Pro Photographer question thread

[Expo_Vids]

Ok, so you are a pro photograher and know your stuff? Here is your opportunity to help out some people and at the same time show how much knowledge you have.


I will start it off with a few questions:


If you perfer not to use a flash indoors then how do you work with low available daylight? You could just set the camera on a tripod and set a longer exposure, right? If you want to shoot a photo with only daylight from a window and want to shoot at F 5.6 then most likey you would have to have the camera on a tripod and set the shutter to 40, 30, or even lower than that? ( yes of course, it depends on the amount of daylight but I am speaking in genral terms, say it is a suny day but the sun is not shining directly into the window.)

What if you have a image stabilized lens? How much does this negate the need to put the camera on a triopod during lower light shooting?

[Doctor Dre]

This thread will definitly get good ;) Good questions = good answers

[jMEGA]

If you don't use a flash or a tripod, you can do two things to photo in availible light. Either bump up your ISO or open your lens up (the aperture/F stop) or sometimes both.

It all depends on how much availible light you have and what lenses you have to work with.

[Expo_Vids]

Originally Posted by Doctor Dre

This thread will definitly get good ;) Good questions = good answers

Thanks, but I just wish I would have spell-checked my first post.

[jMEGA]

What camera do you use and what lenses do you have ?

[Expo_Vids]

Originally Posted by jMEGA

If you don't use a flash or a tripod, you can do two things to photo in availible light. Either bump up your ISO or open your lens up (the aperture/F stop) or sometimes both.

It all depends on how much availible light you have and what lenses you have to work with.

Thanks for your response.

Let's say I have bumped up my ISO to the maximum (which is 200 on my D70) and also opened up my lens to the max at 2.8. The problem is that at 2.8 I am not getting a deep enough depth of field. I need at least a 5.6 to keep enough of the model in focus.

At that point I need to either

A) add more light
B) open up the shutter

IF I open up the shutter very far I need to put the camera on a tripod to avoid blur.

At what shutter speed to I need to use a triopod. Also, if I am using a image stabilized lens how much does this help?

(I am looking at getting a Canon 5D which has a much more sensitive ISO than my D70)

[Cory W]

IS and low light have a subtle relationship. First, I don't think you can use IS with a tripod.

Second, if you intend not to use a flash (or external light), you can always get a good exposure, but turning down the shutter means that you will risk a subject with motion blurring.

You may not need a tripod at 1/40, depending on the length of the lense. Try a monopod first, you may be surprised with the results.

I have a Canon 20D, you will notice noise in ISO's of 800+.

[Cory W]

Why not try using a Flash with a diffuser?

[SilentKnight]

I'm currently shooting with an olympus e10 and usually work with available lighting both in-studio and on location.

I seldom go above 80 iso and usually keep the shutter speed around 1-1.5 secs. - almost always on tripod with cable release. The poses are static (not action/movement shots) so we tend to have the model 'freeze' poses.


SilentKnight

[Expo_Vids]

Originally Posted by WEG Cory

Why not try using a Flash with a diffuser?

I am using soft boxes. But I want to explore the idea of using no flash. I see that some photogs don't ever use flash and I think the look of their photos can be extremely erotic.

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by Expo_Vids

If you perfer not to use a flash indoors then how do you work with low available daylight? You could just set the camera on a tripod and set a longer exposure, right? If you want to shoot a photo with only daylight from a window and want to shoot at F 5.6 then most likey you would have to have the camera on a tripod and set the shutter to 40, 30, or even lower than that? ( yes of course, it depends on the amount of daylight but I am speaking in genral terms, say it is a suny day but the sun is not shining directly into the window.)

What if you have a image stabilized lens? How much does this negate the need to put the camera on a triopod during lower light shooting?

I would say why bother?

Unless you're trying to create an arty picture why not just use a flash?

What camera do you use and what lenses do you have ?

Canons and Nikons. Nikon D100, Canon D20, EOS 1, 3 and 5. With a mixture of fixed or zoom lenses. All professional fixed lens.

