# Photography is HARD!



## jwbryson1 (Mar 19, 2012)

I went to the tidal basin in Washington, DC this weekend to get some shots of my wife and kids with the Cherry Blossoms.  It was a mad house overrun with tourists and locals who don't know how to stay out of the way or just don't care.      This makes it difficult to even get set up for shooting, but excuses aside, I find it so frustrating to **think** I've captured some good images only to discover that my umbrella was too close to the subject and I have a lot of light "pollution" on the side of the image and their faces are too "hot."

I do enjoy this hobby when I get it **right** but, like hitting a bad shot in golf, it's very annoying and deflating when I get it wrong.  :gah::gah:

It sometimes just seems TOO damn hard to get it right!     Grrrrr........


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## ghache (Mar 19, 2012)

light meeter,  read your histogram and look for any lost of details while reviewing your lcd. these all the tools available to you to make sure you don't overexpose.

putting your umbrella closer to your subject should only make the light softer, your flash power was simply set to high.


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## analog.universe (Mar 19, 2012)

I'm totally a histogram junkie when it comes to OCF.  Easiest way to actually see if you've got both the shadows and the highlights...


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## 12sndsgood (Mar 19, 2012)

It's good to have days like this. It keeps you from thinking you have it all figured out. The minute you think you go it, you stop learning and improving. Consider this a nudge to get better.


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## jwbryson1 (Mar 19, 2012)

It's the portrait lighting that frustrates me.  I'm working on it...


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## gsgary (Mar 19, 2012)

jwbryson1 said:


> It's the portrait lighting that frustrates me.  I'm working on it...



Post a shot from the shoot


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## jwbryson1 (Mar 19, 2012)

Gary-

Here is an example of the light "pollution" that killed this image.  Note that this histogram does not show this light "pollution" and did not register as being blown out. 

*This is SOOC, no processing at all*.  My umbrella was too close to the subjects and I was struggling to get the cherry blossoms in the photo. 

1.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





[/URL] SOOC Image by jwbryson1, on Flickr[/IMG]




I moved them around and got some better images, but the crowds were so big it made things tough to even get a shot and again, I missed the cherry blossoms.

2.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




[/URL] TEB KAB Posing by jwbryson1, on Flickr[/IMG]


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## gsgary (Mar 19, 2012)

Have you heard of flags ? get someone to hold a reflector between flash and camera black side towards flash to stop light from the flash entering your lens, or get a beauty dish kit and use a grid to stop the light entering your lens
http://www.viewfinderphotography.co.uk/products/Mini-Beauty-Dish-+-Accessory-Pack.html


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## 480sparky (Mar 19, 2012)

jwbryson1 said:


> .................  Note that this histogram does not show this light "pollution" and did not register as being blown out.
> 
> *This is SOOC, no processing at all*.  My umbrella was too close to the subjects and I was struggling to get the cherry blossoms in the photo.



Are you referring to the glare on the left, or the light as it falls on the older child?


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## slackercruster (Mar 19, 2012)

No, it was hard back back in the day when you had to focus, guess your exposure and had one frame of film left to capture the image with. Then head to your darkroom that was 90 degress and cool down some developer to 68 in an ice bath. Or worse, try to keep your color solutions to within a degree. 

Digital photography is a dream. No polaroid backs to screw with. Instant feedback. No film to change. Inkjet prints that rival or best old dye transfer prints in a fraction of a fraction of the time that used to be required to get a print.


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## jwbryson1 (Mar 19, 2012)

480sparky said:


> jwbryson1 said:
> 
> 
> > .................  Note that this histogram does not show this light "pollution" and did not register as being blown out.
> ...



The glare on the left and the older girl's face is really bright.  It's hard to get them to hold still to begin with but when you start adjusting umbrella lights and dodging tourists, MWACs and DWACs and strollers, it becomes a circus.

I'm just venting...that's all.  I suck.


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## 480sparky (Mar 19, 2012)

jwbryson1 said:


> The glare on the left and the older girl's face is really bright.  It's hard to get them to hold still to begin with but when you start adjusting umbrella lights and dodging tourists, MWACs and DWACs and strollers, it becomes a circus.
> 
> I'm just venting...that's all.  I suck.



The glare is not blown out, so looking at the histo wouldn't tell you anything.  As for blown-out highlights, see if you camera has a setting that will cause them to blink on the LCD monitor.  Otherwise, 'zoom in' on the monitor as see if the histo changes when you do.  If it does, then use that feature to get a histo at the 'pixel peep' level.


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## KmH (Mar 19, 2012)

jwbryson1 said:


> Note that this histogram does not show this light "pollution" and did not register as being blown out.


Your statement indicates you don't yet understand what a histogram is showing you.

There is no doubt the histogram shows the 'light pollution'.

Your umbrella wasn't to close to the subjects. The power of the flash unit was set to high.

To get the cherry blossoms in the shot you needed the camera to be pretty much on the ground and pointing upwards, a different pose, or a different location.


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## chuasam (Mar 19, 2012)

The problem is that you're trying to jimmy in an image that you think you should get rather than looking at the surroundings and ambient light and the gear you have and trying to get the best picture you can get from it.


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## Tony S (Mar 19, 2012)

lol... if it were easy we would all have Facebook photography pages and be independently wealthy.


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## Village Idiot (Mar 20, 2012)

KmH said:


> jwbryson1 said:
> 
> 
> > Note that this histogram does not show this light "pollution" and did not register as being blown out.
> ...



I'd say it was too close. The light fall off is huge and this instance here shows why speedlights can be an issue outside in full sun. To get a nice even light without the fall off, he'd have to pull it back and even at 1/1, it may have been an issue if they're not in shade.

And It's harder to avoid glare with shoot throughs rather than refletive umbrellas or softboxes since it's throwin light back into the lens. A hood may help with this some. That or better positioning.

And if you want to shoot your family, you should find a less busy venue to pratice at. The cherry blossoms are always nutzo packed with tourist. We had the local strobist group shoot down there once and they managed by meeting down there at about 4:30-5:00AM.


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## chuasam (Mar 20, 2012)

Tony S said:


> lol... if it were easy we would all have Facebook photography pages and be independently wealthy.


The easiest part of professional photography is actually the photography. The hardest part is keeping at it long enough till you make enough money to survive.


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