losing your whites?

[kranz]

I have had the hardest problem in my whites. how and what im i doing wrong. I run a school picture company and have gone total digital. Can you tell me what is going on in these photos and what i can do to fix it. F-11, 200ISO 125th/second. first image is silver umbrella, second is grey umbrella.

[SusanH1970]

Attachments aren't showing up.

[OsmosisStudios]

I only see th thumbnail, but it looks like you've blown your whites out. It's a touch over exposed: dial your exposure down 1/3 of a stop from where it is. If you've got flashes, bring them down or stop down the aperture. If it's ambient light, then use the shutterspeed and increase it a bit.

[kranz]

I use a Speedotron lighthead with silver umbrella, is it better to use a gray, silver, or a white umbrella. the lighting seem some what harsh. my hands are tied some what do to the fact i use so many different photographers on a daily base.

[scootermcq]

Originally Posted by kranz

I use a Speedotron lighthead with silver umbrella, is it better to use a gray, silver, or a white umbrella. the lighting seem some what harsh. my hands are tied some what do to the fact i use so many different photographers on a daily base.

Silver will give you a harder light than white, so changing umbrellas may help you out.

I can only see the thumbnail as well, but from what I can see I am in total agreement with Adam. You have blown the highlights and that will give you a silver/blue look to your whites.