[Expo_Vids]

Originally Posted by SilentKnight

I'm currently shooting with an olympus e10 and usually work with available lighting both in-studio and on location.

I seldom go above 80 iso and usually keep the shutter speed around 1-1.5 secs. - almost always on tripod with cable release. The poses are static (not action/movement shots) so we tend to have the model 'freeze' poses.


SilentKnight

Great, am interested in working with models in much the same way. Do you feel that you get less "usable" photos this way then if you just used a flash?

I would imagine you take considerably less photos than if you had a flash or 2 in the room because you spend more time posing the models just perfect and more of the shots get tossed out due to blur even though the models were doing their best to "freeze".

[DeanCapture]

Originally Posted by Expo_Vids

Thanks for your response.

Let's say I have bumped up my ISO to the maximum (which is 200 on my D70) .....

The cool thing about photography is that not everyone does things the same way. My approach might be different then someone elses approach yet we may both get usable images from this "available light" situation that you speak of.

Expo, your D70's maximum iso setting is 1600 not 200. 200 is the minimum iso setting. You should only use 200 if you have PLENTY of light to work with. This can be available light or manufactured light (strobes, flash etc). The way that I would approach this scenerio is by using my handheld meter. I would set the meter at iso 200 for example and meter the light that would be hitting the model and see what it read. My target would be F4 ot F5.6. at a safe "motion-free" shutterspeed. If there wasn't enough light to use those F-stops, I'd up the iso to say 400 and then remeter. If that wasn't enough I'd push the iso up to 800, 1000 or maybe even 1600. If you can't get anywhere at that high an iso, I would suggest looking for another place to shoot your girl.

Pictures shot at iso 800 might exhibit some grain. I use a product called Noise Ninja to combat that problem. It's one of the best products on the market for removing high iso/asa grain from you pictures....check it out!

[Expo_Vids]

[QUOTE=Paul Markham]I would say why bother?

Unless you're trying to create an arty picture why not just use a flash?


I often see photos shot this way and I think it looks erotic. I would not go so far as to use the term "artsy" but I guess that term could be used as well.

Of course I would still use strobes in many situations, it would just be nice to expore other ways of shooting.

[AaronM]

Originally Posted by Expo_Vids

Thanks for your response.

Let's say I have bumped up my ISO to the maximum (which is 200 on my D70)

WTF is this? Pretend land?

Let's say that the D70 is adjustable from 200 to 1600 ISO and try this again.

No offense meant but if you don't understand the basics of how ISO works and the advantages to HIGHER ISO in lower light then WTF are you doing buying a D70 with an f2.8 stabilized lens?

There's nothing wrong with wanting to learn and asking questions but for fucks sake, at least read the manual and understand the basics first.

[AaronM]

Originally Posted by DeanCapture

The cool thing about photography is that not everyone does things the same way. My approach might be different then someone elses approach yet we may both get usable images from this "available light" situation that you speak of.

Expo, your D70's maximum iso setting is 1600 not 200. 200 is the minimum iso setting. You should only use 200 if you have PLENTY of light to work with. This can be available light or manufactured light (strobes, flash etc). The way that I would approach this scenerio is by using my handheld meter. I would set the meter at iso 200 for example and meter the light that would be hitting the model and see what it read. My target would be F4 ot F5.6. at a safe "motion-free" shutterspeed. If there wasn't enough light to use those F-stops, I'd up the iso to say 400 and then remeter. If that wasn't enough I'd push the iso up to 800, 1000 or maybe even 1600. If you can't get anywhere at that high an iso, I would suggest looking for another place to shoot your girl.

Pictures shot at iso 800 might exhibit some grain. I use a product called Noise Ninja to combat that problem. It's one of the best products on the market for removing high iso/asa grain from you pictures....check it out!

Dean is much nicer about these things than I am. Now if he would just learn how to shoot better. ;)

And Noise Ninja is a great suggestion. For those of us who use Canon 20D's, we rarely see any noise at 800 or less. Not sure how the Nikon's are doing with that these days.

