Graduation Photos

[ust82gopher]

First time posting my own photos here and I am looking for some help. I am a hobbyist who really wants learn more about photography. Need to learn how to move from using the preset camera modes into fully manual.

I have a very difficult set of conditions for graduation photos at my daughter's school and I am looking for CC.

First photo is an outdoor group shot in bright sun light. Used my Digital Rebel XT, 10-22 EF-S lens, but the UV filter (instead of the polarizing filter - I think my that was a mistake).

Second is in the gymnasium under rather dark lighting. Same camera, 70-200 2.8L IS using a monopod. IS was OFF. I was at stage height ~50 ft from my subjects.

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/ust82gopher/Group.jpg

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/ust82gopher/IMG_0207.jpg

I have typically done just the basic iPhoto post production corrections. I have PhotoShop Elements 4 available, but zero experience.

Any comments/help will be greatly appreciated!

Tim

[JMHPhotography]

I'll give you some critique that I think will help.

I personally think the second one is quite good so I'll start with that one. I think the DOF is pretty decent in that the background people are out of focus enough to make it clear that the foreground girl receiving her diploma is your subject... but in focus enough to support the entire composition. I think some would be tempted to photoshop the background to make it even blurrier... or to black it out, but if you did, it wouldn't be the same photograph. That's the good. The things you might consider to make it better are to maybe avoid a centered subject on this unless you were to crop it in portrait orientation and fill the frame with the subject. I think the woman looking down doesn't contribute to the compostion at all and actually distracts from it.

The first one is not beyond help... but I think you can see that it is very GREEN. I don't believe the problem was your UV filter either. All a UV filter does is block out ultra violet light. The problem with this one is the WB is off. It also feels tilted up front. Group photos like this are very challenging though, so don't worry too much about it.

[ust82gopher]

John,

Thanks for the feedback. Could you give me some thoughts on how to correct the white balance? Again, I am somewhat of a newbie..

Tim

[JMHPhotography]

John,

Thanks for the feedback. Could you give me some thoughts on how to correct the white balance? Again, I am somewhat of a newbie..

Tim

Did you shoot this in RAW or JPEG? If you have a RAW file it will be so much easier.

[ust82gopher]

John.

Sorry. I no longer have the RAW file for either photo.

I don't want this to be too much effort. Would I have adjusted the white balanced based on the girls or the grass?

Tim

PS - I used PhotoBucket and the photos now load.

[blackwell17]

White balance can still be changed w/out the RAW file...its just much easier when using a RAW editor. I use the threshold in Photoshop finding the blackest and whitest part and then finding a light grey to even it all out - this is what I came up with

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f211/blackwell1717/Group.jpg

dont know why it got so small when I uploaded it to photobucket

[coreypolis]

first one needs a bit of WB help and some more contrast brought up, but not to blow out the whites any further.

if you have larger files to work with that may help, its hard to correct a small version. adding a slight magent filter unter image - adjustments - photo filter will correct the green tint

the 2nd shot, well I'm not sure why you had IS off, I would never turn it off to begin with, but to each their own. the shot is focused on the people in the back, not on the main subjects.

you shot it at f/5.6 at 1/60 at iso 400. I would have gone down to f/4 or 2.8, bumped up the iso to 800 (thats enough to get you to 1/250, and with IS on it would have been camera shake free

[ust82gopher]

the 2nd shot, well I'm not sure why you had IS off, I would never turn it off to begin with, but to each their own. the shot is focused on the people in the back, not on the main subjects.

you shot it at f/5.6 at 1/60 at iso 400. I would have gone down to f/4 or 2.8, bumped up the iso to 800 (thats enough to get you to 1/250, and with IS on it would have been camera shake free

Coreypolis,

I turned the IS off because the Canon manual for the 70-200 IS says that the IS does not work when attached to a tripod (or in my case a monopod) Is that really true? I would have thought that IS would still be beneficial in my low light case even with a monopod by giving me those extra 2 f stops.

I really appreciate your settings. That would have really improved the shot! Thanks!

Tim

[coreypolis]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v721/viperx27/Group.jpg

on a tripod you should switch to mode 2, so that it will corect for horizontal motion, but not vertical. I'd never turn it off though

[ust82gopher]

I use the threshold in Photoshop finding the blackest and whitest part and then finding a light grey to even it all out - this is what I came up with

Thanks so much. I have Photo Shop Elements 4 and I really need to take a course on how to use the program. Your edit is soooo much better.

In this case, I assume you chose the white of the dresses and the black of the windows. May I ask what you used for the grey?

Thanks!

Tim

[coreypolis]

actually that was about a 5 second edit, just went to levels, brought up the blacks to where the histogram started, and applied a slight magenta photo filter

[ust82gopher]

Thanks for the insight. Mode 1 handheld, Mode 2 tripod is my new settings for the lens.

Tim

[ust82gopher]

actually that was about a 5 second edit, just went to levels, brought up the blacks to where the histogram started, and applied a slight magenta photo filter

Coreypolis,

Thanks for doing that. The color is so much better.

I downloaded the photo and it has lost its sharpness. Any ideas why? I do not have Photo Shop Elements on my home computer. I will see if I can fix it in the AM.

Tim

[JSimonian]

Tim,

If you use Elements 4.0, I highly reccomend the book called (appropriately) "The Photoshop Elements 4 Book for Digital Photographers" by Scott Kelby. It's a good book that tells you what to do to make photos better. He's also kind of goofy, which makes for a light-hearted read. I hope this helps.

J. Simonian

[Jon M]

I second the suggestion of Kelby's book. Its been a great resource. Also consider a subscription to photoshopuser.com -- the videos are worth the price of subscription!

[cargo123]

In the group photo I have trouble making out any faces. Is it possible to leave out more grass at the bottom, or trees at the top to get a closer picture where you can see the faces? I like number 2. MG

[ust82gopher]

Tim,

If you use Elements 4.0, I highly reccomend the book called (appropriately) "The Photoshop Elements 4 Book for Digital Photographers" by Scott Kelby. It's a good book that tells you what to do to make photos better. He's also kind of goofy, which makes for a light-hearted read. I hope this helps.

J. Simonian


Thanks for the suggestion. I just ordered it on Amazon!

Tim

[ust82gopher]

In the group photo I have trouble making out any faces. Is it possible to leave out more grass at the bottom, or trees at the top to get a closer picture where you can see the faces?


MG,

That seems to be one of my problems. The group is so much wider than it is high.

I got as close as I could with the EF-S 10-22 wide open. But I still needed to be back quite a ways.

I printed 9x12's for my daughter and you could see the faces pretty well. But the smaller photos you just don't see them very well at all.

Have any alternatives?

Tim

[Redfish]

I third the Kelby book - read it several times and it will become your go-to book for photo editing with Elements 4.0

[ust82gopher]

Guys,

Thanks so much for the suggestion on the Kelby book. It arrived Fed Ex this AM. It is perfect for what I need. Thanks again.

Tim

[rklepper]

www.whibal.com (http://www.whibal.com)

Works wonders.



John,

Thanks for the feedback. Could you give me some thoughts on how to correct the white balance? Again, I am somewhat of a newbie..

Tim