debbyg Loc: Nebraska

Tonight I set up two umbrella lights for group of 7 and individual portraits. I have a large reflector that I am using to help separate subjects from the backdrop. Did some test shots and I have to go up to 800 ISO and that is scaring me to death. I believe it is called chimping (please correct me if I am wrong) anyway the pictures looked ok on the camera. Any lower ISO it was way to light. I am using a D5100, and did not bring it home with me ugh. Hindsight should have and downloaded those pictures. I may have to go back in very early in the morning and check them out on the computers at work. Please tell me someone that it will be ok and I won't find alot of noise on those pictures. As you can tell it is my first time working with that kind of lighting. Usually I welcome firsts in my life, but this one is troublesome. I have so much to learn and sometimes it is kind of painful. Any suggestions here I will be forever grateful. I will let you all know if I passed or failed tomorrow, but for now would like to hear your thoughts. I know I have read that there are some out there with a D5100 so please share.

English_Wolf Loc: Near Pensacola, FL

800 ISO is not the yeti or the abominable snowman. You have noide only when you hit 1600 or higher, relax, take a pill and see you in the morning (or maybe not, if you try driving while under the influence of the pill)

debbyg Loc: Nebraska

Well you managed to make me smile...I think I will go take that pill...thank you for that quick reply..I sure needed it!

debbyg Loc: Nebraska

OR better yet I think I will try a small glass of wine ha ha...

heltonjkv96 Loc: southwest Virginia

You should be fine with 800iso!

ShakyShutter Loc: Arizona

[quote=debbyg] Any lower ISO it was way to light. [quote]

Can you explain this line from your explanation?

What shutter speed are you shooting?

Are your lights all firing as expected or are these continuous hot lights?

Have you looked at the histogram of you test images?

A little more detail would help us help you.

debbyg Loc: Nebraska

Thanks Jeff, I have so much to learn. I have learned alot from all of you out there, so enjoy this site. I am hooked on this site as much as I am with photography.

debbyg Loc: Nebraska

[quote=ShakyShutter][quote=debbyg] Any lower ISO it was way to light. [quote]

Can you explain this line from your explanation?

What shutter speed are you shooting?

Are your lights all firing as expected or are these continuous hot lights?

Have you looked at the histogram of you test images?

Chimping you could see it was way to light.
Shutter speed 1/60 (if I remember correctly)
lights firing as expected :) Not continuous hot lights.
Good grief - will look at the histogram first thing in the morning!
Yes English Wolf has me pegged in every reply he has made to any of my pictures and this post as well. Thankyou for the reminder, I had so much to think about and so little time to set up and get out of there. I will be going to work early in the AM.
I was just supper excited that the lights worked. I know in my heart of hearts I need someone to follow around for awhile before I do this again. To much stress for this Grammy.

Wabbit Loc: Arizona Desert

[quote=debbyg][quote=ShakyShutter][quote=debbyg] Any lower ISO it was way to light.
I think you're mistaken on the iso. A lower number will not make the exposure lighter, just the opposite, a lower number will take the light away.

debbyg Loc: Nebraska

[quote=ring][quote=debbyg][quote=ShakyShutter]

I will pay attention to this more in the morning when I check out that histogram...Thank you very much for your reply. Please know I appreciate your sharing with me.

Guy Johnstone Loc: Ocean Shores WA

Champing, cute I had never heard that before I had to look it up. You've probably by now realized that you take on the ISO is reversed. I don't doubt it was happening we just need to figure out why. Were you shooting in manual mode? How are you triggering the flash? I'm not familiar with the 5100 but I didn't think it has a plug for external flash. You have to be careful if you're using a slave. The camera's preflash will trigger your strobes prematurely. if you were shooting in some kind of auto mode, Lowering your ISO may have extended your shutter speed, and those overexposed photos were the only ones actually taking full advantage of the strobe's output. If your strobes have modeling lights the higher ISO photos may have been made using either those or the overhead lights in the room.

debbyg Loc: Nebraska

Like I said I have so much to learn! I am using slave for this, but I am using a defuser so as I understand it, will help with the preflash problem. It seemed to work anyway. I am shooting in manual and tried a few on programed to see how that would work. Final test in the AM..say a prayer for me please. Not sure about the modeling lights question??? will reply to this thread when I return home tomorrow and let you all know how it came out. I am headed to bed now, thanks for your help.

Guy Johnstone Loc: Ocean Shores WA

I love a mystery. I thought I had this one. The diffusion may or may not work. The strobes would fire either way. If the diffusion is an adequate they will fire too soon.

Modeling lights are a constant light some strobes project so that you can predict the effect of the flash on the subject.

Let us know how they turned out.

nikondaddy Loc: Mayfield,Kentucky

I could shoot a group of 7 with a refelctor on a 283 vivitar with an Asa of 400 with two umrellas i could shot it at f/11 and an asa of 200 and with a 5100 I could shoot it avaialble light sit was in a cold bin with out a light I have shot 50 people ith a hsnd held flash on a film camera using 400 asa film no back of the camera to look at for guidedance.

rayford2 Loc: New Bethlehem, PA

I'm wondering if ND filters work on flash subjects?
I know this won't help now that the photo's were taken. But I'm confused about lowering the ISO and the pictures get brighter, I thought they would get darker under the same conditions.
...shows you how much I know about flash photography.