[Expo_Vids]

Originally Posted by AaronM

WTF is this? Pretend land?

Let's say that the D70 is adjustable from 200 to 1600 ISO and try this again.

No offense meant but if you don't understand the basics of how ISO works and the advantages to HIGHER ISO in lower light then WTF are you doing buying a D70 with an f2.8 stabilized lens?

There's nothing wrong with wanting to learn and asking questions but for fucks sake, at least read the manual and understand the basics first.

Aaron, I do understand ISO is the light sensitivity. I just flipped the terms "max and minimum around".

Lets move on.

[AaronM]

Originally Posted by Expo_Vids

Aaron, I do understand ISO is the light sensitivity. I just flipped the terms "max and minimum around".

Lets move on.

You flipped the terms around and are still asking the same question?

Get real.

[Expo_Vids]

Originally Posted by AaronM

You flipped the terms around and are still asking the same question?

Get real.

Aaron, you are a huge help. Thank you.

[AlienQ - BANNED FOR LIFE]

Flash on, Flash off.

Wax on, Wax Off.

Daylight comming into the room will very by the hour
I have found that daylight is what set's everything up for a picture to get personality and it is integral to what I am pursuing when shooting stills.

No hour has the same light in a day ( goes without saying), and when working with daylight you gotto understand how it can set the tone for everything.

So your answer may not be so much technical as what it is you are attempting to portray within the photo.

[SilentKnight]

Originally Posted by Expo_Vids

Great, am interested in working with models in much the same way. Do you feel that you get less "usable" photos this way then if you just used a flash?

I would imagine you take considerably less photos than if you had a flash or 2 in the room because you spend more time posing the models just perfect and more of the shots get tossed out due to blur even though the models were doing their best to "freeze".

Since I rarely use flash, I don't really have a comparative basis to say whether I get more or less usable images. Typically I'll shoot about 250-300 shots in a 3-4 hr. photoshoot and on average count on 10-15 frames to be blurred.

Results will vary, of course. Some models are better at freezing a pose than others.

I just prefer shooting this way because I tend to like the more natural overall look of the image. Slave/synch flashes have a harsher look and flatten an image. Sometimes I'll use a pair of diffusion softboxes depending on the setup...but that's rare.

SilentKnight

[AaronM]

Originally Posted by Expo_Vids

Aaron, you are a huge help. Thank you.

It's a stupid question if you already know about ISO and so forth. The way you stated it is that you have ISO at 200. Why would you do that under those conditions if you understood how ISO works?

Have you consulted with a light meter and tried stepping the ISO up?

[jMEGA]

As far as shutter speed goes, rule of thumb is no slower than 1 over focal length without a tripod. Say you have 50mm lens the slowest recommended shutter speed is 1/50 sec, but since there isn't that setting in a camera you round up to 1/60 of a sec.

If you have a steady hand you can shoot at a slower speed.

[AaronM]

Yes, I know...I'm a prick.

Juicy keeps telling me to talk to his shrink about that.

[SilentKnight]

Originally Posted by AlienQ

Daylight comming into the room will very by the hour
I have found that daylight is what set's everything up for a picture to get personality and it is integral to what I am pursuing when shooting stills.

No hour has the same light in a day ( goes without saying), and when working with daylight you gotto understand how it can set the tone for everything.

So your answer may not be so much technical as what it is you are attempting to portray within the photo.

Quite true. We often lease an old factory in town on a monthly basis to use as studio space...and it has skylighting in one area that provides some excellent natural light. But as you say, it shifts throughout the day and we often have to move around with the setups to accomodate it.

The hour just before sundown is usually the best with the light at a steep angle. It hits the walls just right and highlights the textures beautifully (old brick with peeling paint - the building is over 100 yrs. old and has that wonderfully photogenic decrepit look).

SilentKnight

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by AaronM

Yes, I know...I'm a prick.

Juicy keeps telling me to talk to his shrink about that.

This is going to be one of those threads of people trying to shoot porn with the wrong equipment or trying to shoot erotica without the necessary knowledge and skills.

