dadcowell Loc: Myrtle Beach SC

Does anyone use this? I found it as Custom # 6.

I read that somehow this setting softens whites to prevent them from blowing out. It moves ISO minimum to 200 and the literature states that this setting uses only 1/2 of the sensor for Whites thereby reducing their brilliance while maintaining adequate exposure elsewhere. They used a white wedding gown as their example. That is my interpretation of what I read.

Right now, my intention is to ignore this setting if the consensus is that it won't really help. Why introduce another variable.

Any thoughts?

Bill

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

What camera?

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Lack of detail in the "whites" is an age-old photographic problem, especially in wedding photography where the white bridal dress can be very problematic if the fine detail is lost due to over exposure or poor lighting technique. This issue was prevalent in the days of film photography and the old analog (wet) darkroom as it is today in digital technology. Once the white end of the tonal scale is washed out or burned out. to any great extent, because of poor exposure control or bad lighting management, post production techniques can do little to retrieve or simulate "information" that was never on the original negative or digital file. Existing detail can be intensified by "burning in" but if little or no detail exists all one can do by excessive burning in is "gray down" the area and unfortunately enough the results are far from aesthetically pleasing.

The "trick" is to capture a full tonal range in the camera at the time of photography. Proper exposure is essential for a complete gradation of tones whereby there is detail in the darkest shadows as well as the brightest highlights. In bridal portraiture, lighting technique is of the utmost importance and there are two very important factors, aside for proper exposure, that should be factored in. The lighting ratio must be well controlled whereby there is proper exposure in the highlights and sufficient fill illumination to provide shadow detail without flattening out the effect or "key" of the image. Another issue which is, oddly enough, not adequately discussed in many tutorials and classes in wedding photography is the principles of ANGLE OF INCIDENCE.

The angle of incidence theory goes like this; the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflectance. To the uninitiated in lighting technique this can sound like too much physics and geometry but in simple lighting and posing technique it amounts to turning the bride's body AWAY from the light source and then having her turn her head in TOWARD the light source. The light gently skimming across the detailed part of the gown will render all kinds of fine detail providing the exposure and ratio are correctly set. The aforementioned posing technique also makes for a graceful feminine pose.

No additional burning in was required after the fact!

The bride picture in the attached image opted to wear an older gown that was passed down through her family. This particular has an enormous degree of fine detail that needed to be properly rendered. The formal portrait was made with a single softbox equipped electronic flash mono light and a silver reflector as the fill source. A portable background was provided. Exposure at ISO 200 was f/6.3 @ 1/250 sec.

dadcowell Loc: Myrtle Beach SC

Canon Crop Eos t3-i

dadcowell Loc: Myrtle Beach SC

Thanks E.L.

For taking the time to give me such a complete explanation.

And thanks for the lighting tip re: Angle of Incidence

Bill

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

Wonderful example Ed ...........

Would love to see that one in a large format. Light skims across the dress, loop lighting on her face/nose, edge of eye hasn't been broken .......... lovely

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Gentlemen- Thanks for your kind feedback! I had a further thought. I am guessing that the special setting to preserve highlight detail is the digital equivalent or using a lower contrast grade of printing paper to compensate for an overexposed or overdeveloped negative. Of course, that method would tend to yield a rather flat print and most experienced custom printers would prefer to use a normal paper grade and do the burning and dodging in order to come up with a more brilliant print. No doubt that many digital post production actions can enable a "have your cake and eat it too" solutions to kind of "impossible" scenarios back in the film days. Being an "old school" kinda photographer, I still believe in doing as much of the quality control work at the camera rather than wrestling with problems after the fact. Of course, traditional color printing papers were not produced in various contrast grades, per se but I did keep a few different types ( and brands) and in stock back in the day in that, some papers had more or less contrast than others.

Thank goodness for digital technology- I spent too many hours in the wet darkroom with toxic chemicals. Nowadays all I have to worry about is the odd "toxic" client, however, most of the brides are lovely!

greg vescuso Loc: Ozark,Mo.

I have used highlight tone priority, but never thought to use it with a brides shot, I'm going to shot a little of my daughters wedding next Saturday I might take a couple shots to play with later. When I used highlight priority it was for birds in flight around highly reflective surfaces like in front of a waterfall. Here is a shot I took somewhere around 2008 or 2009 with a canon 40d using highlight tone priority, with out using this feature it was to difficult to capture a action shot like this because the cameras meter would over compensate for all the reflected light from the moving water. There was no selective exposure pp done to this shot only some sharping and a overall lighting adjustment.

dadcowell Loc: Myrtle Beach SC

Great Shot Greg,

I have a little better idea now of what that feature does.

Thanks,

Bill