Light #2 - How much? Enough #1.

[RichardTaylor]

Light 2.

How much? Enough #1 .

It all depends on what you are trying to achieve and the camera gear available.

If you can use the shutter speed, aperture and ISO you want then you don't have any basic exposure problems.
Some of the problems you may have are:
Extreme contrast, lighting from the wrong direction and boring/messy background/sky.
(more to come in future postings on some of these)

Some of these may be able to be controlled when shooting.

If you cannot change the subject position then change your own position, point of view or field of view, or shooting time to show the subject off to best advantage.

Even when shooting motor sport, where we have no control over the light, the subjects, shooting time, and limited control over our shooting positions we "tend to follow the light" on shooting days. You do get a fair amount of time to prepare for shooting and a chance to do it again as they lap the circuit.

Some examples:

This series of photographs was shot mid afternoon, I had no control over the shooting time, on a clear (blue skies) spring day in a botanical garden that was open to wild life. All were taken with a Canon 40D + a Canon 100-400 4.5-F5.6 IS L lens and a mono pod


(#1) An almost worse case scenario. No control over the subject, lighting and background, and and very limited control over my shooting position, and no idea how long the kangaroo would stay for. This lady just hopped onto the path and stopped to look at me. After one or two quick snapshots I slowly at on the ground, to get eye level and started shooting as she was posing. It wasn't long before she hopped off again. This is part of a series.
Took lots of post processing from the original RAW file to get something usable.



Camera Canon EOS 40D
Exposure 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 300 mm
ISO Speed 1000
Exposure Bias +2/3 EV
Exposure Program Aperture-priority AE

(#2) Again, no control over my subject, however I had control over my shooting position. The the relatively high contrast of the sunlight and the shaded background has helped isolate the flower, along with a wide aperture to throw the background out of focus.The field of view has been restricted by using a long lens.



Camera Canon EOS 40D
Exposure 1/2500 sec
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 365 mm
ISO Speed 400
Exposure Bias -2/3 EV
Exposure Program Aperture-priority AE

(#3) Here the light is high and mostly right to the subject. I wanted to show what it was like "to have a bad hair day". Similar techniques to pic #2 to isolate the subject, which could not be moved.



Camera Canon EOS 40D
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 400 mm
ISO Speed 400
Exposure Bias -2/3 EV
Exposure Program Aperture-priority AE

(#4) Here it is a very easy exposure, with the sun high and to the left of me, and a little behind me, allowing me to just concentrate on capturing the dragon fly.



Camera Canon EOS 40D
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/800)
Aperture f/8.0
Focal Length 400 mm
ISO Speed 400
Exposure Bias -2/3 EV
Exposure Program Aperture-priority AE

Larger images are on my Flickr photo stream.

--------------------------
Other parts of this series

#1 Introduction
Light #1 - Introduction.

#3 Indoors (1)
Light #3 - Indoors (1)

Part #4 - Low light outdoors (1)
Light #4 - Low light outdoors #1

Part #5 - High contrast light.
Light #5 - High contrast


#6 Too much light.
Light #6 - Too much light.
More to come, thanks for looking, and feel free to ask questions or comment.

#7 Light direction.
Lifgt #7 - Directiuon

#8 Weather
Light #8 - Weather


#9 Time of day.
Light #9 - What time of day to shoot?

Richard

[ccting]

The pics are so beautiful..

Any comment on this photographer Wedding Photography by an International Wedding Photographer based in Malaysia I am offering myself to work for him as assistant (to learn from him instead) for free during weekends, and I am not sure whether he accepts me or not ;|

[RichardTaylor]

Super wedding & event photographer.
(I am just a hobbyist)

[ccting]

Your images looks much better than those who won the photo contest (NikonClub Malaysia). If I have 1/2 of your skillset, i believe I can win the contest this year LOL.