Help with exposing

[thaking]

Long time reader, first time poster...

I have read about using multiple images so that you can combine them into one image, like hdr...in many of these discussions they talk about exposing the sky properly in one image and exposing for the rest in another...I had borrowed a friends 16-35L and went to a going away party that was outside, under a shelter...of course there were shadows all over their faces...I could not figure out how to expose for the shadows...all the images seem to be exposed for the sunlight...

How would I properly expose for the shadowed areas?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated...

[kniteshade]

If the rest of the image looked correct (exposure-wise), but you just had shadows on the faces, then what you probably want is fill-flash.

If the entire image was too-dark, then try the different metering modes. Spot meter on a face if the camera supports it, or try partial metering. The * button on the camera (by default) is the AE-Lock button, so you point the camera at what you want exposed correctly then lock the exposure, recompose, then take the photo.

Another solution is to use exposure-bracketing to take 3 shots, and hope one of them is correct.

[Souwalker]

The * button on the camera (by default) is the AE-Lock button, so you point the camera at what you want exposed correctly then lock the exposure, recompose, then take the photo.

.

Even the 40D?
Pat

[kniteshade]

Im pretty sure that what the * icon represents on the canons (AE lock)

From the 40D review on dpreview:


* AE / FE Lock
Press to trigger automatic exposure and lock the exposure for the next shot. Hold the button to lock the exposure for more than one shot.

[PhotosGuy]

Posting an image for us to see would help a lot. It's also hard to give an answer as I don't know how much you're willing to learn. ..all the images seem to be exposed for the sunlight... Here's why: Post #47 (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=5191658&postcount=47)

My solution: Try manual in those tough conditions. First set the f-stop & shutter speed you need. Then adjust the ISO. Need an exposure crutch? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89123)

Other results: Angeline outdoors (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=483975)

[thaking]

I knew I should've posted a sample :-)

I took the photos off the card last night and only got a glance at them, posted my question and went to bed. I'll definitely post a sample later as this is something I've struggled with for a while...thanks for the assistance...

[lilpacheco]

Are you working in the auto mode? That might explain it because you don't have much control with that. I suggest shooting in AV or manual (if don't know how to use these I suggest buying a book or research on the internet) and turning on your flash for fill flash. If you are still getting shadows on faces, pump up the flash for more light to fill in the shadows. Also shoot in RAW and that can add some light to faces after the fact as well (in PP).

[OdiN1701]

Heh....just imagine reading the thread title on any forum other than a photography forum :P

[chauncey]

Andrew is a very bad boy. :lol:

[thaking]

ok, here is a quick photo sample...no PP, just resized....shot RAW Av, used center AF, AWB, ISO 100....i focused the subject and i assumed that since i was focusing on a subject in the shaded area, the WB would be adjusted as so, but maybe i'm not correct....i know i need a flash, planning on getting one but don't have one at the moment...

@OdiN1701: i thought the same thing about my title after i searched for it today to see what responses i've received...couldn't i come up with a better title? :oops:

[PhotosGuy]

but maybe i'm not correct... The WB looks OK. It's the metering that did you in & the links I gave you should help. just resized....shot RAW You should be able to pull better detail out of a RAW file.

[thaking]

The WB looks OK. It's the metering that did you in & the links I gave you should help. You should be able to pull better detail out of a RAW file.
that's why i shoot raw, but i was hoping to do take better shots, thus reducing PP...after reading post #47 (linked above) let me see if i understand this correctly...it says "where you point the camera influences the meter reading"...when i focused the shot i focused on the female looking towards the camera laughing...then i repositioned the camera (raised it higher, thus bringing in more light)...do you think this is what caused my issue? meaning, even though i initially took my reading on her, because i recentered the camera allowing more light, the camera adjusted and thus they are darker...

if that is true, then i will go back to my original question - if i want to combine 2 images where one is exposed for the sky and one for the foreground, then what is the correct way to do this? take my sample image for example...if i could do it over (2 shots, 1 for the sky and 1 for their faces) how should i do it?

[SkipD]

ok, here is a quick photo sample...no PP, just resized....shot RAW Av, used center AF, AWB, ISO 100....i focused the subject and i assumed that since i was focusing on a subject in the shaded area, the WB would be adjusted as so, but maybe i'm not correct....i know i need a flash, planning on getting one but don't have one at the moment...