But as we all know, all you need is to point a camera to be a photographer.

[AaronM]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

This is going to be one of those threads of people trying to shoot porn with the wrong equipment or trying to shoot erotica without the necessary knowledge and skills.

But as we all know, all you need is to point a camera to be a photographer.

Quite true, my grey haired friend.

[Expo_Vids]

Originally Posted by AaronM

It's a stupid question if you already know about ISO and so forth. The way you stated it is that you have ISO at 200. Why would you do that under those conditions if you understood how ISO works?

Have you consulted with a light meter and tried stepping the ISO up?

Yes, we did that one day and the photos ended up grainy. I am not sure how far we pumped it up because I was shooting video but I understand that the 20D is much better in that regard so that is one of the reasons I am switching to Canon.

By the way, I have not had to shoot stills until recently so never needed to really "know my stuff".

I will make sure to check out noise ninja as well.

[newbreed]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

This is going to be one of those threads of people trying to shoot porn with the wrong equipment or trying to shoot erotica without the necessary knowledge and skills.

But as we all know, all you need is to point a camera to be a photographer.

You mean I can't use my new camera? It just got here this week...



It even came with a nice case.

[quantum-x]

Originally Posted by WEG Cory

IS and low light have a subtle relationship. First, I don't think you can use IS with a tripod.

Second, if you intend not to use a flash (or external light), you can always get a good exposure, but turning down the shutter means that you will risk a subject with motion blurring.

You may not need a tripod at 1/40, depending on the length of the lense. Try a monopod first, you may be surprised with the results.

I have a Canon 20D, you will notice noise in ISO's of 800+.

No, IS can be used with a tripod, of course.
Unless you've got great IS, though, IE, 2nd Gen, you'll find that it slides around.

The long and the short of it - if you're shooting in low light, you're going to have to compensate in one of these areas:

ISO: Pro- Easy to do on digital. Con- Noise.
Shutter Speed: Pro- Easy enough, again. Con- Slow, and you blur. Even if your model hold really, really still, you're still going to notice it.
Apature: Pro- easy enough. Con - Depth of field. See above for more explanations of this one.

The long and the short of it is this - If you shoot a photo in low light, you're going to notice it. Doesn't matter how great oyur photos are, if you can't meet the hard fundamentals for a properly exposed photo, it's not going to happen.

From above - you're going to end up blurred / noisy / bad DOF / or, a low contrast, low sharpness photo.

As a final - if you're shooting near a window, chances are it will overexpose, and that will leak into the rest of the frame.



Shot in low light: blur + lack of contrast etc


Now i'm sure there are people who can 'prove me wrong' with photos etc, this is gfy.
These are my opinions. Who knows, i could have this hptography thing all wrong!

[quantum-x]

Originally Posted by Expo_Vids

Yes, we did that one day and the photos ended up grainy. I am not sure how far we pumped it up because I was shooting video but I understand that the 20D is much better in that regard so that is one of the reasons I am switching to Canon.

By the way, I have not had to shoot stills until recently so never needed to really "know my stuff".

I will make sure to check out noise ninja as well.

These are all work arounds, imo.
If you're relying on noise ninja to fix your photos, something is wrong.

If this is gonig to be something you're doing a lot, invest in lighting ;)

[NoWhErE]

I'm tired of cameras stealing my soul.

How can I avoid this?

[fitzmulti]

Originally Posted by Expo_Vids

Let's say I have bumped up my ISO to the maximum (which is 200 on my D70)

You SURE about that 200 ISO on a good camera like a D70?
See below:

Shutter speeds of 30 to 1/8,000 sec. ensure full creative control. The built-in auto pop-up flash can synchronize at shutter speeds of up to 1/500 sec. for great fill flash effects. Its new optimized design also increases flash coverage to support lenses as wide as 18mm. Sensitivity can be set between ISO 200 to 1600 or controlled automatically (AUTO ISO) across the same range of settings to maximize available light.

