# 50 mm lens HELP!



## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

I recently bought a Nikon D7100 and a 50mm lens.... I absolutely love both but I am having trouble, shooting on bright days... If I have the flash off the pictures turn out too dark and if i turn the flash on then they are wayyy too bright.... I am doing prom pictures this saturday and want to use my 50mm lens... PLEASE HELP me figure out how to fix this... Camera settings, etc... I have attached a photo which is similar to what im talking about except much much brighter than this usually


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## snowbear (Apr 29, 2015)

What are the settings for the photos you posted above?  What mode are you using?  Which lens is it?


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

snowbear said:


> What are the settings for the photos you posted above?  What mode are you using?  Which lens is it?



Im not at home so i took a photo off the interenet that was similar  to what I am talking about, but my bright pictures are much worse than the one I attached... It's the 50mm f 1.8 lens and I believe I had camera on mode A... I need suggestions for the best settings for Saturday for prom pics


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## astroNikon (Apr 29, 2015)

as mentioned above.  we also need to know the specific make and model of lens, and also the specific make and model of flash (ie, to know if it has TTL or not, etc).  
Also you camera settings - ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focusing mode, etc.


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## snowbear (Apr 29, 2015)

ashamee3 said:


> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> > What are the settings for the photos you posted above?  What mode are you using?  Which lens is it?
> ...



1. Please don't post images that are not your own.  You may as well remove those images, a mod will do it, otherwise.
2. Please post your own image, with the EXIF data, so we can see what you've done. Without that information, we really can't help.


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## Designer (Apr 29, 2015)

ashamee3 said:


> I am having trouble, shooting on bright days...


I'm sorry to be the one to have to break this to you, but you might have to read your user's manual.  

1. You can use "green auto"
2. You can turn the control to "A" - aperture priority.
3. You can turn it to "S" - shutter priority.
4. You can use "M" - manual and use the built-in light meter.

Any of those 4 modes will give you a decent photograph if the light is just ordinary daylight.

In the case of tricky light, special conditions, or if you simply want a more professional photograph, you will need to learn some other stuff.


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## Braineack (Apr 29, 2015)

ashamee3 said:


> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> > What are the settings for the photos you posted above?  What mode are you using?  Which lens is it?
> ...



we need to see YOUR photos.  Not someone else's single photo.

there's a plethura of reasons youre having this issue, and it's going to be hard for us to tell without knowing exactly how you took the shot and what modes you were in.


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

I'm new to this and I'm currently at work so I cant say what all the setting were.... Can someone just tell me the best setting to have the camera on for this particular day. I just want my childrens Prom pictures to turn out great... I have a Nikon *D7100* & *AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G* lens


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

Braineack said:


> ashamee3 said:
> 
> 
> > snowbear said:
> ...



I will have to when I get home tonight.


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## KmH (Apr 29, 2015)

We can only tell you what settings to use if you tell us how much light there will be.

Your best hope is to put the camera in P mode or Auto. See pages 36/37 & 48 of your D7100 User's Manual.


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## 480sparky (Apr 29, 2015)

The big green *AUTO* on the mode dial.  Beyond that, you'll need to actually learn how to use your camera.

There's no short cuts.  There's no Cliff Notes.  There's no 'super-secret magic setting' that only seasoned pros know about and use*.  They use experience, training and knowledge.  And those qualities only come with time.


*If there were, we'd be asking for the secret handshake.


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

KmH said:


> We can only tell you what settings to use if you tell us how much light there will be.
> 
> Your best hope is to put the camera in P mode or Auto. See pages 36/37 & 48 of your D7100 User's Manual.



I will check this when I get home. I will be doing prom pictures around 3pm direct sunlight unfortunately...


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

480sparky said:


> The big green *AUTO* on the mode dial.  Beyond that, you'll need to actually learn how to use your camera.
> 
> There's no short cuts.  There's no Cliff Notes.  There's no 'super-secret magic setting' that only seasoned pros know about and use*.  They use experience, training and knowledge.  And those qualities only come with time.
> 
> ...