@OdiN1701: i thought the same thing about my title after i searched for it today to see what responses i've received...couldn't i come up with a better title? :oops:You could probably not use HDR in a situation like the shot you posted. It's quite likely that there would be too much subject motion between shots to be able to properly overlay the images.

A good flash unit (NOT a flash built into a camera) would go a long way toward making that sort of shot much better.

[thaking]

thanks SkipD...yeah i am planning on buying a 430 ex soon, just don't have one yet...also, i was not wanting to use the posted pic as an HDR, all i was saying was to use this as an example - top portion (sky) is bright, bottom portion (foreground) is darker...how to properly expose for both...some have suggested taking 2 shots and combining them...to do that, i would need to properly expose for the sky and properly expose for the foreground...if i understood how to do that, then i would understand how to retake the photo above and expose it properly...

hopefully that makes sense....

[PhotosGuy]

then i repositioned the camera (raised it higher, thus bringing in more light)...do you think this is what caused my issue? Yes. if i want to combine 2 images where one is exposed for the sky and one for the foreground, then what is the correct way to do this? Tripod, BUT you can't expect that she won't move, so I'd make two different conversions in RAW & blend them.
Easier for you would be to use the mask in an Adjustment Layer if you have PS.

Post #9:
Airport runway shoot (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=117950)

Simplest, would be to expose for her & let the sky blow out, or find an angle where you don't see the sky at all.

[tonylong]

Since you shot this with ISO 100, you should have a lot of latitude to lighten the shadows.

This type of scene will, without a flash, force you to compromise in one way or another -- if you exposed for the people in the shadows, the sky in the background would likely get blown. A fill flash would definitely be useful here. But, without one, you are best shooting in RAW and then using PP tools to adjust. Doing more than one exposure would be tricky because, as has been noted, people are in motion.

Try Frank's suggestion: in your RAW converter adjust the picture to maximize shadow details and load that image into Photoshop (assuming you're using that) and then adjust the same RAW file for the highlights and load that and apply that as a seperate layer to paint over the base layer. Or, you may be satisfied with highlight/shadow tools in RAW or Photoshop.

When getting the shot, remember that the camera (if in evaluative mode) will try to take in all the scene in one way or another. To determine exposure, you want to determine what part of the scene can give you a reliable "reading" and that will give you the best balance of tones, then spot meter that part and adjust your exposure -- either with exposure compensation in a "semi-automatic" mode or by adjusting shutter, aperture or ISO in manual mode -- to "tell the camera" what tone to make the subject (if the subject is relatively dark, use -EV, if light use +EV).

You can also use exposure lock -- expose for, say, the shadows and press and hold the * button while recomposing and taking the shot.

These are certainly challenging senes that we all have to deal with one way or another! Good luck and hae fun!

[thaking]

Tripod, BUT you can't expect that she won't move, so I'd make two different conversions in RAW & blend them.
Easier for you would be to use the mask in an Adjustment Layer if you have PS.
i'm sorry if i have been causing a confusion....my point with the pic i posted was just a sample of how i thought i had exposed for the foreground and it ended up being the background (ie the sky)...i don't want to use this pic for an HDR i just know that in HDR discussions people say to make 2 exposures (1 sky and 1 foreground) and combine...i thought i did foreground but got background and was confused...i think what i need is the exposure lock that tonylong mentions...that way, i focus on my foreground subject, lock exposure and reposition the camera....that's what i should have done with the posted pic to make sure i actually had the correct exposure for the foreground...

thanks for the help, the tips and links have been great...i love this forum...

[DDCSD]

What metering mode do you have the camera in?

It is really impossible to get a good overall exposure for the situation in your posted image without using flash. As you can see, the trees in the background are pretty well exposed, the sky is blown out and the subjects are dark. With a flash, you could have at least gotten the subjects well exposed and either kept the sky or trees properly exposed as well.

With an ETTL flash, you'd want to use manual (camera), set your camera exposure based on the trees or sky, and let the ETTL do the work in getting the subjects exposed properly.

To get the girls properly exposed on your sample without flash, you'd probably need to spot meter on a face. Most of the rest of the image would be terribly blown out then though.

One thing that may help with locking exposure for situations like this where you are not shooting manual is to separate the AF from the shutter button and use that for exposure lock. See this thread (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=46965) for that.

[thaking]

thanks DDCSD...reading it now...