Exposure and conversion

[Jonathan Evans]

Hi all,

I have recently started playing around with off camera flash, thanks to Xmas being very fruitful with some lighting gear . I have been tormenting my son for a couple of days and had fun with him today playing on his bean bag. My questions are as follows:

1) Is the bean bag too distracting? (Striped top probably is, but as I said, he was just playing and I wasn't about to change him into a block coloured top for the sake of experimenting)
2) Does the exposure look okay, or too hot?
3) Is the B&W conversion okay? It was done using the Calculations command in photoshop.

Any other advice, comments criticisms are most welcome.

Thanks in advance,

Jonathan



EXIF:

ISO 200
f/5.6
1/200
Canon 430exii 1/2 power fired into umbrella

[graciousness]

Hi Jonathan,

The conversion is great! I have yet to learn how to use those calculating things in Photoshop but good grief, anything math associated gives me a headache. Just thinking about that word 'calculate' makes me want to run a mile away. With a bottle of gin in my hand.

His face is blown out, though. Too hot. Unfortunately, you can't bring details back on overblown areas in images, so you're just going to have to love it for what it is. His eyes are nice and clear, though, so that's great!

Don't worry about the bean bag - it's not really distracting. Maybe if this was left in colour yes, but it's fine!

You'll get the right exposure next time. You're almost there!

Cheers,

Grace

[Jonathan Evans]

Thanks Grace for your feedback! I have re-edited the photo to add more detail to his face (the blown face was caused by the conversion)...hopefully this is a better edit!

Thanks again for looking!

Jonathan

[graciousness]

Tricky.....that looks a little better, but now he just looks a little more gray.

You needed separate light behind him (hair light). As it is, his hair has blended with the black background.

It's a little tricky trying to balance this conversion due to the camera left being a little dark and the centre/right being much brighter. You needed a little more even lighting throughout his face to convert this more properly.

Can you do the middle between the first and the last conversion? Or can you do a little dodge on his face a little with the second conversion and some on the shirt just to brighten him a little.....

Just a little more manual adjustment on his face then you'll be alright

[Jonathan Evans]

Hi Grace,

Thanks for the feedback. I have tried dodging the face with a curves adjustment layer to try and find a middle ground on the conversion. I also tried to bring out the slight sheen in his hair a little as well.

Better?