I understand that and I do plan to learn and practice as much as possible in my free time... Im asking for quick help now only because I want good pictures of my children this saturday. It seems as though I am bothering some of you and in that case why even respond?!? I joined a forum to talk to other people and learn more about photography.


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## waday (Apr 29, 2015)

ashamee3 said:


> 480sparky said:
> 
> 
> > The big green *AUTO* on the mode dial.  Beyond that, you'll need to actually learn how to use your camera.
> ...


Glad you joined! And welcome! 

The reason that everyone is telling you that you need to learn is because, as 480sparky said, there are no short cuts. Agree with the others, stick to auto or "P" mode until you have time to learn more about the settings you'll need.


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## 480sparky (Apr 29, 2015)

ashamee3 said:


> I understand that and I do plan to learn and practice as much as possible in my free time... Im asking for quick help now only because I want good pictures of my children this saturday. It seems as though I am bothering some of you and in that case why even respond?!? I joined a forum to talk to other people and learn more about photography.



You're asking us to condense our years of experience and somehow package it for your particular situation so you can learn it all in 2 days.  Maybe it's possible for you to actually ingest, comprehend, understand and apply it all as some people are quick learners.  But most people spend 2 days wrangling with the Exposure Triangle.  Factors such as white balance, depth of field, backlighting, exposure compensation, high ISO/noise level relationships, understanding histograms and composition notwithstanding.

You asked for a setting.  Your best bet is the big green *AUTO*.  Anything beyond that will probably confuse and frustrate you between now and then.


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## Designer (Apr 29, 2015)

ashamee3 said:


> I will be doing prom pictures around 3pm direct sunlight unfortunately...


That is unfortunate.  Almost the worst light possible.  

If it were me, I'd take along my speedlight, a light stand, white umbrella, RF triggers, one or two large white reflectors and somebody to hold them.  

Then I would try to make the session last at least two hours to get better light.


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## astroNikon (Apr 29, 2015)

ashamee3 said:


> I understand that and I do plan to learn and practice as much as possible in my free time... Im asking for quick help now only because I want good pictures of my children this saturday. It seems as though I am bothering some of you and in that case why even respond?!? I joined a forum to talk to other people and learn more about photography.


You're not really bothering us.  

But you are assuming you can learn DSLR photography in a 20 step / 5 minute cheat sheet to read in your spare time.

I am surprised no one has said .. since you have a few days and just BOUGHT a camera that you do NOT know how to use, that it would be advantageous to hire a Professional to take pictures for you.  And we're not talking about the $50 Craiglist "professional" either.

Thus the recommendations to use AUTO.  Then you don't have to worry about trying to learn how to use the camera.  AUTO is best because you only have one shot to get the photo right.  And the camera, at this point would probably make better decisions than you can.

I'm also going to guess that you bought a flash that does not do TTL either.

I would recommend this book for starters ==> Mastering the Nikon D7100 Darrell Young 9781937538323 Amazon.com Books

but it's out of scope of the timeframe you have available.


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> ashamee3 said:
> 
> 
> > I understand that and I do plan to learn and practice as much as possible in my free time... Im asking for quick help now only because I want good pictures of my children this saturday. It seems as though I am bothering some of you and in that case why even respond?!? I joined a forum to talk to other people and learn more about photography.
> ...



I have had a DSLR for many years with a regular lens, and I know how to edit,  that being said, it was old so I upgraded to a much better camera and upgraded to a new lens... I have some experience I just needed a few pointers using these 2 new pieces of equipment.  I have attached several of my photos... I know how to edit and I typically stay in shady areas, but I know i will be in direct sunlight for Prom pics this year.


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> ashamee3 said:
> 
> 
> > I understand that and I do plan to learn and practice as much as possible in my free time... Im asking for quick help now only because I want good pictures of my children this saturday. It seems as though I am bothering some of you and in that case why even respond?!? I joined a forum to talk to other people and learn more about photography.
> ...



