Question for anyone with photography experience/ knowledge.
Every time I take pictures of my kids at the dojo, if I am more than 15 feet away, things get dark and sometimes IZ_. Even with a zoom or flash. It is a really well lit room. and the picture below has the light behind me. I don't get it. I'm using a Canon powershot SD400 so it's not like I've got a super powerful camera. I wouldn't know how to use it anyway.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3654/3563694328_2f7d58beb5.jpg?v=0)
Anything I can do to get them to come out better?
You're little pop-up or included flash is only good for about 15-20ft. That's part of the problem. Also, depending on your metering system, the white may be throwing it off, making it think it's brighter in there than it really is. If you metered on a darker object you would get a better exposure. Try focusing on something dark that's about the same distance away, like one of the people sitting there in dark clothes.
JM
Quote from: the_Journeyman on May 25, 2009, 10:16:25 AM
You're little pop-up or included flash is only good for about 15-20ft. That's part of the problem. Also, depending on your metering system, the white may be throwing it off, making it think it's brighter in there than it really is. If you metered on a darker object you would get a better exposure. Try focusing on something dark that's about the same distance away, like one of the people sitting there in dark clothes.
JM
What's a metering system?
It's what your camera uses to know how much light is in the frame to know how fast or slow the shutter needs to be. Your light meter is picking up the white in the gi's most likely. That's fooling the camera into thinking it's really bright in the room. Then it uses a really fast shutter speed, resulting in darkened images.
JM
The metering system is the light meter that determines what shutter speed and aperture combination your camera will use. On some cameras like the SLRs, you can adjust meter settings and exposure settings manually. So as JM said, in that case you could take a reading from something darker and force the camera to use those settings.
With a point and shoot camera, you might not have that ability - not sure about your cam.
Also, as JM noted, your build in flash is good to about 6 feet. It just doesn't have the muscle nor focus adjustment needed for shooting further out.
One thing you might be able to adjust is the white balance. That might help clean up things a little bit. But again, not sure if your camera has that ability.
Quote from: zenjim on May 25, 2009, 10:12:09 AM
Question for anyone with photography experience/ knowledge.
Every time I take pictures of my kids at the dojo, if I am more than 15 feet away, things get dark and sometimes IZ_. Even with a zoom or flash. It is a really well lit room. and the picture below has the light behind me. I don't get it. I'm using a Canon powershot SD400 so it's not like I've got a super powerful camera. I wouldn't know how to use it anyway.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3654/3563694328_2f7d58beb5.jpg?v=0)
Anything I can do to get them to come out better?
For the ones that are just dark, try opening them in a photo editing program (like Microsoft Picture Manager that comes with Microsoft Office) and using the "Auto Correct Tool". Here is what it did to the picture you posted.
(http://catie.smugmug.com/photos/545617906_HcQUP-M.jpg)
I just downloaded the manual online and it has several settings: auto, which is what I have it at and daylight, cloudy, tungsten and 3 types of fluorescent. I'm thinking I should experiment with the fluorescent settings?
The color seems good IMO, skin tones are true and the picture isn't yellow cast or something. Those sound like white balance settings which help your picture be the true colors. The yellow tint you sometimes get when shooting around incandescent light bulbs would be corrected with the tungsten setting.
JM
Quote from: Ivan Vukchevic on May 25, 2009, 12:11:55 PM
Also, when you zoom in you lose light. It is because at grater focal length (more zoom) aperture (through witch light passes) gets smaller = less light passes through lens.
Get closer. No matter what.
You've obviously never been kicked in the head by a Grand Master
Here are some solutions:
- Better (more light sensitive) equipment = expensive, requires experience and commitment
- Pump more light into the room = even more expensive, complicated. http://www.arri.de/uploads/pics/arri_junior_300_plus_01_det.jpg (http://www.arri.de/uploads/pics/arri_junior_300_plus_01_det.jpg)
or
Use what you have wisely:
- Get closer!
- Set your camera. (if it is fluo light in the room set to that; if it's tungsten/yellow light set to lightbulb icon/3200k; automatic sometimes works too). Leave the ISO setting as low as you can (50 for your camera) it will reduce the graininess of the photo.
ISO?
- Use software to correct your images. Adobe Lightroom (semi-pro) is fantastic, and although some of the functions of it will be unfamiliar, it's very easy to use for basic corrections.
When I use my software to correct, it gets grainy
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Cheers[/list]
ISO equates to film speed - a benchmark for sensitivity to light. The smaller the number the less sensitive. But also the lower the number the less noise/grain you'll see in the photos. So there's a trade off between the sensitivity and image clarity.
I have no noticeable grain shooting as high as 400 ISO. Most 'all around' films they used to sell were ISO400. Try it there and see what the results are ~
JM
All of the above advice is good.
Ok, re photos, three things are coming into play re your problem
1. film speed (ie iso setting)
2. shutter speed:
3. aperture.
You can change film speed (see above: iso 50 has less grain, but is slow, iso 400 is the fastest you have, but is grainy). However, I'm guessing that you have no choices re shutter speed, or aperture.
So, basically, if you want to take good quality photos, set your ISO to 50 (to make the image less grainy), use your flash, and get closer. The flash will help to 'freeze' motion in the frame. If you can't get closer, you can either:
- get a bigger flash (not really worth it)
- upgrade your camera.
I recommend doing a google search using the word 'tutorial' in your query. [beer]
An easy way is to focus on something dark (doesn't even have to be in the same general direction as what you want to shoot) and push the button down halfway. Keep the button half pushed, point to what you want, then shoot. The same works to help avoid the couple-second delay when you are shooting action pictures. Push the button halfway then push it the rest of the way when you are ready to capture a scene.
Quote from: Nitewaif on May 26, 2009, 04:55:13 AM
The same works to help avoid the couple-second delay when you are shooting action pictures.
turning off the rear display (and using the viewfinder) also helps w/ the delay.