FROM:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0504/05042003nikond70s.asp

Fitz

[Expo_Vids]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

This is going to be one of those threads of people trying to shoot porn with the wrong equipment or trying to shoot erotica without the necessary knowledge and skills.

But as we all know, all you need is to point a camera to be a photographer.

There are lots of productions where there are separate videographers and photographers. I have been shooting only video up until recently.

It seems that most people, even if they shoot both photos and video, tend to be "better" at one or the other. I know there are some very good photographers who shoot amazing photos but when it comes out to shooting video they just whip out their handycam and set it to "full auto" and let the camera do it's thing.

So while I may sound like a moron for asking questions about details of you guys think are elementary - I am more than capable of creating video content makes clients very happy.

[DeanCapture]

Originally Posted by quantum-x

These are all work arounds, imo.
If you're relying on noise ninja to fix your photos, something is wrong.

If this is gonig to be something you're doing a lot, invest in lighting ;)

I agree with Quantum that Noise Ninja is a work-around. However, I look at it more as a tool....just like photoshop. I do very little available light work but on occasion I'll shoot something in available light because the direction of the light is beautiful but the amount of light might not be such that I can use the ideal iso/asa setting. So I bump up the iso (which gives me a little grain) and then I'll use NN to remove some of that grain and the pics are beautiful and nobody is the wiser.

[babz4u]

seems like you learned a lot from this. I guess you can RTFM but the best way to figure out what works for you and what doesn't is to just go try it. In this millenium digital can help you teach yourself really fast. Jesus if I had that back when I was learning. Holy shit! You can learn more in an hour than in 10 years.
Was it my notes that were wrong, was it my developing, did I not print the same way, was I consistant.
Get a grip, you will learn nothing about photography on GFY. spend some more time with your camera.

[jMEGA]

Yes the lowest a D70 can go is ISO 200. If you want a lower ISO you need to look at the D2H or D2X, or a Canon

[AlienQ - BANNED FOR LIFE]

Originally Posted by babz4u

seems like you learned a lot from this. I guess you can RTFM but the best way to figure out what works for you and what doesn't is to just go try it. In this millenium digital can help you teach yourself really fast. Jesus if I had that back when I was learning. Holy shit! You can learn more in an hour than in 10 years.
Was it my notes that were wrong, was it my developing, did I not print the same way, was I consistant.
Get a grip, you will learn nothing about photography on GFY. spend some more time with your camera.

I like you.

[quantum-x]

Originally Posted by babz4u

seems like you learned a lot from this. I guess you can RTFM but the best way to figure out what works for you and what doesn't is to just go try it. In this millenium digital can help you teach yourself really fast. Jesus if I had that back when I was learning. Holy shit! You can learn more in an hour than in 10 years.
Was it my notes that were wrong, was it my developing, did I not print the same way, was I consistant.
Get a grip, you will learn nothing about photography on GFY. spend some more time with your camera.

Not everyone here is an asshole as you seem to infer!

[babz4u]

Originally Posted by AlienQ

I like you.

why is that? been there done that?

[DeanCapture]

Originally Posted by babz4u

Get a grip, you will learn nothing about photography on GFY. spend some more time with your camera.

Wrong! I have taught people here some stuff about photograhy....and I have learned from others as well. I don't think GFY is an ideal environment to learn about photography because of some of the idiots who post here but it can be done.

[babz4u]

Originally Posted by quantum-x

Not everyone here is an asshole as you seem to infer!

a quick english lesson. You would infer that and I would imply that. Howerver I was not doing any implying. I was just giving some sound recommendations for the question asked.

[babz4u]

Originally Posted by DeanCapture

Wrong! I have taught people here some stuff about photograhy....and I have learned from others as well. I don't think GFY is an ideal environment to learn about photography because of some of the idiots who post here but it can be done.

sorry, didn't mean to hurt any feelings or anything. I just wanted to give my opinion on time well spent.

[AaronM]

Originally Posted by DeanCapture

Wrong! I have taught people here some stuff about photograhy....and I have learned from others as well. I don't think GFY is an ideal environment to learn about photography because of some of the idiots who post here but it can be done.

