Some Advise on these 2 pics please!

topcatproduction

topcatproduction

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Ok so I took these nearly a year ago but I meant to ask a couple of things that remain!

It was a very bright day, I understand it is hard for a camera to decide on the important bits in briht sunshine but I was wondering if there was a way of getting some of the pitch black under the car visible (excluding PP) or whether it would just end up that the bright parts of the pic would flare? The reason is that there is actually some stuff under the back that is quite cool- not just a shadow on the concrete!

IMG_1321.jpg


And with this one- I took about 4 pics of this car and all came out very dark- was it the camera changing the WB too much because the white car was so bright or something else?

IMG_1297.jpg


I now have a 40D instead of my 400D and dont want the same to happen this summer! I guess thats where using manual settings pays off- I used to normally only choose the ISO and aperture or exposure.

I did start to shoot RAW but I just dont have enough time to play with files (sorry no way I can get around that!)(and they take up so much space!) so turned it off and just shoot in Jpeg, which is why I'd like to get better at getting good pics straight out of the camera.
 
the exif (camera data information contained in the photos) shows different results.

First one f/14 at 1/400th which is not bad for the sky but the car is under exposed a tad.

Second on is very under exposed f/18 @ 1/500th, this could be the camera metering for the white and dark parts of the car but I suspect user error. When in shutter priority mode, lik eyou were, it is all well and good have anice fast shutter to help combat camera shake but this will often give you a larger f stop number (less light getting into the sensor, confusing sometimes isn't it).

When you have selected your shutter speed, and half pressed focus to lock on, what do you see in the view finder?

Does the needle register in the middle?

Try and adjust the wheels to suit the needle pointer toward s the middle first, then you may get better exposures.

There are other factors too but these can become complicated if you are not quite understanding what shutter speeds and f stops do.

Hope this helps.
 
I used to shoot Tv but normally use Av now- easier control over DOF is the way I see it now I have more of an understanding- but there may be error in my ways! When I took those pics I had only had my camera a little while, the worst thing was the screen was almost impossible to see in bright sun, even when shading with a hand, hopefully the 40D bigger screen will help a little.
 
tiler65 said:
the exif (camera data information contained in the photos) shows different results.

First one f/14 at 1/400th which is not bad for the sky but the car is under exposed a tad.

Second on is very under exposed f/18 @ 1/500th, this could be the camera metering for the white and dark parts of the car but I suspect user error. When in shutter priority mode, lik eyou were, it is all well and good have anice fast shutter to help combat camera shake but this will often give you a larger f stop number (less light getting into the sensor, confusing sometimes isn't it).

When you have selected your shutter speed, and half pressed focus to lock on, what do you see in the view finder?

Does the needle register in the middle?

Try and adjust the wheels to suit the needle pointer toward s the middle first, then you may get better exposures.

There are other factors too but these can become complicated if you are not quite understanding what shutter speeds and f stops do.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

As an ignoramus I read this and 'ping' the lightbulb in my head lit up :thankyou:
 
When the meter in your camera looks at a scene it trys to make it an 18% grey so if there is a lot of white it will underexpose, if a lot of black it will overexpose. Once you grasp that basic principle you are mostly there. Your camera has several metering options, evaluative or average, where it takes a guess at the whole scene, centre weighted, where it places more emphasis on what is in the centre and possibly spot where it looks at a very small area.

If for example you use spot metering and point it at the white car it will try and convert that to 18% grey and thus underexpose, if you point it at some nice grey tarmac it will meter that at 18% again but this time of course it is reading the light level correctly. A good tip is to try and find an area that gives an 18% grey value and meter from that, grass is a good substitute.

I get a meter reading like that when shooting birds in flight, as as soon as I point the camera at the sky the meter goes way over the real light value I need to get the bird correctly exposed.

I hope that gives you a better understanding of metering. Now all you need to do is set the exposure based on what figures you are seeing, either using manual settings or dialling in some exposure compensation.

The problem you have with your shots is covering a wide range of light and dark, that's where digital has trouble coping, and can only be sorted with some Post Processing.
 