I'm a bit A.D.D. and  cant sit and read too long, I have always been hands on.


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

480sparky said:


> The big green *AUTO* on the mode dial.  Beyond that, you'll need to actually learn how to use your camera.
> 
> There's no short cuts.  There's no Cliff Notes.  There's no 'super-secret magic setting' that only seasoned pros know about and use*.  They use experience, training and knowledge.  And those qualities only come with time.
> 
> ...



I don't want to use Auto because I usually don't achieve the bokeh that i want... I know how to photograph in the shade I just dont know enough about bright sunlight


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## astroNikon (Apr 29, 2015)

increase your Shutter speed until you get the exposure that you want.
You'll have to do it in Manual mode
So pick your Aperture
then roll you Shutter speed until you get the exposure that you want
keep ISO at 100 if you are outside in bright light.


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> increase your Shutter speed until you get the exposure that you want.
> You'll have to do it in Manual mode
> So pick your Aperture
> then roll you Shutter speed until you get the exposure that you want
> keep ISO at 100 if you are outside in bright light.



Thank you


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## jovince3000 (Apr 29, 2015)

Now THAT change thing, you should have mentioned you had experience first, most of the people here assumed you were new to photography because of the exposure problem you mentioned in your first post. 

If you want to select the bokeh and don't want to have to deal with other settings ( still chose ISO 100 since you will be in bright daylight) what I would do is put the camera in aperture priority and use the spot metering mode ( may be a different name for nikon, I'm a canon shooter). Use the selective focus of your camera as well, focus on your daughter, and this should expose for her flesh tone pretty well. 

Other area of the image may be blown out though, so try to "close in" as much as possible in your image. 

Sadly, the photos are going to be pretty flat in direct sunlight though, but there's not much you can do about that, pray for a bit of clouds.


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## Derrel (Apr 29, 2015)

I would *take the camera in to a similar situation as to the one you're worried about, and shoot a few dozen test images, and see how they come out*. Get a feel for how well the camera can shoot some "tall" flash photos, you know, to simulate two people standing in their prom wear.

If you put the mode dial on *P* (it stands for Programmed automatic, but think *Prom*), and press the little button on the left of the prism area to pop the flash up, you can also practice with that a bit, indoors, and maybe outdoors in the late afternoon. Get your feet wet today, and Thursday, before the event. Make sure your battery is charged before the gig.

The problem with bright sun light + flash is that there's a limit to how wide the aperture can be and still be within the shutter speed synchronization limit of many flash units. I am not sure if you have a flash that can do what Nikon calls FP Synch (commonly called high-speed synch, which is the Canon term for it, HSS).

Again, maybe try to shoot a mock-up or practice session.


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

Derrel said:


> I would *take the camera in to a similar situation as to the one you're worried about, and shoot a few dozen test images, and see how they come out*. Get a feel for how well the camera can shoot some "tall" flash photos, you know, to simulate two people standing in their prom wear.
> 
> If you put the mode dial on *P* (it stands for Programmed automatic, but think *Prom*), and press the little button on the left of the prism area to pop the flash up, you can also practice with that a bit, indoors, and maybe outdoors in the late afternoon. Get your feet wet today, and Thursday, before the event. Make sure your battery is charged before the gig.
> 
> ...



Thank you very much, I'm not a total amateur but I definitely need help with the new camera and lens.... I work 40 hours a week and on the weekend I do photography for friends, relatives, schools, etc... These are some images I shot with the new lens, my only issue is direct sunlight


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

Designer said:


> ashamee3 said:
> 
> 
> > I will be doing prom pictures around 3pm direct sunlight unfortunately...
> ...



I don't have any of that...


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## 480sparky (Apr 29, 2015)

Sad to say, but there isn't an "I don't have the gear required to pull off the shot" mode.

