DSLR Shots and Discussions

LunaZ

Whatever this translates to in Nikon-speak:




Your settings may vary depending on preferences you've set up in your menus. I have my exposure increments set up for 1/3 stop.

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boarderbob

You were correct. That's 2/3 of a stop higher. However, I've always heard it's better to underexpose than overexpose when shooting digital.

LunaZ

Which is why I said I follow the "debatable expose to the right rule".
I've heard what you've heard as well. As with 6spd, I've found my Canon 7D and 5D MkII to underexpose a little when I set it to expose "in the middle". I know this because I constantly found myself increasing the exposure anywhere from +0.50-1.00 in Lightroom in order to get what I saw when making the shot.
In my personal experiences, raising the exposure on an underexposed shot created noise, particularly in the underexposed areas... such as when you're trying to lighten up an area that shows too much shadow. Recovering "slightly" overexposed areas or hot spots by reducing the exposure or sliding the highlights adjuster down, or using dodge and burn techniques to add shadows to an area did not result in added noise.
So I decided to take what "they" say with a grain of salt. I'm sure there's instances where exposing to the right can create blown-out highlights, but I'd like to think I'm smart enough to identify those situations and adjust my exposure accordingly!

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Huck

Actually the shot itself is dead on, I verified it in photoshop with the grid lines. It's the line on the road that's throwing the whole perspective off. I wanted to get off of it but I wasn't able to since the road was pretty busy. Maybe I can just photoshop it out lol. Thanks for the advice!

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saber

I'm probably more interested right now in on-camera speedlites. I use an SB-700, and because right now it's more event coverage, I don't have time to set up a shoot area.

However, I am looking for an economical way to expand, and thought about an umbrella or diffuser dish. Just don't know if A) I need more speedlights (I only have my little SB-700 for now), and B) If that's really the next place I want to go with this.

are there pros/cons to a circular diffuser cap vs a box?

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LunaZ

For on the camera I really think the best bet is a bracket to get the flash off-center. The positioning results in shots with more pleasant lighting that don't look like you're trying to be Terry Richardson.
As far as diffusion goes, it really depends on your subject matter. A convention such as Comic-Con may call for a beauty dish or even just the bare flash to bring out the detail of the costumes and put a catch-light in the eyes that mimics anime. For something like a wedding, you might want something softer.

A quick and easy way to use multiple speedlites is:

• Get another speedlite.
• Can your camera remotely fire additional speedlites? If not, you'll need a transmitter/receiver system.
• Get a lightweight lightstand.
• You need one of these to mount your speedlite and an umbrella on the lightstand: F.J. Westcott Company Westcott 5015 Adjustable Shoe Mount Bracket for Speedlites Light Stands, Mounts & Clamps at Markertek.com
• Finally, an umbrella. Ideally, one that can convert from reflector to shoot-through for the most versatility.

This setup will be fairly lightweight and portable, and the accessories will be less than the additional speedlite itself.

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Cmike2780

If you want to create a diffuser, a cheap solution is to head out to home depot and buy a piece of thin plexiglass. It's about $5 a sheet depending on the size and thickness. Then get some sandpaper and a sanding block. Remove the protective film and lightly & evenly sand one side and leave the other side shiny. This works better if you can get the flash off the camera. It's ghetto & a bit cumbersome, but it works if you just want to experiment.

Portraits are subjective. You can create some great shots with single strobe or go all out with 3 or more. If you're on a tight budget, there are a few options:

-Try a mini softbox for your speedlight. It's around $8-$25. My Westcott 8x12" was about $20 at B&H. I recommend investing on a TTL Remote Cord for your speedlight to really get it off the camera. The flash straight on is very unflattering in most cases. A diffusion dome still creates a hot spot if you aim straight on. You're still bouncing light, although it's a bit more, well.....diffused.

-Skip speedlights and use natural lighting. You can achieve great results with an indoor portrait next to a window on a sunny day. Outdoors, a collapsible reflector and/or diffuser can get you great result. You'll just have to work on how to position them properly and may require an assistant. You can also use them indoors with your speedlight with some experimenting. The Lastolite Trigrips are my favorite, but they're a bit more expensive. Westcott makes some reasonably priced circular ones.

-Rent out a studio. Look around and see if there are places near you. They usually have lighting equipment you can rent. Rentals run anywhere from $15 to $30 or more per hour, but you'll have access to professional lighting equipment. Nice to try at least once instead of investing hundreds on your own equipment.

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boarderbob

You make some good points. What ISO do you typically shoot at?

LunaZ

Depends.
If I'm shooting a portrait, a model, etc., in a studio situation or on a well lit stage (such as at a beauty convention), always 100 so I have the least noise possible. It makes skin touch-ups and post-shot cropping easier.

If I've got a moving target such as a car, plane or wildlife, I'll bump it up as high as necessary for the lighting conditions while still allowing for the shutter speed I need to capture said moving target. Sometimes I'm unable to complete the exposure triangle fast enough in my head and I'll set my ISO on auto for a couple of shots and let technology point me in the right direction.

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6spd

Yeah there really are endless options for portraits.

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6spd

You can buy a cheap speedlight, and use a wireless transmitter, for rim lighting and bounce it off a reflector in front of the subject. That's cheap and gives you many more varying options.

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LunaZ

Oh right... can't believe I forgot to mention reflectors!
A collapsible reflector goes with me most places.
A piece of foam board works well as a cheap, quick reflector if portability is not an issue.

For the editorial shoot we worked on yesterday, we had these 4x8' crinkly foil coated insulating wall boards set up as reflectors and flags in one.

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saber

I <3 you guys. lol. Thanks!

I've always known lighting was never my forte because I never had a chance to work on it. Now I think I can, so time to get some practice in and see what I can do.

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LunaZ

Despite cooling temps the last two weeks, this scene says there's still hope for summer in Central PA:

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onzedge

I like this.

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