That does make sense thanks, I should read the manual again but having first had a 400D I never learnt to use spot metering which my 40D has- I know how to select it but tbh I still haven't had a good play with it since I got it :shake:
 
The first picture is a littl eunder exposed but that wouldn't really help the shadow area because it's so much darker. Two ways to sort it next time - turn the car around and shoot from the other side. If you look at this pic you have got shadows caused by bright sun. Turn it round and you would have the sun shining on the detail that's hidden. Alternatively use a flash to fill the shadows.

Second pic is just under exposed probably due to the camera metering on the white.

Because there are so many reflective surfaces to fool the camera it's best to take a reading from some neutral object - grass or trees maybe - and set the camera to manual. If the sun is VERY strong you might then need to drop a stop for white cars.
 
Hi TC,

This has to be the best thread I have seen which explains white balance and how it works in this case. Some brilliant advice.

The only thing I would add, is change to aperature priority when you are taking pics of things that are not moving. It gives you better control of your depth of field.

As suggested fill flash would of course saved the day.

Regards

Chris
 
G2EWS said:
Hi TC,

This has to be the best thread I have seen which explains white balance and how it works in this case. Some brilliant advice.



Chris
Click to expand...

Sorry but you have miss the point . It is not WB but exposure that s wrong due to metering on the white car and trying to make it gray.
 
AndyB said:
Second pic is just under exposed probably due to the camera metering on the white.

If the sun is VERY strong you might then need to drop a stop for white cars.
Click to expand...

you got it right re under exposed BUT you then get it back to front you need to open up a stop or more for white , its same for snow
 
The only way your going to get some light underneath in the first shot with out resorting to post processing is to use some off camera flash. For me your best bet with a static subject like that is to take multiple exposures and blend them to get the result your after. HDR is a bit or a risky topic in these parts but I think it would work really well for your first photo.
 
Thanks for the replies, I just need to read how to actually use the spot metering on my camera to start!

Would a small flash off camera held underneath help get some of the detail back from underneath on pics like the first one? I was thinking underneath as there would be less reflections from the flash on the shiny bodywork etc?

Chris- I am now using DOF as standard for the same reason you suggested.
 
Chaz Photos said:
Sorry but you have miss the point . It is not WB but exposure that s wrong due to metering on the white car and trying to make it gray.
Click to expand...

Hi Chaz,

Thanks for pointing that out. Bit of a hurried post by me, I did know it was the exposure being talked about.

Best regards

Chris
 
The easiest way to lighten the shadows is with the latest version of Canon's DPP which includes shadow control to lift them.

Next best is to use the histograms and expose to the right. Like slide film of old, you expose for the highlight such that you are just about to burn the highlights out. Then you can PP the best aesthetic shot later as yuou will have the maximum amount of data to play with. Just watch out for blowing the highlights.

Failing all this, turn the contrast down so that the blacks are lighter and the whites are less so - that way you'll have more detail in the shadows but a less punchy picture.
 
note you can adjust your exposure in the semi automatic modes using the exposure compensation, you dont have to go manual (the semi automatic modes are tools to be used, you just need to know how to get the most from them)

Learning to read the histogram is handy for when its too bright to see your display properly.
 
I guess I should have just tweeked in CS3 first eh?!!!:lol:

First one much better, the colours look slightly strange in the 2nd, but seeing how bad the original was its a great improvement.

In the first one did you just select the colour range of the shadowed area and lighten/contrast?
 
There is often more than one way to achieve the same thing in Photoshop. I just tweaked the Curves and Levels settings. Then a tiny tweak of the colour balance.
What's going on with the bonnet of the car? There's a section where I can see the orange van's wheel through it.

 
It guess it's not perfect but it doesn't look over-exposed here. Is your monitor calibrated?
 
Chaz Photos said:
you got it right re under exposed BUT you then get it back to front you need to open up a stop or more for white , its same for snow
Click to expand...

Damn you :) I realised I'd done that but I was rushing out and I couldn't stop to edit. Thanks for correcting anyway.
 
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