taking outdoor shots in the fall
Oct 15, 2015 18:21:23 #
We all have taken portraits early in the day in Fall & know how high contrast the photos can be. What is your technique to get it right?
Oct 15, 2015 18:49:23 #
Oct 15, 2015 18:56:27 #
canon Lee wrote:
We all have taken portraits early in the day in Fall & know how high contrast the photos can be. What is your technique to get it right?
i just gave up and let the contrast have its way.
If you find a fix i'm all ears.
Oct 16, 2015 09:03:10 #
Oct 16, 2015 09:05:48 #
Not sure of you question but I think your wanting softer shots. Try these three different things.
1 Post processing.
2 Play around with the apature and dof.
3 Use a soft filter or lens. They were often used for portrait work mainly for women.
1 Post processing.
2 Play around with the apature and dof.
3 Use a soft filter or lens. They were often used for portrait work mainly for women.
Oct 16, 2015 09:32:53 #
Bobsan wrote:
Try using. a polarizing filter and underexpose by 1 stop.
You have to a bit careful here, You lose a stop or two with a polarizer and one more? You may have to push the ISO if you're hand holding. The CP has some advantages especially with water and cutting reflection but for just color manipulation you can do that all in post and not lose the stops.
Oct 16, 2015 21:10:36 #
canon Lee wrote:
We all have taken portraits early in the day in Fall & know how high contrast the photos can be. What is your technique to get it right?
I never hear anyone talk about this technique, but I use spot exposure and lock expose somewhere in the frame on an object that is as close as I can get to neutral gray. I lock the exposure on that point and focus and recompose the shot and shoot. This is not always foolproof but the results usually require very little PP.
I shoot quite a bit in the mountains and am always confronted with light blue sky, snow, light to dark granite mountains, bright yellow aspen leaves next to black timber, dark blue lakes and bright yellow/orange/green meadows. This method works quite well with practice.
Oct 16, 2015 22:28:31 #
Open shade works wonders for portraits at any time of the year!
Oct 17, 2015 02:48:40 #
birdpix wrote:
Open shade works wonders for portraits at any time of the year!
True. It makes no difference what time of year it is...solving lighting issues is the same game and open shade is a good tool in the arsenal.
Oct 17, 2015 08:44:29 #
fantom wrote:
I never hear anyone talk about this technique, but... (show quote)
It takes some practice but you have to learn where to meter from. That also included what focus metering you select in the camera. To get what I want I may spot, partial meter some specific place in the scene, note the setting, set them manual and ignore the light meter.
Oct 17, 2015 17:33:43 #
canon Lee wrote:
We all have taken portraits early in the day in Fall & know how high contrast the photos can be. What is your technique to get it right?
I was referring to taking people in the fall when the sun is low in the sky creating great contrast, not landscapes. Just interested in other photographers techniques ! how many use scrims or reflectors?
Oct 17, 2015 18:26:07 #
pithydoug wrote:
It takes some practice but you have to learn where to meter from. That also included what focus metering you select in the camera. To get what I want I may spot, partial meter some specific place in the scene, note the setting, set them manual and ignore the light meter.
Agreed.
Oct 17, 2015 18:59:32 #
canon Lee wrote:
I was referring to taking people in the fall when the sun is low in the sky creating great contrast, not landscapes. Just interested in other photographers techniques ! how many use scrims or reflectors?
If you mean screen, no I did not. Reflectors, yes. (I am still about portraiture)
Oct 17, 2015 19:37:18 #
canon Lee wrote:
We all have taken portraits early in the day in Fall & know how high contrast the photos can be. What is your technique to get it right?
Rongy is right, you have to use reflectors, add light, or both. You need to balance the bright areas with the shadow areas as desired.
The big soft of in the sky is not shade, it's filtered soft light.
Shade is for those that are not equipped to handle the situation.
To use shade properly on a sunny 16 day, you'd have to put your subject on the very edge of the harsh light, but in the shade, then use a refector to bounce the highlights and contrast and catch lights back into the face. Otherwise the portrait just has a dead feel with no contrast, highlights or catch-lights. Shade will not wrap around like filtered light.
And PP would be strictly a last ditch effort to make a lousy pic, better, as usual!! ;-)
SS
Oct 21, 2015 14:45:05 #
rpavich wrote:
True. It makes no difference what time of year it is...solving lighting issues is the same game and open shade is a good tool in the arsenal.
The reason I mentioned shooting in the Fall, has to do with the sun being lower in the sky and having a severe angle, causing high contrast. An example would be shooting a 3/4 shot of a person with the sun in the early day before noon, where the sun is at a 45 degree to the subjects side of the face and body. This causes the face to have bright light and the other side of the face to be in deep shadow. shading the face with a scrim makes the background blown out. I would like to know other techniques.
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