2nd E-session - Quick C&C needed

[Aaagogo]

Hey guys, this is my 2nd e-session, this was after reading and reading Philco's How-To post... felt that I did a little better, but not good enough. Have another chance to practice very soon, Would like quick and fast C&C so that I can learn more and see what and where I did wrong.

Thank you to Philco, for his post, and also, the countless people that share their images here so I could learn and steal their ideas.

Have another one lined up soon, so like some quick and fast feedback

1.)
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/8711/img3945ox6.jpg

2.)
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/639/img4409sw8.jpg

3.)
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/4622/img4432bl2.jpg

4.)
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/699/img4438qe2.jpg

[Aaagogo]

5.)
http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/7290/img4445fr9.jpg

6.)
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/8496/img4452gr8.jpg

7.)
http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/9821/img4806xq4.jpg

8.)
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/7059/img4810kc5.jpg

[texasreddirt]

Most of those are razor sharp. What lens were you using??

[Aaagogo]

50 1.4, 24-70L and 70-200L 2.8 IS

Most of those are razor sharp. What lens were you using??

[texasreddirt]

50 1.4, 24-70L and 70-200L 2.8 IS


You did a great job. They look really good. Props! I dont really have anything to add to any of them lol

[Alexajlex]

I think you did a really nice job and I'm not sure if they guy's face is that red in real life but to me it looks like a tad too much red in his face (#5 & #8 especially) :)

[ErikM]

I find a few of them (especially #2) to be very cool... too much blue.

Warm your white balance up a bit and you've got yourself some fantastic photos :)

[Aaagogo]

Noted on the color shifts...

I based them off an 18% gray card that I shoot before moving to each location.... Would that mean that something is wrong with the gray card or my cameras?

[nvrl8]

some excellent composition! Great ideas. However, a lot are way too blue...shoot raw and warm them up quite a bit. In #1 make sure your aperture is closed enough that the hand and ring are in focus. Especially in that tight of a shot...you don't need your aperture wide open. That way everything will be in focus.

I wanted to give you suggestions as well as compliments. I want to see the next session!

[nvrl8]

as far as the gray card goes...if you're shooting it outdoors you pretty much have to constantly refigure it because light changes minute by minute....cloud, sun, shade, sun changing positions. Play it safe and shoot raw then you're clear no matter what.

[Aaagogo]

^ i did a few of only the ring in focus, and a couple with the face in focus... did not think to do one with both in focus :) thanx for pointing that out

I see... so just use the gray card as a point of reference and then work visually on the temperature adjustments.

Thanx nvrl8

[ErikM]

In all honestly I don't use a grey card unless I am in the studio... I probably should though ;)

While out and about shooting I shoot in auto white balance and raw and if I have any issues later I adjust white balance then.

Not sure why you are getting such cool images when you used a grey card though?

[Aaagogo]

they're all shot in raw... maybe it's time i got one of those calibration target gray card, mine is a tiny little one that i got from amazon for cheap..

[ErikM]

Are you using spot when metering the grey card?

[Aaagogo]

negative, I was on evaluative, should it have been on spot?

meter on spot and shoot in spot?

Are you using spot when metering the grey card?

[ErikM]

You should be metering your grey card on spot, take a picture, set your custom white balance and then go back to evaluative if you generally use that for your images.

You might have been using a grey card but if the grey card did not take up the entire frame then you were also getting some non grey card in the picture... (you said it was a small grey card)

That is most likely causing your blue problem! :D

[Aaagogo]

i shot the gray card on evaluative, however, i did not to the CWB in camera, the WB was adjusted in lightroom from the WB feature from picking a point on the gray card.

I did notice that the gray card was not 100% accurate, ie, there was a slight color shift even on the 18% gray section, but it's like from 0.5 to 2 point difference. I might have R 125 G 124.5 B 127, example only

Thanx for the info Erik, I'll pay extra attention to the gray card on the next session.

You should be metering your grey card on spot, take a picture, set your custom white balance and then go back to evaluative if you generally use that for your images.

You might have been using a grey card but if the grey card did not take up the entire frame then you were also getting some non grey card in the picture... (you said it was a small grey card)

That is most likely causing your blue problem! :D

[ErikM]

You're welcome!

