shutter shedd Loc: Alabama

I know I sound like a broken record but it seems I still can't get it right. I shot these in RAW+Jpeg. There are in low light situations, so I raised the ISO but not too high, I shot in manual so I can change the Shutter and the aperture. When I put the RAW file in my Photoshop CS5 and I play around with the luminance I lose the noise but also the faces look I took the smudge tool and and went crazy! This is the original straight out of the camera. What am I doing wrong?

Girls "watching " T.V.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

You have a backlit scene and are not using a flash. No way you will get clear faces in this situation without blowing out the background. Its simply asking too much of your camera. Maybe at 6400 ISO you could get something to show, but your noise would me getting unmanageable by then with most cameras.

shutter shedd Loc: Alabama

Thanks MT Shooter!

English_Wolf Loc: Near Pensacola, FL

Convert your RAW file to DNG then upload the original using the DNG format. From there, there is likely a way to save your picture (of show you how to it).

There are some incredible Photoshop folks here but they need something to work with.

shutter shedd Loc: Alabama

Here it is in DNG format

Attached file:
(Download)

English_Wolf Loc: Near Pensacola, FL

OK, as expected the Raw was the cause of darkness.

I just imported the DNG into Photo Element, played with the controls in order to get an acceptable histogram, reduced the image 50% in order to diminish the high ISO noise. I did not do anything else.

JPG


PNG

shutter shedd Loc: Alabama

Can you please explain what you mean the Raw was the reason for the darkness

English_Wolf Loc: Near Pensacola, FL

This comes from the linear capture. I am not able to explain it in layman's terms but the problem lies with the way the image is captured. When you save to JPG (in your camera) the camera process the sensor information as if it was a film and appears to be lighter.

I might write a vulgarized tutorial on that once I really get the process in my head and can vulgarize the concept. I am not there yet.

If you look at the histogram, everything is tilted toward the left (darker)
They key now is to readjust...

Initial import screen


Adjusted, compare after downloading


Imported w/o change, correction made with the RGB curve

shutter shedd Loc: Alabama

The first picture i posted is a jpeg?! I thought shooting in RAW is best because it does not lose any information like the other formats.

English_Wolf Loc: Near Pensacola, FL

Yes, it is a JPG. The board does not allow for RAW file format but allows other line PNG and DNG.

PNG is a simple link and PNG allows the board to create thumbnail.

RAW does not lose information, you are correct. Due to the numerous RAW formats that exist, this format is not made for sharing easily and certainly not made for viewing on the WEB.

shutter shedd Loc: Alabama

Thank you for your help and your patience with my ignorance. i guess i am going to really concentrate on lighting.

Digiphot2

It is a shame that nobody suggested that you own a hand held incident meter! That way, you will get the shot with an over exposure on the background window, but will get the girls, and as suggested...Learn Fill Flash techniques! You can shoot with a faster shutter speed, yet capture the girls in the flash's light.

True! That wizard with Photoshop, saved the day with your RAW shot. But remember this, If you shoot all your shots in RAW, and never concentrate on the real problem at hand....Understanding Exposure control, you will spend all your time manipulating all your shots in front of your computer.

I own a Pentax V Spot Meter, and a Minolta IIIF Flash/Ambient light meters. I know how to use them. See Christmas Portrait, and Cathedral shot.

All my shots are JPG! If you know the rules of proper exposure techniques and how a good hand held meter can bail you out of critical situations, you will come to know better how to integrate your lens and camera in the pristine world of MANUAL PHOTOGRAPHY! If you study John Hedgecoe's 1981 , Photographer's Handbook..."$2.79 Amazon", it will scare the willies out of you! He uses light meters for most of his shots. Yet he owns over $100,000 in cameras and lenses, a general estimate! It might be higher! Yet he still uses hand held meters even with his Digital cameras!

Don't become a slave to your camera's meter! Learn Light, it's control, direction, and intensity. Then you will be a true photographer, and not be the owner of a PHD camera! "Press Here Dummy" No put down intended!

Metered with Minolta flash meter


Metered with Pentax V HDR

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

I stress how strongly I agree with this ...

It's good advice, learn to see and correct lighting ratio issues and use a hand held meter...

I finally gave in and It changed the quality of my shots forever....it really did.

And thanks for the tip on that book....

cosmo54 Loc: Easton, PA but will travel for photos

Would you be willing to recommend a meter? I have heard lots of comments re these and I seriously want to check them out. Meanwhile I will search here & everywhere for info. Thanks

wteffey Loc: Ocala, FL USA

I would have avoided the backlight if I could, but if it was unavoidable, and I really did not want to use flash, I would have changed to "spot" metering and metered on either child, or on a dark surface nearby, held the setting with av hold or the shutter release, and recomposed. Might have helped, but the background would have been blown out. With this photo, in pp, you could duplicate the layer, reset the levels to properly expose the children, create a layer mask, then erase it where it didn't help. Saved a number of photos for me