HELP!!! Shadows for outdoor photos!!

What do I do about this problem?

http://www.flickr.com …c/sets/72157617​431046454/

Can someone please help me?

And if I need a reflector...is there on that sits up by itself? How does that work? OR should I have put my flash on?

I recommend some fill flash. Just put the 430 on and it'll do a pretty good job in a situation like this.

Fill flash is not so easy for partial shadow as it can cause over exposure on the rest of the image. Reflectors work, but are not necessarily practical. Do you shoot raw images? If you do, then there is a new version of Canon DPP, version 3.6.1.0. This new software version has contrast, highlight and shadow adjustment. In a raw image, you would be able to pull this detail out very easily without blowing any highlights. An alternative is Lightroom, which I believe can provide the same facility on jpeg images.
Just a thought, but it might help?
Ian

Ianfp wrote in post #7820011
Fill flash is not so easy for partial shadow as it can cause over exposure on the rest of the image. Reflectors work, but are not necessarily practical. Do you shoot raw images? If you do, then there is a new version of Canon DPP, version 3.6.1.0. This new software version has contrast, highlight and shadow adjustment. In a raw image, you would be able to pull this detail out very easily without blowing any highlights. An alternative is Lightroom, which I believe can provide the same facility on jpeg images.
Just a thought, but it might help?
Ian

How so? You can adjust the aperture accordingly to get proper exposure if you're shooting under normal sync. If you want to maintain the DOF, you can switch to using HSS.

Also, bringing the shadows out in post will introduce unnecessary noise. Granted the noise won't make much of a difference in most situation.

WOw that easy? no fancy outdoor lighting?

lovinglifeinc wrote in post #7820062
WOw that easy? no fancy outdoor lighting?

I have used the new version of DPP to bring out shadow detail under very similar conditions to yours. I do shoot raw though, which is necessary for DPP. And yes, it really is easy!

It is worth giving it a try, but also explore other possibilities as suggested if practical.

Ian

Ianfp wrote in post #7820094
I have used the new version of DPP to bring out shadow detail under very similar conditions to yours. I do shoot raw though, which is necessary for DPP. And yes, it really is easy!

It is worth giving it a try, but also explore other possibilities as suggested if practical.

Ian

+1

Ianfp wrote in post #7820011
In a raw image, you would be able to pull this detail out very easily without blowing any highlights.

shadow details can also be lightened and revealed using layers in Photoshop

So I should also play with my aperture and DOF?

You'd be better off finding different locations/time of day to shoot so you don't face these problems. Google "open shade"

Otherwise, fill-flash can help.

Agreed with egordon. That's some harsh light.

However, if I'm going to shoot in it, I almost always use a flash for shots like that. Yes, you can manipulate it after-the-fact, but it will never look as good as if you'd shot it right in the first place. A reflector would have done wonders there as well. Either way, you need to get more light on the subject to counteract the shadows. Does the 430 EX have High-Speed Sync? If so, you can use it for those shots every time. If not, you'd have to stop your lens down significantly to get your shutter speed low enough to use the flash. Then you've got to decide between flash and too much DOF, and a reflector. The only problem with reflectors is you need to have another set of hands to hold them, or a boom stand and clamp.

The best way to deal with this situation is to avoid it altogether by finding better light. It's difficult to fix those harsh shadows you're getting. Much better to avoid the mid-day sun and look for light that is more diffused, either by shooting earlier or later in the day or by shooting in open shade.

Using your flash will help but all that sunshine blasting down will make your job harder. Instead of fixing bad lighting it's much better to find better light in the first place.

These were taken this past weekend using fill flash. I believe I had the flash power turned down a bit.

For anyone just starting out, like always i'll recommend http://web.canon.jp …g/enjoydslr/par​t2/2J.html