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Huge problem with indoor flashless photo lighting
Hello! After waiting 2 weeks to be able to post anything, I can finally introduce myself. But PLEASE... do not leave comments about my profile photos because they are temporary. I just threw 4 of them up there so that I could register. I own a Nikon D50 with the standard 18-55mm Nikkor lens. I am doing indoor model photography, and my models' skin tones range from pasty white to chocolate. Flash is my new enemy for a lot of reasons. The models tend to blink and I am catching a lot of closed eyes (these are during test shots, not final shots), anything remotely close up gets washed out and over exposed, and the wide shots produce an ugly shadow cast by the flash. I have been playing with indoor lighting, and trying to set my ISO and shutter speeds to give me good, natural skin tones without the horrid use of flash. Since I am a beginner, I am looking for someone's suggested settings. I've been tinkering with the PSAM modes, along with the lighting presets on the camera. Once I figure out how to post pictures, I can post some of the worst ones I have taken, and hopefully you can tell me the best way to correct them (without resorting to Photoshop). Does anyone here do flashless indoor photography? Please tell me your camera setttings and types of lights you use. Thank you so much and I look forward to actively posting in these threads!! Ricardo ISO 1600 seems to be the only one that gives the brightest results, but with flash turned off I am still getting dark images even with my 250 Watt 3200 degree tungsten light set. Nov 18 06 06:32 pm Link well to take care of that shadow cast try thowing a light up thats from the side pointed on the background it will take care of the shadows a bit Nov 18 06 06:37 pm Link It sounds like you are shooting mostly in program mode or pre-set... Unless you want to use that camera just as a point and click... One of the first things you need to do is start working in manual mode... iso 1600 no way! I would definately get a target so you can start white balancing the camera and get your exposures set properly. this is short but aside from spending the day with you and showing you.. I shot with the d50 for a year, it can put out great images is you know what you are doing. hope this helps.. if you need anything just pm me.. Nov 18 06 06:38 pm Link You should take a class on photography or go to your local book store and pickup a book and read. That is the best advice I think you can get. although others will give you advice on here, it seems like your photographic skills are non existence, other then at pointing and shooting, but my niece can do that as well and she is 5. It takes a lot more then just throwing some lights up and putting your camera at a specific setting. You need to really understand lighting, exposure, etc. so that you can pave the way at becoming more successful. Hope this helps. Don't get discourage. READ and then shoot. Trial and error can work, but would be best if you pick up a book and read about photography. Take care! Nov 18 06 06:51 pm Link Probably the most important part of photography is lighting, without proper lighting you will not get what you wanted to shoot. my suggestion is to find a photograper in your local area who does seminars on lighting for the type of photography you are interested in. Without someone who knows what they are doing showing you, you will be stumbling in the dark and will never get what you want out of photography. Nov 18 06 06:56 pm Link The best book I have read is one of John Hedgecoe's books, but he goes everywhere with it - outdoors, creative shots, bla bla... and mentions very little about not using flash. I think I just feel like manual mode is a big scary animal. But yes, I need to tackle it. I did want to begin as point and shoot with preset modes, then gradually move on to manual and semi-manual modes. I will try to post some examples tomorrow or Monday. I am going to begin studying the white balance features and see what I can come up with. Thanks for your quick replies!!! I come from a forum where an answer from anyone takes hours or days... you guys are so helpful and I like the fast replies. :-) Nov 18 06 07:01 pm Link In my port's bottom row, the photo of the brunette in a bed sheet was taken with a D50 and continous lighting. Try shooting next to a window with curtains