How do I deal with this situation?

I went to a baptism this weekend for a friend and agreed to bring my camera. The pastor was wearing a white rob and standing in the spotlight for the event. I had a heck of a time getting the rest of the folks exposed properly. Any advice?

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Adjustments in curves, a quick down and dirty....I'm sure other could do better with more more time.

Hope you don't mind

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Not at all. I tried this myself but they always come out looking a bit metallic. Some day I will need to learn to use photoshop and layers. I was wondering how a more experienced photographer would have handled this situation while taking the pictures. Either by changing the settings (I had the ISO at about 1600 or so, and for most of the shots, f2.8 so I could get my shutter speed up to about 1/250. That stage lighting is tricky.

It is too late now but next time it will help if all four stand in the same distance to the flash in this case to the camera as well. Hot shoe flash will over expose the first person and the last will be under exposed, external flash will do better here.

Mask off the white gown and then bring up the levels of the rest of the picture.
Redo with masking whatever you feel is still under exposed and lift that further.
If you operate on the whole image you will get problems.
Experience teaches you to look at how the light falls and whether to move the subject.

john5189 wrote in post #13975655
Mask off the white gown and then bring up the levels of the rest of the picture.
Redo with masking whatever you feel is still under exposed and lift that further.
If you operate on the whole image you will get problems.
Experience teaches you to look at how the light falls and whether to move the subject.

Agree

Armans Photography wrote in post #13975620
=Arman's Photography;13975620]I​t is too late now but next time it will help if all four stand in the same distance to the flash in this case to the camera as well. Hot shoe flash will over expose the first person and the last will be under exposed, external flash will do better here.

Good advice but I didn't use a flash here. There was stage lighting hitting the pastor. I should have had him move out of the spotlight I suppose.

What are you working in? In LR3, I'd just do a spot adjust and bring down the exposure on the robes and raise it on the balance of the image.

Many ways to skin this cat. Quicker solution (in LR) would just be an exposure bump gradient from left to right across the photo.

mckinleypics wrote in post #13975736
Good advice but I didn't use a flash here. There was stage lighting hitting the pastor. I should have had him move out of the spotlight I suppose.

Oh OK, there is a flash like reflection of his nose and lips so I thought it was a hot shoe flash.

Peacefield wrote in post #13975738
What are you working in? In LR3, I'd just do a spot adjust and bring down the exposure on the robes and raise it on the balance of the image.

I personnally think that if you dont need to mess with an area-dont.

What you suggest is easier and will get there though.

I use Aperture. I did use the lighten tool to paint exposure over the darker faces but it only works to a certain extent. Masking off the pastor would probably work better but I'm not there yet, skill-wise.

I would use LR3 and the graduated exposure tool. simple. Just swipe in from the left and increase exposure a little. Easiest thing in the world if you work on the raw file.

Graduated exposure tool? That does sound cool. Might have to look into LR3.

And I'm SOLD on LR3!!!!