are both very nice images. Love the second shot. Exceptional subject seperation and very nice, softly lit. Good job.

 

[Braineack]

So what is it, aside from the colour balance that you feel you messed up?

right?