what did i do.....

[metoo]

You all are going to see a lot of me this year.

This is a boring picture, I'm not really looking for critique on the composition/backround. I was just messing around here trying to get it right for the next time I'm taking a cute picture lol. Santa did not bring me a new flash and now everything that could break has in my house, so a new one will not be coming anytime soon . I need to make due with what I have. I decided to start shooting some pictures in raw because from what I understand it's more forgiving of bad exposure?? I took this one just to play around with that and the light. There was one light on kinda over his head and I bounced the pop up flash off the ceiling I think...... I think I didn't convert something right....The skin tones look all off and it looks maybe over sharpened? Should I have only sharpened it a little in the raw file then the rest of the way when I edit? Or is it just over exposed instead of my normal under exposed pictures... Any other more technical type critique you have would be great


dec 28 by My1hd, on Flickr

Camera Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS
Exposure 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture f/4.0
Focal Length 50 mm
ISO Speed 800
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash On, Fired

[graciousness]

I think the ISO is too high. You could have brought it down to 400 so that his face is not over lit. I am thinking that the slight overexposure is due to the high ISO as there are any shadows under eyes or nose if you did bounce the flash up to the ceiling. That's my assumption, anyway.

Try and practice with half the ISO with the same flash output, and then ISO 800 with flash output one notch less than what you used here, and then ISO 400 with one notch less with flash output used here. Then you can see the difference with all the different settings.

[praline3001]

I have the same issue with my built in flash. It makes the photo flat and not very life like. Its really bad about dead eyes too. The photo looks like a strait on built in flash.
since your external flash is on hold, and I understand as our washer just broke and I had to buy a new one, try playing with no flash photography a bit. Its tricky but can be very rewarding. I am not very good at it but its fun to try you have to also get creative with your lighting when going no flash. I think there is an entire thread somewhere called ghetto lighting. I would read up on that as there are some GREAT ideas in it. I just got my first DSLR a week before Christmas so I am pretty new at most of this myself. Before the DSLR I was using the G10 which the ISO is extremely limited. Due to this I had to get creative with lighting. lol

Here is a photo I took at Christmas of my mother in law. It was done with no flash. There was a large window to her right. I opened up the curtains and was able to get the perfect amount of light.

mother in law by praline3001, on Flickr
The good thing about working with no flash photography is you really learn your exposure triangle! Its really easy to pop a flash and get a well lit photo but it takes some tricky moves to do it without one lol


ETA: Here is a really good thread about lighting on DPS:
Welcome to LIGHTING

there are some amazing things you can do without a flash. That should get you started with understanding lighting so you can get creative with it.

[dannyrich]

I quite like this image, exposure is spot on to my liking anyway.

I dont think the ISO matters really in this case, its nice to see people shooting at 800 instead of forcing a shot at 200 and screwing it up.

Your clearly limited but I think you picked a decent mildly textured backdrop with a mute colour.

Possibly just a reflector lower down to fill the nose shadow which all in is not bad at all.

Dont be frightened to get right in on your subject, if you clip the top of the head out and lose the sides of the arms its not a bad thing, its a difficult technique to master but when you do its rewarding - you get right into someones personality that way.

[metoo]

Thank you all

. Re: The ISO, I bet your right. When I shot the same picture in JPEG with the same settings it was very under exposed??? I never shoot raw because of space issues on my hard drive and I'm not a pro. I thought the RAW might help with my Exposure issues. I will try to post a example of the JPEG picture later if my computer doesn't die that is.


I normally don't use the flash, but then I end up with all kinds of focus problems. I have to shoot wide open so my eyes are always a bit off. I can only shoot during the day. My lighting is not very good at night and I use those energy saver bulbs that give off just awful light. I also end up with a ton of noise. The XS seems noisy to me at 800 and 1600 (as high as it goes) is pretty noisy IMO. Today I will post a natural light picture for you to critique

The flash was bounced BTW, going by the orientation of this photo I bounced it off the ceiling....

[metoo]

Oh do the skin tones look off? When ever I shoot with a lamp on my skin tones seem all off. This one looks pinkish to me but i get ugly yellow a lot! lol

[metoo]

Originally Posted by praline3001

I have the same issue with my built in flash. It makes the photo flat and not very life like. Its really bad about dead eyes too. The photo looks like a strait on built in flash. .

Hmmm, I think the colors are way off, but I don't think it has the normal washed out pop up flash look to it. He has catch lights vs flash points in his eyes. I could see the color of his eyes still even being brown....Am I way off here? I really am not happy with the colors of this picture though so I agree it's is off in some way. I thought it was more a white balance issue though do to the ugly energy saver lights I had on??

[JBK617]

For those using your built in flash, I found that by using a lid from a small (1 cup) ziplock bowl, it diffuses the flash, and if I need to bounce it, I have a small white envelope (the kind you get from thank you cards).

There are the best in the biz but for now I use a lot of DIY trick in my photos.

HTH
Rick

[sk66]

The ISO had nothing to do with the issue. If it was way underexposed in Jpeg w/ same settings I'd bet the flash didn't fire or the settings really were not the same.

IMO the color balance is slightly off, but not much. Most of the issue is the pop-up flash. I don't think you bounced it off the ceiling...did you have some sort of card or something to redirect it?

Most people think the built in flash is junk, but really it can be quite useful for adding a little fill light. The key is to dial it back by setting some negative flash EC, usually -2/3 or more.

The mode your camera is in will also change the way the flash is applied. In aperture mode it will be used for fill and that's what you want.

[metoo]

Originally Posted by sk66

The ISO had nothing to do with the issue. If it was way underexposed in Jpeg w/ same settings I'd bet the flash didn't fire or the settings really were not the same.

IMO the color balance is slightly off, but not much. Most of the issue is the pop-up flash. I don't think you bounced it off the ceiling...did you have some sort of card or something to redirect it?

Most people think the built in flash is junk, but really it can be quite useful for adding a little fill light. The key is to dial it back by setting some negative flash EC, usually -2/3 or more.

The mode your camera is in will also change the way the flash is applied. In aperture mode it will be used for fill and that's what you want.

I think I might have been wrong and the settings weren't the same in the Jepg

It was definitely bounced off the ceiling though. Well, thrown up to the ceiling anyway. I used tinfoil.....

I have tried dialing back the flash and I haven't been happy with it.... Maybe I'm not doing it right? Normally the pics end up washed out and dark from less of a flash. The eyes get really messed up. I usually shoot in manual though. I'm going to try doing it in the aperture mode. Thanks!

Edited to add.... I just tried that flash in the Aperture mode and I couldn't it to work. it was giving me shutter speeds that were way to low to work with. I tried again in manual and and shutter modes and I'm not impressed.....Maybe a bit better then the full on flash but not nice. booo. Looks like I'm sticking to daylight. :/