Damn.

OK, I'll leave now.

[Expo_Vids]

Originally Posted by babz4u

a quick english lesson. You would infer that and I would imply that. Howerver I was not doing any implying. I was just giving some sound recommendations for the question asked.

Yes, I am spending time with my camera. In fact I am spending an entire day with my camera on Tuesday. I just thought it would be nice to start a thread where people can share ideas instead of another "would you hit it thread" or some stupid thread about "racism" or "drama" or any other of the stupid threads that pollute this board on a daily basis.

Why starting a simple thread about the technical aspects of photography would anger certain people so much is beyond me.

If you are a good photographer then perhaps posting positive replies in this thread will help you land a new client. Just a thought.

[quantum-x]

Originally Posted by babz4u

seems like you learned a lot from this. I guess you can RTFM but the best way to figure out what works for you and what doesn't is to just go try it. In this millenium digital can help you teach yourself really fast. Jesus if I had that back when I was learning. Holy shit! You can learn more in an hour than in 10 years.
Was it my notes that were wrong, was it my developing, did I not print the same way, was I consistant.
Get a grip, you will learn nothing about photography on GFY. spend some more time with your camera.

Quick english lesson, if you're going to play it that way.

seems like you learned a lot from this. I guess you can RTFM, but the best way to figure out what works for you and what doesn't is to just go try it. In this millenium, digital can help you teach yourself really quickly. Jesus, if I had that back when I was learning.[Broken sentance] Holy shit! You can learn more in an hour than in 10 years.
Was it my notes that were wrong, was it my developing, did I not print the same way, was I consistant.
Get a grip, you will learn nothing about photography on GFY. spend some more time with your camera.

Infer is sometimes confused with imply, but the distinction is a useful one. When we say that a speaker or sentence implies something, we mean that it is conveyed or suggested without being stated outright: When the mayor said that she would not rule out a business tax increase, she implied (not inferred) that some taxes might be raised. Inference, on the other hand, is the activity performed by a reader or interpreter in drawing conclusions that are not explicit in what is said: When the mayor said that she would not rule out a tax increase, we inferred that she had been consulting with some new financial advisers, since her old advisers were in favor of tax reductions.


I meant infer.

Must you be so fucking petty? If you're wanting to play english cop, bugger off. I'm trying to help someone, I don't need you to be a twit.

[babz4u]

Originally Posted by Expo_Vids

Yes, I am spending time with my camera. In fact I am spending an entire day with my camera on Tuesday. I just thought it would be nice to start a thread where people can share ideas instead of another "would you hit it thread" or some stupid thread about "racism" or "drama" or any other of the stupid threads that pollute this board on a daily basis.

Why starting a simple thread about the technical aspects of photography would anger certain people so much is beyond me.

If you are a good photographer then perhaps posting positive replies in this thread will help you land a new client. Just a thought.

How about spending time with it before the big shoot. Have you figured out the answer to the original question for yourself? Have you actually tested? There is no magic answer. If you have a specific problem I would be more than glad to help.

[SilentKnight]

A few available lighting shots of our factory studio - no flash. Daylight, available tungsten & tea candles. All shot @ 80iso with the oly e10.

[quantum-x]

Originally Posted by AaronM

Damn.

OK, I'll leave now.

Seems like you're not allowed here if you're helpful or an english professor!

[babz4u]

Originally Posted by Expo_Vids

Yes, I am spending time with my camera. In fact I am spending an entire day with my camera on Tuesday. I just thought it would be nice to start a thread where people can share ideas instead of another "would you hit it thread" or some stupid thread about "racism" or "drama" or any other of the stupid threads that pollute this board on a daily basis.

Why starting a simple thread about the technical aspects of photography would anger certain people so much is beyond me.

If you are a good photographer then perhaps posting positive replies in this thread will help you land a new client. Just a thought.

broken sentance:
and I don't need to be a target. I was not trying to do harm. Just giving a sound recommendation.