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Shoot a model without burning out the sky?
Hi there! How can I shoot a model IN natural light, but keeping the sky blue? If I get the sky to be blue the subject is dark, and if i get the subject lightened the blue sky gets all white. Lets assume it is a bit of a cloudy day and non natural light is forbidden. Many thanks! Canon 6D, Canon 70-200 IS II f2.8 Apr 22 13 01:26 am Link Blue sky on a cloudy day? Apr 22 13 01:29 am Link Designit - Edward Olson wrote: When I say cloudy day, I mean a cloud or too hiding the sun, not a heavy cloudy day. Yes the sky was blue and the day was a bit cloudy Apr 22 13 01:34 am Link buy a large reflector and bounce some of that daylight back onto the subject to reduce the difference in light levels. A white bedsheet or tablecloth would do the trick in a pinch. Shoot RAW as this gives you a much larger dynamic range and you can compensate for the sky afterwards Apr 22 13 02:01 am Link There are different possible strategies: - wait until you obtain more light for use a reflector - use a GND filter on your lens, supposely that you put your subject on a nice background so you should take attention on the filter only for save the sky - HDR and postwork Note: That problem is caused from the limited dynamic range of a camera respect the human eyes. Apr 22 13 02:05 am Link Actually the shoot is in a tough spot for using a reflector, I was wondering if I could do something in terms of settings on the camera or maybe postwork Apr 22 13 02:31 am Link Heres a crazy idea, you can always have the model face towards the sun http://www.flickr.com/photos/11374619@N … otostream/ Apr 22 13 02:33 am Link Graduated Neutral Density Filters http://youtu.be/byXjjT74zSI I did this in post.. ner041D by josedeidaphotography, on Flickr Apr 22 13 02:35 am Link Sometimes I'll go ahead and blow out a sky, and it looks natural. Sometimes I'll make a selection of the sky, and put in a fake blue gradient, add a very little bit of noise, even less blur, then take the opacity down until it "looks natural", then merge it down. It depends on the image. I just accept that, sometimes, There is nothing I can do but blow something out. I deal with the situation appropriately as needed. One image in my MM portfolio has a completely added sky, (from another image). in the many years I have displayed it, NOBODY has ever identified it. Another image has the blue put in, nobody has commented on that either, though I can see it, and would improve it if I ever decide to do it again. The color that is added has to be exact, and subtle, or it will look very fake. People expect to see a very pale sky, if the sun is in the "wrong place". The point is. it has to be done subtly. In "exposing to the right", in order to get an acceptably clean image, I often see some version of this "problem" arise. It is easy to deal with one way or another. -Don EDIT: the solution two above my post is a very good and obvious one, but, sometimes, the background I want is not there to accommodate. Apr 22 13 02:44 am Link Jose Deida wrote: This is great, can you tell me how you did this in post? Apr 22 13 02:47 am Link is there a way to fake GND filters? DIY tip? Apr 22 13 02:51 am Link Images by MR wrote: hmm too much squinting.. Apr 22 13 02:54 am Link Apr 22 13 02:54 am Link Images by MR wrote: I was thinking of that. Apr 22 13 02:58 am Link Jose Deida wrote: Thanks! I hadn't noticed it! Apr 22 13 02:59 am Link Art of the nude wrote: I have to shoot the model in natural light, but thanks! Apr 22 13 03:00 am Link M K wrote: and when the flash does decide to fire Apr 22 13 03:01 am Link Don Garrett wrote: I'm pretty impressed with whatever you did on your avatar. Apr 22 13 03:01 am Link Art of the nude wrote: Thank you, but it wasn't the sky in this case, it was just my usual tonal adjustments. Apr 22 13 03:06 am Link Art of the nude wrote: This is natural light behind the model right before dawn, but she is lying down so the light is all over her Apr 22 13 03:06 am Link Apr 22 13 03:15 am Link OP, if you are able to get some details in the sky (not a complete blowout), you can always develop your raw file twice -- once for the model, etc and again just for the sky. Pull the exposure back on the sky, bump the saturation, highlights, whites, etc. Then merge the two files in PS. Apr 22 13 03:20 am Link M K wrote: This is 6 pm in May, camera facing straight east. We were inside a parking garage, and there were no reflectors or anything. Minimal post; it was a pretty impromptu "test" shoot, basically. I may well have adjusted contrast and such, but nothing like a composite. Apr 22 13 03:29 am Link This may be a silly question but why is non natural light 'forbidden'? Apr 22 13 03:33 am Link Art of the nude wrote: M K wrote: It's really nice, but I was talking about Don's. (That's why I quoted him.) Apr 22 13 03:35 am Link MichaelClements wrote: Yeah, I was wondering that? Because the obvious answers are the reflector already mentioned, or flash. Apr 22 13 05:09 am Link MichaelClements wrote: you are from Australia, the OP is from Greece. Apr 22 13 06:09 am Link expose for the sky and fill the subject with flash..... Apr 22 13 06:12 am Link Circular polarizer helps deepen the sky. Also do not shoot with sun behind subject. Anyhow this was natural light with just a reflector Apr 22 13 06:19 am Link MichaelClements wrote: I use flash outdoors most of the time. Apr 22 13 06:30 am Link Apr 22 13 06:47 am Link M K wrote: This is all about exposure latitude. The range you can expose the sky to get the blue you want is in a range that differs enough from your subject's exposure that they are out of balance. You can't really affect the sky's exposure so you're left do deal with your subject's exposure. Apr 22 13 07:11 am Link Apr 22 13 07:13 am Link M K wrote: Why? Apr 22 13 08:22 am Link M Barnes Photography wrote: This would be my suggestion. Get the model to remain very still and bracket and hope the lower end is enough to bring the sky in. Apr 22 13 08:39 am Link Or replace the sky Apr 22 13 08:42 am Link M K wrote: You simply can't- cameras don't see what the human eye can see so you have to expose for you subject accordingly. There are doings of the trade. YOu can use a reflector to bounce off the light into your subject or expose for the sky and use a flash or strobe. Mind you- you will need a power strobe or bare flash to do so. Here is one I did two weeks ago using a strobe with an octobox. Apr 22 13 09:03 am Link Select the time of day where the light balance between subject and sky are in harmoney. Or expose for the sky and add light to the subject for other times where the light balance isn't right. Apr 22 13 09:15 am Link M K wrote: There a couple of things you can do in these backlit situations. What I have done is take a photo of the background properly exposed, then put the subject where you want her and then take a photo exposed for the subject and in PS create a composite using the two photos. Apr 22 13 09:16 am Link Digitoxin wrote: I have done this, used a polarizing filter, or overpowered the sun a bit with flash. Several ways to the same goal. Apr 22 13 09:30 am Link |