Your best bet is still Auto.  If you have the funds, pick up a good speedlight to fill in the shadows that will be prevalent in your direct-sun images.  5-in-1 reflectors are cheaper, but you'll need someone to handle them for you.


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## Derrel (Apr 29, 2015)

After seeing your photos, I have new advice for you.

I disagree that 3 o'clcok is "the worst time of day" to shoot outdoors...it is in my opinion, the beginning of the BEST time of day. Seriously. Why is 3 o'clock the best time of day? it has exactly what I want: a HIGH mainlight position, for good catchlights in the eye, and a decent under-chin shadow, and some actual "direction" to the lighting. Direct 3 o'clock sunlight looks like classic parabolic studio flash, like from the golden era of Hollywood. The light has ****direction** to it.

One tip for shooting at 3 to 4 PM is to look for an area where the SUN's light is angling in toward the subjects, then place them into a bit of shaded area, out near the edge, where the SUN-lighted area meets the shade; this band is typically only four to five feet wide. This is the place where you can place your people, and shoot some TALLS, so you can see their outfits, head to toe! Do not butcher the shoot with tons of horizontal shots.

A few steps into the shaded area, the light is softer. A few steps out, toward the sun/shade line, the light is brighter. Here is what I would suggest: on a boy/girl pair, shoot from 15 feet away with the 50., tall orientation. Have him stand behind her, half of his body showing, have them turn their bodies (chests, feet, shoulders) AWAY from the sun and toward the shadows, then turn their faces back toward the sun-side. Swap the boy around, first on the right, then on the left.

If you want to shoot back-lighted stuff, take close-up FACE meter readings, and get the exposure figured out: let the background fall where it may. But again, the key at 3 to 4 o=clock on a sunny day is to get that high source of main light, which makes the shadows fall "down and to the side" in a lovely way, and then  to find some GOOD LIGHTING conditions; again, open shaded areas, not the deep,deep shade, but the edge area, between sun-lighted and shade, is a generally safe place, and one that gives different lighting options, all within literally a 10-foot circle of subject foot positon, and a 360 degree arc for your camera.


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## Vtec44 (Apr 29, 2015)

Aperture priority, put on ND filter, put flash on TTL mode, then walk in and act like you're the badest photographer in the whole world.  Trust me, it works!


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## Designer (Apr 29, 2015)

Actually, what I wrote was "ALMOST" the worst time of day.  But I yield to Derrel's experience at using the 3:00 time of day.


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## Designer (Apr 29, 2015)

Derrel said:


> If you put the mode dial on *P* (it stands for Programmed automatic, but think *Prom*)..


Well, see?  There IS a prom mode after all!


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

Vtec44 said:


> Aperture priority, put on ND filter, put flash on TTL mode, then walk in and act like you're the badest photographer in the whole world.  Trust me, it works!



Lol... Thank you... My friends all seem to think Im great so I try to live up to that   I attached some photos that were all done with a D3200, I have since upgraded and cant wait to master the new camera


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## Designer (Apr 29, 2015)

ashamee3 said:


> I don't have any of that...


Probably none of us had that when we first started.  I listed that stuff as if I were going to do it with my stuff.

Learn to use what you've got.


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

Designer said:


> ashamee3 said:
> 
> 
> > I don't have any of that...
> ...



I have always made the best of what I have


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## Designer (Apr 29, 2015)

ashamee3 said:


> I attached some photos that were all done with a D3200, I have since upgraded and cant wait to master the new camera


The D3200 can do more than you think it can.  

Upgrading your camera you've already done, but now you need to upgrade your base of knowledge.


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## Vtec44 (Apr 29, 2015)

ashamee3 said:


> Lol... Thank you... My friends all seem to think Im great so I try to live up to that



I'm the worse photographer I know but people disagree


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## Braineack (Apr 29, 2015)

sidebar: please stop desaturating people's skin.


