Beginner F.stop on a sunny day explain please

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Justin
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ok so I understand about depth of field and use of aperture for that but last night was prom and I tried to get some nice pictures of my son but it was bright hard sunlight so when I look now the colours aren’t that flattering.

Am I doing something wrong, could I be using aperture as a way of helping or should I be looking at just stopping down and under exposing (if that’s the correct term?)

Any help please.

Justin
 
Aperture controls the depth of field and shouldn't affect colour.

Probably best to post a couple of images so people can see what your are talking about.

What was your aperture, shutter speed and ISO?
 
Hard sunlight is hard sunlight I’m afraid, regardless of camera settings. As above, post a couple so we can see, if it is colour that’s off it may be a white balance issue that can be sorted after the photograph has been taken :)
 
Of course, as is advised, I was meaning more of we could help out with the photographs that have already been taken (y)
 
Of course, as is advised, I was meaning more of we could help out with the photographs that have already been taken (y)


Sorry.. just a bugbear of mine... see so many people advising shoot in raw and fix WB later....which is the same as.. take a bad picture on purpose and fix on a computer ... i thought you where heading that way.. i was too quick on the buzzer :)
 
I wholeheartedly agree :) Especially when it’s a simple one! No apology required or necessary :)
 
I always find for relativity close subjects. A little bit of fill in flash helps on sunny days.
 
… last night… it was bright hard sunlight so when I look now the colours aren’t that flattering.

With the info you give, I guess WB settings may need tweaking if
you shot JPGs. JPGs are pictures so WB is indeed very critical.
Aperture controls the depth of field and shouldn't affect colour.
True.
Hard sunlight is hard sunlight I’m afraid, regardless of camera settings.
Correct.
may be a white balance issue that can be sorted after the photograph has been taken
In RAW yes but in JPG in a waaaaay lesser measure.
(1) many people advising shoot in raw and fix WB later...
(2) which is the same as.. take a bad picture on purpose and fix on a computer
1, WB being a less critical tweak when shooting RAW because there
is no picture yet… just recorded data. The great advantage in setting
WB in camera when shooting RAW is that it is less work in PP.

2, When JPGs are shot, yes, pictures are taken and WB is very
consequential… because it is a picture.
 
ok so I understand about depth of field and use of aperture for that but last night was prom and I tried to get some nice pictures of my son but it was bright hard sunlight so when I look now the colours aren’t that flattering.

Am I doing something wrong, could I be using aperture as a way of helping or should I be looking at just stopping down and under exposing (if that’s the correct term?)

Any help please.

Justin
Post a photo so we can see. That's the only way anyone can give proper advice. (y)
 
Sorry.. just a bugbear of mine... see so many people advising shoot in raw and fix WB later....which is the same as.. take a bad picture on purpose and fix on a computer ... i thought you where heading that way.. i was too quick on the buzzer :)


OK here goes.. i see things in really simplistic terms...

A) If you take a picture and do everyhting you can to take a good picture.. thats the correct way

B) to purposely take a picture knowing its not going to look good but its OK you can fix later in software is the wrong way


thats my simplistic view on shooting raw and setting WB later.. i don't have anythign against RAW unless its being used as a crutch..
 
A) If you take a picture and do everyhting you can to take a good picture.. thats the correct way

B) to purposely take a picture knowing its not going to look good but its OK you can fix later in software is the wrong way
Absolutely agree....
thats my simplistic view on shooting raw and setting WB later
But as I said raw is WB agnostic, i.e it does not have a WB value baked in, so you are not correcting or fixing anything... the setting on the camera is simply referenced in the file and that is sometimes used by the chosen translation software to present its own version and not all software is equal in its interpretation here.

When converting the file the option to select a suitable WB is only the same as what the cameras internal software is doing.

Choosing/selecting/dialling in your desired WB is a part of the conversion process even if you have been lucky enough to get it all right in camera and as such should not be considered to be a 'fix' after the image is taken....
 
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The OP has been back on line today but has not responded in any way.

Why do people ask for help/advice and then just ignore everyone, not even a simple 'thank you'?
 
Why do people ask for help/advice and then just ignore everyone


Life is not turning around the forum… maybe the OP is con-
sidering seriously the answers and will come up with results
that will say the question / responses were not in vain? :cool:
 
Could be, but just a 'thanks' never did any harm.


Yes, you could have a thanks now or, if you are patient,
see him back with a big smile on his face… I'll wait! :)
 
The OP has been back on line today but has not responded in any way.

Why do people ask for help/advice and then just ignore everyone, not even a simple 'thank you'?


Possibly because s/he asks an innocent question and is confronted by a whole range of answers which seem to contradict each other and sometimes cause offence among those responding?
 
Possibly because s/he asks an innocent question and is confronted by a whole range of answers which seem to contradict each other and sometimes cause offence among those responding?
I am probably guilty there in trying to correct a statement that someone innocently posted....

However no one can actually give any positive advice till we see what the problem really is... So, if the OP is reading this, please post an example.
 
Sorry gentlemen, I’ve been away from my computer, thank you All for your replies what I will do when I get a chance is upload a picture then maybe it will make a bit more sense. Thanks for taking the time to offer thoughts, i’ll Get a picture up this week.
 
The only reason the aperture would have an effect if the photo was over exposed and the skies etc were blown out if that's what you mean? A narrower aperture (lower number) would bring the exposure down and darken the image, albeit not only the over exposed areas but the correctly exposed areas too. May be worth checking your other settings, to see if your ISO is low enough or your shutter speed is fast enough.

If the image isn't over exposed it's more likely to be a wb issue which is easily rectified if you've shot in RAW.

A look at the image would help loads :)
 
Try a polarising filter next time it is very sunny
 
Would that make much difference for portraits?

Not all portraits and light conditions are the same so I cant answer that with certainty but I would imagine it is worth a try if sunny conditions are proving to be problematic.
 
Is this some kind of joke ?
Of course it isn't, it is a genuine question... a polariser will help with the saturation of colours such as the greens in foliage etc, I was curious as to what other benefits there are...
 
Polarisers are dark and so cut out some of the light - so long as the camera's exposure system does not compensate for it.
 
Polarisers are dark and so cut out some of the light - so long as the camera's exposure system does not compensate for it.
So use a 2 stop ND, I am just wondering what you will gain from using a polariser under the conditions described, if there is a benefit I am not aware of, I am quite happy to take that on board.
 
One gain in using a polarising filter is that you do not have to buy a ND filter. Of course, if you have a ND filter and no polariser, that is not a gain.
 
One gain in using a polarising filter is that you do not have to buy a ND filter. Of course, if you have a ND filter and no polariser, that is not a gain.

Though isn't an ND filter more predictable (?) in usage........whereas a polariser you will need to experiment with the extinction point positioning to judge the level of the effect???
 
which is the same as.. take a bad picture on purpose and fix on a computer

And this is a bugbear of mine cos that's nothing like what it means to shoot raw and sort WB later - but don't let facts spoil your constant ranting about this point ;)

Dave
 
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