in camera portrait settings (among other things)

[jax314]

I tried to get this out of my last post, but it took a different direction....so here we go again...

As I learn more about exposure, composition, etc. I am going to forget about PP for a little while, so I would like to know two things...

1. Does my in camera sharpness setting seem okay? I am worried that my D5000 is a bit soft on JPEGs so I bumped it up a bit...

2. Aside from the grass on face, as this is SOOC, how is exposure, white balance, and composition?



Camera: Nikon D5000
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 90 mm
Focal Length: 89.8 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: On, Return detected

[LeeR]

It looks just a bit hot to me. That is, it's on about 2/3 of a stop overexposed. Skin is normally a stop above middle gray and you are definitely a bit north of that. Your flash is reading the light being reflected so you are probably going to have to make the adjustment with the exposure bias on your camera.

[jax314]

I'm in trouble then, because I don't see how I'll ever recognize that and make adjustments for it!!!

Any hints??

Also, what about #1??

Thanks!

[candleman]

exposure is fine
thers nothing wrong with it IMHO,


the only thing you need to work on is not using "portrait" setting.

use Manual/Aperture Priority and then balance the ambient and the flash.

the flash in your image is too harsh, so that suggests you could have allowed more ambient, lowered the flash output and thus exposed it perfectly, but without the harsh shadow on her left cheek.

do this by adjusting the "flash exposure bias" ....you can vary the output of the flash fpor vairious results.
but it doesnt look over exposed at all.
if it were a shot of mine for a client i'd probably brighten it a touch more to be honest.
its just the harshness of the flash thats making her skin shine a bit more and have little hot spots.

if you were in manual mode,
you could have dropped the ISO, opened the aperture and made the most of the DOF

[jax314]

HA

First, this is my son...not my daughter I know...he needs a haircut!!

Second, this was shot in Aperture mode, not the auto portrait mode....I think my initial post may have been misleading....all I really meant was making portaits in general with in camera settings.....


I will experiment using lower flash power...good suggestion I have never tried before...

I do have an external flash...would that have been better?

Thanks,

Also, someone please let me know if my D5000 settings seem sharp enough for SOOC JPEGs....

[candleman]

haha
looks sharp to me.

yeah, my boys were also often called girls for exactly the same reason... we let their hair grow long becase it was curly and cute.

the bulldozer on the clothing gives the game away now