Romantic Photography

[tickintime]

I shot this for the DPS weekly assignment coupled with my daily 365 entry. I like the concept of the shot, but I know it could be much better. I am very limited in funds, so I used a CFL lamp with a golden lampshade to cast a diffuse light on me and the camera (somewhat) with a black sheet behind me to give me a solid color background. The mirror use was attached to a very large oak piece of furniture in our entryway. Disregarding the hodge-podge "studio"...

• How could I have made more effective use of lighting yet still kept the 'intimate' feeling?
• How can I bring the camera more into the photo (right now it is a black blob with a Canon logo on it)?
• Would a different background added more to the shot (perhaps some bokeh)?
• How can I shoot a less grainy shot? (I know I can fix this in pp, but I would like to start from a better SOOC.) Or am I limited due to ISO 400?
• Any suggestions for my next camera hug?

Camera: Canon EOS REBEL T1i
Exposure: 0.5
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire

[Benji]

I don't see an iota of intimacy here, sorry, but I do see at least four problems..

Problem one, the entire image is underexposed by four stops.

Problem two, the white balance is way off.

Problem three, you needed a fill light to raise the base exposure up to where it will record on the sensor. Blacks will then register without any problem.

Problem four. Black hair or clothing will blend in with black backgrounds if a kicker and hairlight are not used on the subject.

The cure. Accurately meter the scene and set the camera to that reading. I use a hand held meter in 99.999999999999999999999% of my images, and 99.99999999999999999999% of my images are perfectly exposed 100% of the time. The other 0.00000000000000000000 of the time I delete the image.

If you shoot in Raw and shoot a grey card your white balance problems will instantly vanish forever.

Contrary to what Canon and Nikon would have you believe getting a beautifully lit, properly exposed image with good white balance is A LOT harder than what they make it look. The TV commercials show some average Joe jump up, whip the camera up to his eye, fire off six shots and all six are absolutely perfect, meanwhite the voice over is telling you that getting these shots are as easy as tying your shoes. The truth is (as you have discovered) it is actually quite difficult to get even one beautifully lit, properly exposed image with good white balance even in 200 captures.

I did a 15 second curves and white balance adjustment of your image below.

Benji

[Tamster]

Great job Benji! Looks like a totally diff picture. Although I didn't understand some of the things you said, (i'm new ) The outcome is GREAT!

[Benji]

Originally Posted by Tamster

Great job Benji! Looks like a totally diff picture. Although I didn't understand some of the things you said, (i'm new ) The outcome is GREAT!

Tammy,

Tell me what you didn't understand and I will attempt to rectify that!

Benji

[Tamster]

Originally Posted by Benji

Tammy,

Tell me what you didn't understand and I will attempt to rectify that!

Benji

No it's ok. I'm just learn about photography so your terms as to all the things you did baffled me.. But I have my Photography for Dummies book, reading that and my manual so I'll know all the photography lingo before no time! This is my first DSLR so i'm fresh out of the box, other then my love for taking pictures.
Thanks though!

[tickintime]

I am planning on reshooting this in the not to distant future...

Originally Posted by Benji

The cure. Accurately meter the scene and set the camera to that reading. I use a hand held meter in 99.999999999999999999999% of my images, and 99.99999999999999999999% of my images are perfectly exposed 100% of the time. The other 0.00000000000000000000 of the time I delete the image.

If you shoot in Raw and shoot a grey card your white balance problems will instantly vanish forever.

Benji

Thanks Benji!

I will certainly be using a gray card in the future. The lighting and exposure, do you have any tips or is it over to Strobist I go?

[Ruth G.]

Wow! With the right WB and exposure to this photo, it really pops! Nice capture by the photographer and nice fix, Benji!!

[Benji]

Originally Posted by tickintime

I am planning on reshooting this in the not to distant future...



Thanks Benji!

I will certainly be using a gray card in the future. The lighting and exposure, do you have any tips or is it over to Strobist I go?

If you are going to use a gray card you must shoot in Raw. Getting the proper exposure without a meter is going to be difficult but it can be done. However you need the exposure to be correct to use the gray card! I don't want to spend the next 20 minutes telling you exactly how to get the proper exposure, if you do what lots of people do and blow me off or ignore my response. Comments?

Ben