Working in blaring hot sunlight for the first time.

Danny17

New member
This is the Adobe7 or 9(not sure)optimized version of one of three usable shots I got.I don't know how to work this camera in blaring sunlight.Any tips?It was unusually bright.

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This one I really liked for the coloring after I optimized it,the ultra weird bright sun oversaturates..I kept the Crayola looking version in attachments.DSC_0733 copy.jpg
 

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Danny17

New member
I didn't think of manually setting the white balance.It seems not matter what I tired my screen went dark or overexposed.I think I'll try fiddiling with the white balance next time:),thanx.It had crossed my mind.I am going to invest into some hair gel too,so my hair doesn't look soaked just at the root.The wet hair look is kind of nice,I think.
 
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Danny17

New member
In all honesty,it got harsh after I went outside to fool around.Before that it was just nice.Maybe it was around 4:30.the sun shone till 9 o clock that day,as opposed to 8:30.A few more days like that I will have a nice tan to photograph:)
 
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zx7dave

Senior Member
Set the camera on full automatic and then look at the settings to see what the camera thinks you need as far as f/stop, shutter speed etc. Also in bright sun make sure your ISO is down to 200 or less. What your looking for is to see if your camera on auto is maxing out the shutter speed or f/stop..it it is then that is your hint to verify your ISO is set right. Even in very very bight sunlight you should be able to get a decent picture if your ISO is very low..and you shutter speed is very high and your f/stop is set high as well such as F22...then play around some to figure out if you need to adjust the F/Stop for the depth of field you are trying to achieve. I would also recommend doing a bracket shop and doing down in the white balance to darken the shot like Blueiron mentioned...lastly since many shots in direct sunlight look bleached out try a combo of a polorized filter to bring back some of the natural colors) along with your bracket shots. Good luck...
 

KennethHamlett

New member
There are a couple of things to consider when shooting outdoors. The guys mentioned white balance. White balance is important, but most cameras get it right in automatic mode when shooting outside. What's more crucial in a scene like yours is the exposure. Look at your second picture. The majority of your face is in shade but your left elbow and leg are in full scene and the range of brightness between the two is very high. This creates havoc on a cameras meter. If you use the in camera meter to average the scene either the highlights will be blown out (they are) and the shadows not a rich, deep tone or just the opposite everything will be too dark. All of this depends on where your cameras meter is pointing at the time of exposure. A camera's meter is designed to average everything in a scene to an 18% gray tone. Every camera made does this. One thing you can do to get a better range of tones in a scene like this is to use a neutral density filter. ND filters reduce the entire range of brightness in a scene, giving the scene a more manageable tonal range. The other thing you can do is meter for your face. Typically, when the subject is properly exposed, the human eye ignores everything else around it. So expose for you and let the rest of the scene fall where it may and use a neutral density filter to reduce the tonal range.
 

DaveKoontz

Senior Member
You're probably full of advice now, but here's one more for you chew .... In review of the images, there seems to be some shadow across the models face and body. Don't be afraid to use a fill flash - even though it may be a bright and hot day.
 

KennethHamlett

New member
You're probably full of advice now, but here's one more for you chew .... In review of the images, there seems to be some shadow across the models face and body. Don't be afraid to use a fill flash - even though it may be a bright and hot day.

Fully agree with Dave...I'll bet she is full of wisdom by now, huh? LOL!
 

Danny17

New member
Will do.I know,it's just touch and go sometimes.Wanna see my lowest flash with a point one increment in exposure?DSC_0047.jpgThis is on a cloudy but bright day.I should have left the exposure off,I took about 15 light blasted pictures.
 
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DaveKoontz

Senior Member
The images that I loaded a little earlier today were shot in bright sunlight with some shadow and in +90º heat this past Saturday. I can't say that I'm happy with them and should have followed my own advice on the flash fill. My main goal was to shoot shiny, bright cars to determine if I could beat the reflection in this lighting. I didn't win this one. In the past, I haven't worried about it too much as folks seem to like the 'shine and reflection'. I personally find distracting and offensive so I will continue to experiment. I will shoot two classic cars tomorrow. Both are black, with fresh chrome plating and are highly polished cars. Wish me luck.
 

DaveKoontz

Senior Member
I decided to take my laptop to the shoot and tether in to Nikon Capture for a little help ... To make a long story short, the glare and sunspots were unbelievable. I made the decision to underexpose the images to help combat this condition. The good news is that i won. Admittedly I will spend the rest of my life in Photoshop tweaking, but I would rather worry about exposure correction than fight the glare and hot spots during the shoot. In a quick review of the images, I am very pleased with the outcome. I'll try to put a few up in my gallery in the next couple of days. And, of course, your critiques (not criticism) are welcome.... that's how we learn!
 

KennethHamlett

New member
I decided to take my laptop to the shoot and tether in to Nikon Capture for a little help ... To make a long story short, the glare and sunspots were unbelievable. I made the decision to underexpose the images to help combat this condition. The good news is that i won. Admittedly I will spend the rest of my life in Photoshop tweaking, but I would rather worry about exposure correction than fight the glare and hot spots during the shoot. In a quick review of the images, I am very pleased with the outcome. I'll try to put a few up in my gallery in the next couple of days. And, of course, your critiques (not criticism) are welcome.... that's how we learn!

Is this from your recent automobile shoot?
 

Danny17

New member
I will no doubt have to do the same next time I shoot outside,there seems to be no letting up in the brightness of today's sun,even in the clouds,and I have some tylenol on stand by in case my shoulder starts to hurt.I have a love hate relationship with my photoshop.Let's just say I am amazed at what it can do for me in more ways than one:)I have had the luck of purchasing indoor glue on battery opperated lights from the dollar store,they seem to be a nice compliment for my camera.At 2 dollars each,I bought about 10,becouse the indoor light opportunity is limited.They're very pretty and save energy.I will be doing indoor portraits and I'm saving some money this way,by scattering them,and having a few farther off main light sources.I'm sure my landlord will be gratefull.
 
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DaveKoontz

Senior Member
Today was the day for the shoot .. yes! These were two classic cars that will now be preserved by digital imagery .... great time, a challenge - but all in all a good experience. I had actually tucked away some of the back and forth conversations within the forum, and have to admit that the advice came in very positive. I have an opportunity now to shoot the rest of this collection, but not until early this fall as the cars will be on the show circuit for the rest of the summer.
 

Danny17

New member
I saw your car pictures.They're very nice.I too have found these conversations on line surprisinglly helpfull..I'm quite sure the next lens I'm going to buy will be a fixed 50>I didn't get that advice from the sales guy:).
 
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