Another thing to remember is that if you shoot your grey card in a cloudy situation and then all of a sudden the sun comes out, you will need to shoot your grey card again!

Thats why I don't bother with a grey card when I am shooting in constantly changing conditions :)

[DwightMcCann]

Even the angle at which you hold the gray card makes a huge difference in open shade. If the face of the card is shaded it will be much cooler than if the sun hits it. Setting CWB in this situation is tricky. I think you would be much happier with having the couple hold up a gray card at the beginning of each new situation and getting a 'test' shot to set color balance in PS. I am attaching a Q&D adjustment.

[Aaagogo]

I see, appreciate the info Dwight, looks like the originals needed about 300k more warmth.

i don't have to do PP yet, but will need it when the day I strike out on my own and all these info are priceless

[DwightMcCann]

You're welcome. Open shade, being in a shaded area with a mostly clear blue sky, is a particularly difficult issue when shooting people because the blue cast dulls and muddies skin tone and texture in addition to giving that cool look and one of the two major appeals in most people pictures is warmth. I generally look for a neutral color in such an image and use the dropper tool to adjust the color. In the studio, as do many, I have the subject hold a digital gray card to their face for a test shot each time the lights change, but that is not generally convenient outdoors ... although it can be very effective.

My experience in setting CWB in camera is that the card is all one color so it doesn't really matter what metering type you use so long as you fill the center weight area with the card and it is not close to white or black in the exposure. White paper will work although the 'whiteners' that are in most paper will throw the color off a bit. But if exposure is set by the camera it will be gray (perhaps with a cast if the color temperature is off) and be much better than nothing. Using a gray card rather simply setting the temperature has the advantage of adjusting the tint as well as the temperature.

Disclaimer: Most of my CWB experience comes from the opposite problem during televised boxing and MMA matches that I shoot where the color temperature is very, very warm. Now that I own two 1DMIII's and a 1DsMIII it is possible to register CWB for five presets and isn't such a problem anymore once I get a setting that I like ... but even under ideal conditions they aren't always the same.

[Aaagogo]

well, i have an assistant that holds a shade over the couple. mainly because i hate images like these.

http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/7341/img4838ma1.jpg

but then, after receiving valuable feedback on the WB and color temp issues, and new brand new info on shade casting blue hues on images,

I'm going to try this plan, see if it works, shoot without the man made shade, WB it, and then correct the temp with the man made shade, might give me better guide/range of color temp to start off with to tune.

hopefully, it won't be too much work.

[ErikM]

...Now that I own two 1DMIII's and a 1DsMIII it is possible to register CWB for five presets and isn't such a problem anymore once I get a setting that I like ... but even under ideal conditions they aren't always the same.

:(:(:(:( I want a 1Ds3 :(

[DwightMcCann]

:(:(:(:( I want a 1Ds3 :(

I sympathize. For the first 37 years of photography I could never have decent equipment (see my .sig for how I got into this business.) Now I can have almost anything I want ... but I'm still not sure I can afford an H3D-II system. I am planning on reviewing my equipment in my blog over the next few months, from concert shooting and boxing to studio work, explaining my way through my Pelican cases. I have a lot of equipment, some of which I haven't used yet, sigh. My most recent posts are about MMA, my band (see .sig) and my Beta review of Jason Cole's soon-to-be-released Shooting Glamor: The Passion of the Art, Volume I, due to be GA at the end of the month. My blog isn't my image stream ... it's what I am doing.

As for Aaa, I'm wondering how a little fill flash would help? And it would get nice catchlights in their eyes.

[Aaagogo]

I will look into that, don't want to overwhelm myself :oops:

but I might try that tomorrow at my 3rd session.


As for Aaa, I'm wondering how a little fill flash would help? And it would get nice catchlights in their eyes.

[themirage]

Try the expo disc. It's quick, hangs on a lanyard, and really accurate.

i shot the gray card on evaluative, however, i did not to the CWB in camera, the WB was adjusted in lightroom from the WB feature from picking a point on the gray card.

I did notice that the gray card was not 100% accurate, ie, there was a slight color shift even on the 18% gray section, but it's like from 0.5 to 2 point difference. I might have R 125 G 124.5 B 127, example only

Thanx for the info Erik, I'll pay extra attention to the gray card on the next session.