Same issue, new problem....

[dmann]

I was doing a shoot the other day and low and behold I had exposure issues........not really a suprise and extremely frustrating.

Now it was a bright winter morning and I wanted a high fstop, so the background would be out of focus. I used 3.2, now keep in mind this is opposed to my usual 2.8.

Not suprising I totally blew out the sky but it appears to me that his face still looks underexposed or dull. I did bring my flash (is this where gels come in?) but even at -3 it still came out super overexposed (again I am not that suprised). Besides (if there is one) turning down the aperture, is there anything else I could have done for proper exposure? I didn't have an assistant to hold a reflector but I wish I would have thought of that sooner than just now.

This is soooo frustrating because a year ago this time I had the same issue. Mind you I didn't know my settings from a hole in the wall but still. I have been studying and have put so much into this that it is a GREAT dissappointment that I feel I haven't come very far.

Anyways any tips, advice or encouragment is welcomed.

EXIF
f3.2
ss 1/250
iso 100
100mm

Canon T1i
70-200mm 2.8 IS - this was my first shoot with this lens

[ArmySoldier777]

Mind you I'm looking at this on a laptop and not my home computer, so I'm sure it's not even close to being calibrated. But his face actually looks slightly, just slightly, overexposed on my screen instead of under?

[IABoomer]

If you move back and zoom in more, you'll compress the background more and you should get similar or even better separation from the background at f/4-5.6.

I'd suggest using spot metering in order to set your exposure. If you're using matrix or evaluative (Nikon vs. Canon terms) metering, the vast sky is going to trick the camera and you'll end up underexposed on the subject.

The way I see this, you have a couple of options to get the detail in the sky and in the subject's face:

1. Spot meter for the sky. Use a source of light (flash, reflector, continuous light, whatever) to bring up the subject.

2. Meter for the sky just enough to keep from clipping so there's still detail, then darken the sky and brighten the subject in software. With any luck, your camera has enough dynamic range to allow you to push pixels around without inducing too much noise.

3. Setup on a tripod. Take one shot exposed for the sky. Take one shot exposed for the subject. Use software to blend the two images.

Always remember that your eye is capable of processing more dynamic range (difference between the brightest and darkest parts of a scene) than the camera. So, what looks even to you might be beyond your camera's ability to be captured in one shot without some extra hardware.

[gturner]

All of the above, or just pay more attention to your backgrounds when setting up the shot if you cannot get the added light for the face.

Couple of things on that lens that may help:
DOF at 200-2,8 is very thin. You really need to pay attention to it otherwise you will lose a lot of detail in portraits like the texture of clothing / ears etc. Shoot a little more at F4 unless the light is too low

You don't need to shoot at 2.8 to get DOF separation , especially when your background is trees half a mile away.

I would bump the midtones up this image and convert it to BW - it could look really nice with the blown background.

An external flash unit helps a lot in these situations. Expose for the sky, and let the flash expose the subject.

Take the flash off the camera or use a reflector for a softer, directional light.

[sk66]

What mode were you in (manual?), what metering pattern did you use, and what mode was the flash set to? This seems like a basic metering issue, but it could be a flash behavior issue.

[dmann]

Originally Posted by ArmySoldier777

Mind you I'm looking at this on a laptop and not my home computer, so I'm sure it's not even close to being calibrated. But his face actually looks slightly, just slightly, overexposed on my screen instead of under?

I actually thought that after I posted, I think I was more referring to fill light.

Originally Posted by IABoomer

If you move back and zoom in more, you'll compress the background more and you should get similar or even better separation from the background at f/4-5.6.

I'd suggest using spot metering in order to set your exposure. If you're using matrix or evaluative (Nikon vs. Canon terms) metering, the vast sky is going to trick the camera and you'll end up underexposed on the subject.

The way I see this, you have a couple of options to get the detail in the sky and in the subject's face:

1. Spot meter for the sky. Use a source of light (flash, reflector, continuous light, whatever) to bring up the subject.

2. Meter for the sky just enough to keep from clipping so there's still detail, then darken the sky and brighten the subject in software. With any luck, your camera has enough dynamic range to allow you to push pixels around without inducing too much noise.

3. Setup on a tripod. Take one shot exposed for the sky. Take one shot exposed for the subject. Use software to blend the two images.

Always remember that your eye is capable of processing more dynamic range (difference between the brightest and darkest parts of a scene) than the camera. So, what looks even to you might be beyond your camera's ability to be captured in one shot without some extra hardware.

Thank you for your time and advice! My camera was on pattern mode? I have a canon. I will try your advice and see which works best for me....or should I say which one I can rememeber to do! Thanks again

Originally Posted by gturner

All of the above, or just pay more attention to your backgrounds when setting up the shot if you cannot get the added light for the face.

Couple of things on that lens that may help:
DOF at 200-2,8 is very thin. You really need to pay attention to it otherwise you will lose a lot of detail in portraits like the texture of clothing / ears etc. Shoot a little more at F4 unless the light is too low

You don't need to shoot at 2.8 to get DOF separation , especially when your background is trees half a mile away.

I would bump the midtones up this image and convert it to BW - it could look really nice with the blown background.

Thanks for the advice. I am going to get away from going full out (or close too). I think I just depend on that because my other skills are developing. But its kinda a rut....

Originally Posted by Photoboothguy

An external flash unit helps a lot in these situations. Expose for the sky, and let the flash expose the subject.

Take the flash off the camera or use a reflector for a softer, directional light.

Thanks for the advice. I can't take the flash off yet because i don't have the extra equipment. But I have foam boar for a reflector.....

How do I expose for the sky and let the flash expose the subject? (totally a dumb question I already know) Would I turn my flash off expose for the sky, keep the settings the same then turn the flash back on?

Originally Posted by sk66

What mode were you in (manual?), what metering pattern did you use, and what mode was the flash set to? This seems like a basic metering issue, but it could be a flash behavior issue.

Thanks for the response.I was in manual, metering mode says pattern? and the flash was in ttl, and i turned it down to -3 but I don't think it came on for this shot because it was overexposing most my shots to a level where you could barely make anything in the image out.

Thanks Guys for helping me out!

[autofocus]

Thanks for the advice. I can't take the flash off yet because i don't have the extra equipment. But I have foam boar for a reflector.....

when you say extra equipment are you saying you have a speedlight, but no way to work it off camera...or, you only have the built in pop up flash?

How do I expose for the sky and let the flash expose the subject? (totally a dumb question I already know) Would I turn my flash off expose for the sky, keep the settings the same then turn the flash back on?

Flash on, or popped up, in manual mode, spot meter and aim your camera at the sky, set your exposure to that setting and leave it there (as an example, it might be f/8 at 1/200) flash set to eTTL mode, and take your shot. Remember, in flash photography your shutter speed will control your ambient setting, and your aperture will control your flash. You will have a shot that now has the background ambient set, and your flash in eTTL will illuminate your subject

[sk66]

Yup problem was metering mode and turning the flash down....You needed to throw more flash and adjust the manual exposure so that the extra light did not cause overexposure.

[sk66]

Originally Posted by autofocus

in flash photography your shutter speed will control your ambient setting, and your aperture will control your flash.

Vince, I find this misleading/confusing for most.
The reality is SS, ISO, and Aperture all control the ambient exposure; always and that's all.
The ambient exposure dictates how much flash output you need in order to achieve the desired result.