Exposures for Wedding "Black & White"

crashtestmac

crashtestmac

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Name
Mac
Edit My Images
Yes
How do all.

I have started to get a bit concerned about an up coming "job", i have agreed to cover a wedding for someone but i am having a few concerns about exposures, just to add i will not be the main tog but want the pictures for them and also my portfolio.

Most of my normal shooting is staged, studio style or sports and i am comfortable with that.

I know i may be worrying over something and nothing but.......!

I am photographing a couple where he is white and she is black, he will be wearing black and she will be wearing white.......!


Hopefully this is me worrying for no reason but i saw a recent post about a zoo trip of all things which has lead me to doubt my shooting style with regards to metering and exposure.

Can anyone offer any useful guide lines or tips for things to watch out for.

I will be shooting with a D700 and an SB900, i have a light sphere as well. Any mayor gotchas...?

Thanks
Mac :shrug:
 
I dont think any DSLR has the dynamic range to handle the difference between almost white and almost black, so you have to make sure you capture enough highlight and shadow detail so that you can increase the dynamic range in post production.

It really also depends on where you are shooting the B&G. Try not to shoot in direct sunlight as the specular highlights on the brides dress will drive you up the wall. Lets assume they are in open shade. If you expose the brightest part of the brides dress as roughly +2 whilst checking that you arent clipping any highlights, the black suit should still retain enough shadow detail to give you a good exposure to take to the PP stage.

Similar approach applies if you are indoors, the flash would be helpful if the scene is too dark for available light, and as before if you expose the white dress at roughly +2, you'll get a reasonable exposure.

Hope that helps.
 
So in that case should i be pointing at the dress then using the AE-lock then recomposing then taking the pick with the the +2...?

I am getting more confused the more i read about it.

Being dyslexic does not help me at all...!!!



aaarrrrggggghhhh
 
Camera measures reflected light and then tries to adjust back to an average grey (call it 18% grey although others may say a different number)

An incident meter measures the light falling on the subject and would certainly do better than a reflected meter in this instance.

You can use the cameras reflected meter and adjust to suit but shooting in M with a light meter can be quicker.

You don't need to use AE lock - Place the camera in M and set the exposure you want. If you lock the exposure, can you still set EC? - Not sure as I never do that.
 
crashtestmac said:
So in that case should i be pointing at the dress then using the AE-lock then recomposing then taking the pick with the the +2...?

I am getting more confused the more i read about it.

Being dyslexic does not help me at all...!!!



aaarrrrggggghhhh
Click to expand...


have a read of this useful thread. link

I found a very good way to practise is get any old household object that is white or close to white i.e. a coffee mug and place it next to a fairly dark subject i.e. a black lens. Now try and expose for the "scene" so that you get the white object to come out as white but a decent amount of detail on the black object too. Its quick and easy to have a play around, and slowly you will start to get to grips with working in Manual, spot metering and exposure compensation.
 
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Remember using flash you may need FEC too.
 
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