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Home: Video University Forums: Digital Photography for Videographers:
Problems with a shot

Postal Boy
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Oct 9, 2006, 11:39 AM

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Problems with a shot	Can't Post

Had some acquaintences that I took some real estate shots for yesterda...basically, it was spur of the moment so the "time of day" wasn't the best as the sun was really in their faces.

To help with this, we had a nice, large tree that put a good shadow for them to stand in.

To make it short...either they look good, or the house behind them (that they wanted in the photo) looked good, but because of the contrast between them there is not a shot where they both look good. I can photoshop it, but that never is quite what the customer wants.

What is the best way to overcome this? I could have put them in the nice, evening, warm sun, but then they would have been majorly squinty...I could have faced them at an angle, but then we would have had harsh shadows on their faces.

Is the only way to resolve this to have a reflector to soften the shadows or do it on a more "hazy" day to soften it?

-Postal

DarrenS
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Oct 9, 2006, 11:44 AM

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Re: [Postal Boy] Problems with a shot [In reply to]	Can't Post

There's two ways, maybe more. One technique used for many many years would be snapping a neutral density gradient filter on the glass. Can be tricky with irregular shaped subjects. Two, a much newer way but much more complex, would be to emply HDR (High Dynamic Range) techniques with bracketed exposures. Look HDR up on the net, it's very interesting.

Postal Boy
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Oct 9, 2006, 12:38 PM

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Re: [DarrenS] Problems with a shot [In reply to]	Can't Post

I've seen the HDR stuff before, but didn't think about using it in this case. I have "people" involved, so each frame may have a slight difference, but I may be able to "fudge" it a bit.

Something to look at.

I will probably just call them back and have them come back at a different time with more even/less harsh lighting, but I'll play with the HDR methods a bit.

-Thanks

Postal

Scott Brooks
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Oct 9, 2006, 2:47 PM

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Re: [Postal Boy] Problems with a shot [In reply to]	Can't Post

To avoid shadows on their faces use the relector or fill flash.

Postal Boy
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Oct 9, 2006, 4:01 PM

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Re: [Sparky] Problems with a shot [In reply to]	Can't Post

I was too far away for fill flash to work. I tried that, but as soon as you turn the flash on it limits your shutter speed to 1/250th or slower, so I was pulling in a LOT of light, and closing the aperature down was the only way to compensate for it. In the end, the background was washed out, or the foreground (people) was dark.

I think I need to get them into consistent lighting and deal with softening the shadows.

-Postal

Scott Brooks
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Oct 9, 2006, 7:41 PM

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Re: [Postal Boy] Problems with a shot [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

I don't know what system you're using ... but the Canon flash system like the 580 has a high sync flash. It still might have been too far away for what you needed, but if you have the 580 you really need to be aware of the high sync flash setting. That allows you to use your camera at a faster shutter speed. Without setting it, it will revert to the 250th setting.

Postal Boy
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Oct 9, 2006, 8:57 PM

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Re: [Sparky] Problems with a shot [In reply to]	Can't Post

I have a high-sync flash (580EX) but on the camera I haven't seen anything that allows me to adjust the settings. I will poke around in the flash manual to see what it has to say about it.

-Postal

Scott Brooks
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Oct 10, 2006, 1:29 AM

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Re: [Postal Boy] Problems with a shot [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

I have a high-sync flash (580EX) but on the camera I haven't seen anything that allows me to adjust the settings. I will poke around in the flash manual to see what it has to say about it.

-Postal

You adjust it on the flash. It looks like a lightning bolt. Many people leave it in the on position all the time. I believe it also holds its memory even after being shut off ... as long as the batteries are not removed.

Postal Boy
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Oct 10, 2006, 9:29 AM

Post #9 of 12 (781 views)
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Re: [Sparky] Problems with a shot [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks...found it last night in the manuals. I'll see how that does, but in the situation I was in I don't think it would have made enough difference. However, I can think of a LOT of other situations where it WOULD make a big difference.

-Postal

Toogy
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Oct 11, 2006, 8:14 PM

Post #10 of 12 (765 views)
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Re: [Postal Boy] Problems with a shot [In reply to]	Can't Post

with something that tough, I would simply use a tripod and take two exposures, one for the background, and one for the foreground, then overlay them in photoshop.
------------------------->
Jeff Toogood
Digital ISO

http://www.digitaliso.ca/blog
http://www.pbase.com/toogy

DarrenS
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Oct 12, 2006, 12:21 PM

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Re: [Toogy] Problems with a shot [In reply to]	Can't Post

Yes, then use Merge to HDR. Better than using layers. Wink

Postal Boy
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Oct 12, 2006, 1:11 PM

Post #12 of 12 (732 views)
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Re: [DarrenS] Problems with a shot [In reply to]	Can't Post

Unfortunately I have PS 7.0 and doesn't have the HDR stuff...

-Postal