drawn. It acts like a giant softbox. I used a 650 watt halogen bounced off a white umbrella bounced off a mirror. I then used a small 200 watt keylight for her. Your wattage is not enough. Nov 18 06 07:13 pm Link If you look on my MM page pic 16 & 18 were indoors without flash. They are using window lighting soley. Doing this is a matter of experience and I recommend to you to take a lot of pics in various lighting conditions to see what effects they have on the pics. It took me quite a while to develop an eye for natural light shots, so don't get too discouraged if progress isn't too fast. If you can get a book on natural light photography ( no flash) it will help you. I started reading one recently "Natural Light Portrait Photography" by Douglas Allen Box. It discusses "no flash" photography but both in doors and outdoors. A book like this will give you some good ideas. Nov 18 06 07:23 pm Link I should also mention I had a diffuser on the keylight. Look, you're shooting with a digital. In my experience, they need more light. 250 watts is not going to cut it. I'd go with lights that are 800 - 1000 watts each and dim them down as needed. Use the window suggestion, even if the window won't be in the frame. I know a light dealer on Ebay with good prices if you're interested. Nov 18 06 07:23 pm Link This is the absolute PERFECT look that I would love to acheive: https://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pid=535383 Rich and Jason, I will look into both of your suggestions! I'm using Smith Victor 2 x 250W lights with white umbrellas. Nov 18 06 07:25 pm Link I have 3 Smith & Victor 500 watt lights with diffusers and dimmers and scoop reflectors. Only use them for key and hair lights. For backgrounds, I use my Britek halogens and umbrellas. Try not to overlight, you want shadow for depth. Lately I only use one Britek and window light because I like the skin tones and shadows better. Nov 18 06 07:35 pm Link so all you have is a d50 and the kit lens. Are you ready to invest in more gear? This can be done going cheap with 150 watt bulbs from home depot, or picking up a monolight. My first thought is for you to bump your iso up a little and shoot with available light. Iso 400-800 so you can learn some basics. On camera flash produces those nasty little shadows. try shooting without it. Someone suggested avoiding program modes and shooting manual. This needs to be echoed. You learn more by doing it yourself than by relying on the computer to do it for you. Nov 18 06 07:35 pm Link Gratifixation M wrote: I use two 250W halogen lights with reflecting white umbrellas. Possibly a third (home depot) light on the background. Nov 18 06 07:38 pm Link Jim, thanks for that link!!! I will look it over tonight. By the way... is this THE Big Jim Slade from Blue Blake's studios? Nov 18 06 07:43 pm Link Gratifixation M wrote: I am sure there are thousands of Big Jim Slades in the world. It was a popular movie in the 70's. But no, I am not the one you have heard of before. Nov 18 06 08:03 pm Link care to share your fstop and shutter speeds? I know the kit lens probably isn't a very fast one, but i wouldn't think you'd have to go to ISO 1600. Not that i'd mind ISO 1600 personally, i kinda like the grainy noisey stuff. I'm by no means one of the fancier photogs here on MM...but i'm happy to tell you how i lit anything im my portfolio if you're curious. Nov 18 06 08:22 pm Link Hi Spike This SEEMS to give me decent results when I point a light at the background and then use 45 degree softlight (umbrella) 250W on the model with no flash: Mode: Manual Fstop: 3.5 Shutter: 100 or 125 (they seems to give identical results) ISO: 400 But that's only using my hand or foot as the model! Nov 18 06 08:36 pm Link I use the Nikon D200. On the D200 you cannot use a shutter higher than 250 so you should keep this in mind. I always shut using manual and recommend that you do the same. I never shoot with an ISO over 200 you will need to adjust your shutter speed and aperture setting to get the proper lighting. Your lights I would recommend setting on the side and pointed down on the subject. Hope this advise helps. Regards, William Whetzel Photos LLC 109 Fig Tree Run Longwood, FL 32750 Phone (407) 260-1396 Cell (407) 409-2055 E-mail [email protected] Web http://www.whetzelphotos.com/ OMP 144793 Model Mayhem 52878 Nov 18 06 08:51 pm Link Whetzel Photos wrote: it has a sync speed of 1/250, but i think the OP is talking about using hotlights so he doesn't have to worry about sync speed. Nov 18 06 09:25 pm Link Hey Gratif, on that lens I've gone down to an agonizingly slow 1/15th of a second. Not suggesting you do it, but consider your settings. Nov 18 06 10:12 pm Link Several suggestions: 1 Use a tripod if you are shooting a relatively still subject when using your continous lights. With the tripod you should be able to use a slower shutter speed without getting camera shake blurring at lower ISO speeds. 