Posts for: Charles 46277
Dec 28, 2016 16:31:55 #
Hal, you don't get out much anymore do you? Fine scene though.
Dec 28, 2016 14:02:21 #
I am not an expert on black cats as such, but my philosophy of light is that fine detail is best captured by spectral light--the smaller the light source, the more fine detail is revealed. This is why we use soft box light or bounced light--the light source is so large that it fails to show contrast in the fine details of the person's face--filling all the tiny shadows of nooks and crannies (and cracks). It follows that shine on the black coat of fur will be found in the tiny reflections of spectral light on the hairs, perhaps after brushing. One small point of light, with the light as far back from the subject as practical, at an angle, will show maximum texture and detail, contrasting the sheen from the dark matter beneath it which reflects nothing.
Since real black (or white) has no detail, the only way to show texture is by underexposing or overexposing. Given that we are metering just the fur, you cannot underexpose black, but you can overexpose it just enough that it is very dark gray that shows just a bit of texture. It is pointless metering black cats or anything really black. In the days of zones, we could get a correct setting for a gray card (or gray cat), then increase exposure 3 stops (or try 4). This would make the gray card photograph as nearly white, but a black cat, at the same setting, dark grayish, or nearly real black. In full near-frontal sunlight above and to one side (window, door, or wall) this might be ISO 200, shutter 100, lens f8. If a longer than 100mm lens is used, try ISO 400 and shutter speed 200. Whatever the light, you can test shoot the palm of your hand and use the setting that makes it much too light, but not washed out--maybe 3 or 4 stops over the correct exposure of the hand--and try that setting manually on the cat.
You do not have to check each black cat personally. If the lighting is known or predetermined, you can use one cat, cushion, cape or coat for practice, then use it for any black cat. Every cat will be shot in that light with those settings. For this, manual settings will require less mental strain than from trying to outsmart the camera's opinions about speed, aperture, ISO.
Since real black (or white) has no detail, the only way to show texture is by underexposing or overexposing. Given that we are metering just the fur, you cannot underexpose black, but you can overexpose it just enough that it is very dark gray that shows just a bit of texture. It is pointless metering black cats or anything really black. In the days of zones, we could get a correct setting for a gray card (or gray cat), then increase exposure 3 stops (or try 4). This would make the gray card photograph as nearly white, but a black cat, at the same setting, dark grayish, or nearly real black. In full near-frontal sunlight above and to one side (window, door, or wall) this might be ISO 200, shutter 100, lens f8. If a longer than 100mm lens is used, try ISO 400 and shutter speed 200. Whatever the light, you can test shoot the palm of your hand and use the setting that makes it much too light, but not washed out--maybe 3 or 4 stops over the correct exposure of the hand--and try that setting manually on the cat.
You do not have to check each black cat personally. If the lighting is known or predetermined, you can use one cat, cushion, cape or coat for practice, then use it for any black cat. Every cat will be shot in that light with those settings. For this, manual settings will require less mental strain than from trying to outsmart the camera's opinions about speed, aperture, ISO.
