What's wrong?

My daughter and her best friend asked me to shoot pictures for them. I couldn't get things "just right". To me, they looked too washed out or something. I've tried positioning my lights all different ways and it looks great through the view finder. But then, I get this. Any ideas? I'm using constant lighting (3 lights, all reflected with the exception of a hair light), and a 550EX flash. Maybe it's the flash but shooting without it makes everything orange.

http://photosbyterri.s​mugmug.com/gallery/192​320/2/15510992

http://photosbyterri.s​mugmug.com/gallery/192​320/2/15510994

examples?


as to the orange, thatis a WhiteBallance issue

Sorry Kawter2. You're too fast for me I just added the attachments back. For some reason, when I compressed them to upload, I'm getting funny spots on the photos. They aren't there in the real photo so ingore them if you see them.

whoa - down size them a bit! try 800 pixels on the longest size...

yes they are too large to view.

too large and too much compression.

Use like jpg medium compression and as aliflack said 800 pixels on the longest size...

Sorry. I couldn't seem to compress the images correctly so I just added links to them on my smugmug site.

Couple of things here. You need to make sure your white balance is on. I see a slight warm color cast here. How are you calibrating your white balance?

Your a tad over exposed here not bad, but maybe 1/3 to 1/2 a stop?

Lastly, it's nothing you can't fix easily in curves. Give it a try.

Um calibrating white balance. Did I mention I'm taking a photography class starting next week? I haven't calibrated my white balance. Guess I need to go do some more research on that subject. Thanks Charles....

Check out http://www.photovision​video.com and see the digital calibration targets. These come with a great DVD by Ed which explains this topic really well.

But there is nothing I've mentioned that cannot be fixed quickly and easily in PS.

Check out Scott Kelby's book on PS for digital photogs. See Amazon.com on that.

Between the two, you're there buddy!!

.

It looks to me as if the area of critical focus is to far forward. I notice that the cuffs and lower leg area of the outstretched blue jeans are in sharp focus, but the rest of the picture isn't. Somehow, it looks like you had a very narrow depth of field, and the faces were on the back side of it. What little I know tells me that you should have shot at a smaller aperture, slower shutter speed. But, then again, I'm no expert.

can you tell us the apature and shutter speed of your photographs?

Thank you all so much. Tobiko, I am using the Canon 20D and I used the automatic feature of portrait on the dial. I don't know what that equates to regarding apature and shutter speed

terrijo wrote:
Thank you all so much. Tobiko, I am using the Canon 20D and I used the automatic feature of portrait on the dial. I don't know what that equates to regarding apature and shutter speed

You have a great eye and the set up is good. Technically, it's hard to help until you get a good start on the fundamentals, there are lots of places around the web, or your class will help a ton. We'll all be here waiting for you when you shoot again.

If you shoot in RAW, the whitebalance is much less of an issue... the same with exposure. But between the books Charles mentioned and the course your taking, you should be fine.