2 Try getting an external camera mounted flash and bounce off a white ceiling or wall. Make sure the flash can both tilt up and down and rotate so you can bounce in portrait or landscape mode. Dan Nov 18 06 10:20 pm Link Pixel-Magic Photography wrote: dan is a man that I would always listen too, sound advice from a solid shooter Nov 18 06 10:25 pm Link I strobe every thing; hand held flash, homemade diffuser. Everything set manually including the flash. Takes A LOT of practice. Pop up flash is BAD.  Nov 18 06 10:29 pm Link Nov 18 06 10:46 pm Link Elite Photos - LA wrote: So true. Great advice Jun 21 08 10:04 pm Link Original Post date/time: Nov 18 06 06:32 pm OP's last login: May 02, 2007 I don't think I could say anything to help him now... Jun 21 08 10:24 pm Link Paul Bryson Photography wrote: I think that this sort of thread is useful to a lot of us new folk. Jun 21 08 10:37 pm Link MikeRobisonPhotos wrote: Well, you're right...it is useful. Jun 21 08 11:16 pm Link HottShotz wrote: Not quite sure how you managed to bump up a thread that's a year and a half old. Jun 21 08 11:30 pm Link DVP Photography wrote: and shouldn't it be in the photography talk forum? :biglaugh: Jun 21 08 11:44 pm Link "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson Read it... live it. Jun 21 08 11:47 pm Link I shoot indoor with no Flash but then again I shoot at 1.8 so that helps m,e a bit. I have no idea how to use artificial lighting so I can't help you I'm a natural light kind of girl for now. Jun 21 08 11:51 pm Link wow I guess he never did anything with his photography this user hasnt logged on into MM for over a year. Who bumped this Jun 21 08 11:52 pm Link DVP Photography wrote: le sigh... we buy em books. send em to school & all they can do is eat the glue. Jun 21 08 11:53 pm Link DVP Photography wrote: LOL. And the OP hasn't been around in more than a year. Jun 21 08 11:55 pm Link Paul Bryson Photography wrote: Been there, done that. Jun 21 08 11:57 pm Link MikeRobisonPhotos wrote: Oh, well play with the shutter manually. You'll be amazed at some of the cool stuff you'll get. Jun 21 08 11:59 pm Link Under the circumstances (OP no longer here, 18 month old--but useful--thread...) I'm going to move this to the Photography Talk forum Jun 22 08 12:00 am Link First of all a 250 watt light is not going to give you enough light to shoot. No wonder you are setting your ISO to 1600. I used to use two or three 600 watt lights and still I was shooting at ISO 400 and 1/80 or 1/60 sec. White balance would need to be set for incandescent lights, but you will still likely get more of a yellow cast than you want. I agree that you need to put the camera down and start reading books on how your camera works, how to set up a studio, lighting, etc. Then you will need to svae up your pennies to purchase appropriate lighting. I went into debt in order to set upa astudio...more than once, since I beagn with hot lights and eventually purchased strobes. It's a long process. It's not going to happen overnight for you. There are no quick fixes. Jun 22 08 12:02 am Link Everything in my portfolio was shot with my D50. I set mine for ISO 200. What you may want to consider if you are using window light is to find a window that isn't in the corner of the room.so you can get the model farther away from the wall. A reflector would be a good idea too in case that isn't doable. Just direct the light at the wall where the shadows are to lighten them up a bit. Also try alternating between metering for the window, the subject and about halfway between. Ive gotten some really good results that way. **for this a hand held light meter would be a good idea if not essential** it doesn't need to be an expensive since you aren't planning to use strobe. You can probably get a decent incident meter in the $50. range. Either way, you'll want to experiment with your settings to find ones that work. Jun 22 08 01:25 am Link |
