Advice on Active D-Lighting or using Contrast?

[david5512]

Please let me know what you folks would do with a situation like this. I am in direct sun and I am using ISO 100, White Balance: Direct Sun and my camera said the exposure was perfect. I think the face is washed out and I've learned that you can shut off Active D and set Contrast to -3 and it may look better.

My question is what do you folks all use? How do you shoot portraiture in direct sun? I have a function to shoot next April and I am concerned that I get it right.

Thanks to all for the time and help.
Dave D.

[zona5101]

I think you tried to link or imbed your image in question but it didn't work... that would be a great help in analyzing the issue. Even without seeing the image, from your description I would say it is fundamental metering issue and not something that active d lighting/contrast control would cure...

[sk66]

Active D lighting and contrast settings are ignored if shot in RAW....at least by Lightroom and other 3rd party programs.

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by david5512

My question is what do you folks all use? How do you shoot portraiture in direct sun? I have a function to shoot next April and I am concerned that I get it right.

Well, I think most would tell you to avoid this time of day if at all possible.
If not possible here are some ways to counter that horrible mid-day sun:
1. Proper use of flash (hopefully off-camera, but good use of fill will help)
2. Use/find open shade
3. Reflectors & diffusers

[graciousness]

I shoot in bright lights all the time, being that children (and I for that matter) can't shoot so early in the day or later in the afternoon when the sun is a bit more down. And sometimes, the shot can't be set up and you have no choice but to shoot in the sun.

Yes, open shade is the key and flash. If shooting in open sunshine, what I do is underexpose my shots manually and then use flash to fill in light light over faces every so slightly. That is, if they subjects are backlit. If they are facing sun, then there's not much you can do but use your shutter speed to tone down ambient lighting until the face is properly exposed. If you miss the shot slightly, fix in post processing with curves and level adjustments.

Circular polariser and neutral density filters help. But you must use flash if you are going to use such filters to make sure that subjects aren't underexposed.