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## Designer (Apr 29, 2015)

In case you need a few hints on background blur, here are the things that affect that:

1. long lens (taking into account the relative focal length and the size of your sensor)
2. distance from subject to background
3. distance from camera to subject
4. aperture setting

In opening your aperture, be sure you don't stint yourself on the DOF.


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## astroNikon (Apr 29, 2015)

I still recommend that you get this book (or one similar to it) to learn all the features of your d7100
==> Mastering the Nikon D7100 Darrell Young 9781937538323 Amazon.com Books


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> I still recommend that you get this book (or one similar to it) to learn all the features of your d7100
> ==> Mastering the Nikon D7100 Darrell Young 9781937538323 Amazon.com Books



Plan on it  Thank you


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

Braineack said:


> sidebar: please stop desaturating people's skin.



I dont always! It has to do with the way I see a picture...


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

Vtec44 said:


> ashamee3 said:
> 
> 
> > Lol... Thank you... My friends all seem to think Im great so I try to live up to that
> ...



I would love to see some of your work


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## Vtec44 (Apr 29, 2015)

ashamee3 said:


> I would love to see some of your work



The link in my signature is to my work if you have some time to kill.


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## ashamee3 (Apr 29, 2015)

Vtec44 said:


> ashamee3 said:
> 
> 
> > I would love to see some of your work
> ...



OHHH you are full of  BOLOGNA your photos are AMAZING  if you dont mind, I would like to follow you and ask questions ever so often lol


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## Vtec44 (Apr 29, 2015)

ashamee3 said:


> OHHH you are full of  BOLOGNA your photos are AMAZING  if you dont mind, I would like to follow you and ask questions ever so often lol



I'm not sure if I can be of any help but sure.


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## weepete (Apr 29, 2015)

Well with flash shutter speed controls the ambient light and aperture and flash power controls the subject exposure. 

If you are just using the on camera flash for a bit of fill dial in some FEC.

If you are not using flash and your photos are underexposed in Aperture priority mode either your shutter speed is too fast or your ISO isn't high enough. 

If you are in aperture priority mode and you are getting under or over exposure with settings that you suspect should be ok it could be you've accidentally changed the metering mode or the exposure compensation and not noticed. It may be worth a check. Oh and don't use you LCD to check exposure, use your histogram for that.

If it's not those things we'd need to see a photo of what you are having trouble with to suggest more I think.


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## Braineack (Apr 29, 2015)

weepete said:


> Well with flash shutter speed controls the ambient light and aperture and flash power controls the subject exposure.



If you're using flash outdoors, any change to the aperture will also affect the ambient exposure (or ss or iso).


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## Vtec44 (Apr 29, 2015)

Aperture will affect overall exposure, but it has a much more profound effect on your flash.

No flash, f1.4, 1/800, ISO100





Flash 1/32, f2.2, 1/800, ISO100


 

Flash 1/32, f1.4, 1/800, ISO100


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## andmart1 (May 6, 2015)

Derrel said:


> After seeing your photos, I have new advice for you.
> 
> I disagree that 3 o'clcok is "the worst time of day" to shoot outdoors...it is in my opinion, the beginning of the BEST time of day. Seriously. Why is 3 o'clock the best time of day? it has exactly what I want: a HIGH mainlight position, for good catchlights in the eye, and a decent under-chin shadow, and some actual "direction" to the lighting. Direct 3 o'clock sunlight looks like classic parabolic studio flash, like from the golden era of Hollywood. The light has ****direction** to it.
> 
> ...



I read your tips and I have a (maybe dumb) question. Once the subjects are in place (at the edge of sun/shadow), where it would be better to me to stay? At the shadow as well to get the sunlight on the background or at the sun (if no other shadow is available) ?


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## ashamee3 (May 7, 2015)

Well here are the much anticipated Prom pictures. I didn't do to bad but there is still a lot to learn about the camera and lens


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## Derrel (May 7, 2015)

You did reasonably well...they're not all "cookie cutter" images. Not perfect, but you really got the gist of one way to approach this time of day down. Count this is a great learning experience.


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