Photographing multiple skin tones

[Horoscope Fish]

Learned something new today! I would not have expected Auto-ISO to work in Manual mode. Good to know!

Manual mode with Auto-ISO is how I shoot 99% of the time. It allows me to decide aperture and shutter speed, which are the crucial aspects for me artistically speaking, while Auto-ISO delivers consistent exposure. I'm willing to let my ISO go as high as it needs to, typically, in order to keep to my chosen shutter speed and aperture because as I see it, digital noise is the most correctable aspect of the Exposure Triangle. And, as JSee points out, you can even control ISO to a degree by using the Exposure Compensation button/scroll-wheel combo. I find this gives me just the right balance of automation and anal-retentive control.

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

I'm drawing a blank on this. I use AF-S and back button focusing almost exclusively and I can't figure out how this would work without actually changing the focus mode. Care to clarify what you mean/are doing here?

When using BBF you set the focus mode to AF-C and when you hold the back button it is in continuous BUT if you focus and then remove your thumb it locks the focus to that place so it is in AF-S at that time.

 

[BackdoorArts]

When using BBF you set the focus mode to AF-C and when you hold the back button it is in continuous BUT if you focus and then remove your thumb it locks the focus to that place so it is in AF-S at that time.

Gotcha. You just need to make sure AF-C mode is set to Release as well. Thanks.

 

[F & F2 Man]

After reading the OP, I knew the problem right away....

The meter (even on spot metering) will average the exposure to be 18% gray, so any darker skinned person will be lighter than they really are IF.... they they take up most of the frame, or you spot meter their face.

You need to either use a mode that allows you to give less exposure (darker) with EC, or use FULL manual (including manual ISO) and underexpose by at least 1 stop. (use the light meter bar for that "-1")

If you have a live view on your D750, you can just dial in -1 and see the change.

With lighter skinned people, a +0.3 or +0.6 may be enough to bring-up their skin tone to lighter than 18% gray in the same photo setting.

Sometimes it's better NOT to allow the camera to decide any of the exposure settings! Instead, the photographers experience will decide what is needed to do!

 

[J-see]

When in doubt it's always possible to lower (or not use) ISO and do that part in post. That way you always get the skintones right.

Here's an older shot I took with the D750 in which my subject was in front of too bright windows. ISO 100 and highlight metering (+EC) and afterwards some tweaking in post.





Light skintones make it a bit easier but for dark the principle is identical. With the D750 you can do this stuff and still get good shots out of it.

 

[singlerosa_RIP]

FWIW, on the D750, you can program the movie button (on top/right by the LCD) to ISO, giving you one hand control of the exposure triangle.

 

[Panza]

FWIW, on the D750, you can program the movie button (on top/right by the LCD) to ISO, giving you one hand control of the exposure triangle.

My movie button is set to ISO : )! Probably one of the first changes I made along with back button focus. : )

 

[Panza]

When in doubt it's always possible to lower (or not use) ISO and do that part in post. That way you always get the skintones right.

Here's an older shot I took with the D750 in which my subject was in front of too bright windows. ISO 100 and highlight metering (+EC) and afterwards some tweaking in post.

Light skintones make it a bit easier but for dark the principle is identical. With the D750 you can do this stuff and still get good shots out of it.

When I first started learning about post editing and Lightroom I was so wowed by the results and shadows I could bring out, I went and retouched thousands of photos I thought were underexposed. I had been shooting in RAW+JPEG for years. I did it because it took up the most space so I naturally thought it was the highest quality way to get photos. As long as the subject doesn't want to see how they came out in the camera on the tiny little screen, I'm all for post! Sometimes, it's best to impress on the spot : )

 

[Panza]

I've really gotten better at choosing the correct exposure values and metering for different situations though. : ) Thank you folks