help!

[SJH Foto]

Can anyone offer me any help here? I am not being smart by saying this, but when people have a darker skin tone, you have to change the settings a bit or the subject will be too dark. This shot was taken at 1/500 sec with a Canon 40d 50mm lens at f/2. The ISO was 3200. Still, there is a bit of blur on the girls arms, and especially the ball. What could I have done to improve that? And please remeber, I mean pratical suggestions for a quick action shot, not something that will take so long to do that the play will have been made by the time I got ready. Also, I try to minimize the amount of post-processing I have to do because at each of these tournaments I take more than 3500 shots, and it would take...forever to photoshop even half of them.

For more of my work, visit my website at www.sjhfoto.com

[SJH Foto]

Hello, I see that no one has offered a suggestion to my problem. I feel that this may be because the issue of race is involved, which is a touchy subject. Please be assured that I am not making a "statement" or trying to "make waves"-I just want help on how to photograph darker skinned people in a dim enviroment like a gym where a flash is outlawed. I'm sure that suggestions will be welcomed by all, because, lets face it, if we don't know how to do this, we will either "wash out" our subjects, or have the facial features so dark that they can't be distinguished.

Again, please understand, I want to take pleasing photographs-so any help I can get in doing so will be appreciated.

[ditch_azeroth]

for me, the motion blur on the ball is actually quite alright - it gives the picture a sense of movement, does it not?

anyway, i think that when you took this picture, you might have mis-focused as she is moving around and all (it is a volleyball game after all.) for me, i would have gone manual focus (since it's a prime anyway). i find that when i shoot sports, and i use manual mode or Av, i almost always prefocus on something that i know my subject will be passing over on (like a spot on the floor or the sideline maybe). after that, i'd go for the biggest aperture i've got (which would have been 1.8 in this case) and set iso at 1600, or 3200 if that doesn't cut it - and shutter nearning 1/1000. everything else will have to be post process - it's really difficult to photograph sports indoors, especially with no flash. if you can rent or get a 1.4/f or 1.2/f lens, that would certainly help.

also, you might want to try Tv - you can set the shutter at something of 1/600ish - and the camera, in all likelihood, will choose the biggest aperture there is (might as well go manual.)

another thing is reflectors - they may not allow flash, but almost nobody really messes up your hair if you set up reflectors. in sports, the flash can be distracting, hence the ban. but reflectors are always there... that can help you a stop or two, or maybe even more.

[daft_biker]

Yes, I believe you do need to adjust setting for light and dark skin just as you have to adjust settings for light and dark subjects of any sort.

Am sure there was an incident with a school photographer who tried to organise shooting the kids in the order of their skin tone in order to save time metering and post-processing. There were some parents or kids (can't remember exact details) offended by it and played the 'he's a racist' card! Absolute madness!!!

Am sure my school tog must have been heightist as he made the tall kids stand at the back in group photos :D

[cziz]

Hi!
I was just reading a book on exposure and remembered this post. They reccomend spot metering darker skin to get the correct exposure. I haven't tried it, nor do I know what it would do to the rest of the shot. I thought I'd pass it on anyway.

[HockeyFan]

Another thing to try might be to do exposure bracketing, separated by 1 fstop. When you take the photo, take 3. You'll get one at the setting you intend, another at an aperture one stop smaller and another at an aperture one stop larger. You will be more likely to get a photo you want. However, since this is sports photography, each shot will be slightly different as far as the location of the ball.
If you don't like this approach, then you'll either need to experiment with subjects with different skin tones (at different distances) until you get the type of exposure you want, and then you'll know the settings to use.

[Mr Guy]

I'd personally say without a flash that may be as good as you're going to get, depending on the lighting. I thought it was a pretty good shot, myself, but maybe my standards are lower! If you'd have posted this as "This is how I adjusted for darker skin with a fast prime in dim light" in the How I Took It Section, I'd have been impressed!

She's just moving fast, and you captured her pretty well!