growing pains...

[Gina Franco]

Here's a couple from this week straight out of the camera apart from cropping. I don't have much I've taken during the day yet (good old work getting in the way). I'll take some this weekend and post something for you next week.












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WOW. I'm definitely not doing that! These are wonderful. Would you share the EXIF data?

[btaylor]

Gina - I've updated the previous post with exif data. [Y]

[piiooo]

These images are straight out of the camera, no post-processing. I feel as though the first one should have been "pushable" in post-processing, that the blues and greens should have been easy to achieve. But this is a good example of an image that didn't change much before looking overdone. The other two are examples of over exposed images I made with the 5DII on Good Friday. You can see that the reds are still really vibrant. Red ain't a problem.

Dear Gina,


Based on the three pictures of yours I do not find anything wrong with your new 5DII.


It looks like you took these photos when the sun was still fairly high, especially numbers 2 and 3 (short shadows).This time of the daydoes not give you optimal light.The sunmust have beentoo bright and too high.As aresultthe skywasmuch brighter than the ground. Your camera exposed the ground and the friars properlybutthe sky is washed off.Human eye's dynamic range is much higher and we are able to appreciate blue sky at midday, but our cameras not so much.


Photo #1, came out best of all three, I do agree. The shadows on it are longer and oriented away(the sun is lower,not as bright and somewhere behind you).Because the sun is not as bright and the ground is front lit,thesky/ground contrast is lesser and therefore easier to record by a camera.


The nuanses of exposure in relation to direction of light are written nicely in Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" and "Understanding Digital Photography", the latter being a newer, "digitalized" version of the first one.


I am afraid, if you took your XSI with you on that day, the photos would have come out similar, if not worse.


Also, if you have to take photos at around midday, a circular polarizer may useful.


I hope I did not confuse you,


Pete

[Gina Franco]

These images are straight out of the camera, no post-processing. I feel as though the first one should have been "pushable" in post-processing, that the blues and greens should have been easy to achieve. But this is a good example of an image that didn't change much before looking overdone. The other two are examples of over exposed images I made with the 5DII on Good Friday. You can see that the reds are still really vibrant. Red ain't a problem.

Dear Gina,


Based on the three pictures of yours I do not find anything wrong with your new 5DII.


It looks like you took these photos when the sun was still fairly high, especially numbers 2 and 3 (short shadows).This time of the daydoes not give you optimal light.The sunmust have beentoo bright and too high.As aresultthe skywasmuch brighter than the ground. Your camera exposed the ground and the friars properlybutthe sky is washed off.Human eye's dynamic range is much higher and we are able to appreciate blue sky at midday, but our cameras not so much.


Photo #1, came out best of all three, I do agree. The shadows on it are longer and oriented away(the sun is lower,not as bright and somewhere behind you).Because the sun is not as bright and the ground is front lit,thesky/ground contrast is lesser and therefore easier to record by a camera.


The nuanses of exposure in relation to direction of light are written nicely in Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" and "Understanding Digital Photography", the latter being a newer, "digitalized" version of the first one.


I am afraid, if you took your XSI with you on that day, the photos would have come out similar, if not worse.


Also, if you have to take photos at around midday, a circular polarizer may useful.


I hope I did not confuse you,


Pete
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Hi everyone!


I want to thank you all for supporting me through my panic and helping me learn how to use my new camera. You're all so knowledgeable and generous.


Here's an update: I found that indeed the Auto Lighting Optimizer default was set on "strong." Who knows how or why. For several of my images turning it off made a significant difference. For others, almost none at all. So it's not likely the real problem, but it certainly contributed. Thank you to John and Jan for pointing out that setting.


I think Peter is absolutely right about the hard light that day--absolutely--which is why the sky is blown out--but I also think the Brothers and the grass are overexposed. I've photographed the monks on sunny days at high noon before, and without so much color being bleached out, so I still think I'm doing something wrong with the 5DII that I learned from shooting the Rebel. But it was very sweet of you, Peter, to suggest at first that the problem might be with the instrument and not the operator. I especially appreciate your followup explanation about hard light and exposure. I've been looking into a circular polarizer filter for the 24-70, actually, ever since Easter weekend with the Brothers, but they're a bit pricey considering that I probably don't need one, not just yet. Maybe this summer when I head to the Arizona desert for a couple of months.


Since I was shooting on aperture preferred all of Easter weekend, today I took the camera out for a quick try at the auto-mode, as Jan suggested, and then to experiment with full manual. Exposure in auto-mode worked perfectly, as I expected, (ignore the composition--I was just pointing skywards and towards white flowers, since it's easy to overexpose either and both).


As you can see, the blue skies are back! All of these were taken around 11:30 this morning in good old-fashioned hard light with the sun not quite directly above. This image is straight out of camera: auto-mode.









So then I experimented and found that if I metered for the highlights and underexposed just a hair in full manual mode, the colors and contrast came back in, and the RAW files were malleable and fun again! (I don't really know how to photograph flowers, so though C&amp;C is welcome, keep in mind I was mostly trying to get good exposures in these images and was shooting wide open to force challenging light conditions.) I've tinkered a bit with these images. They are not straight out of camera, but their colors and contrast were great before post-processing.


50mm, f1.8, 1/8000, ISO 100









50mm, f1.6, 1/8000, ISO 100









50mm, f1.4, 1/6400, ISO 100






So: I'm thinking that until I can figure out what I'm doing wrong in aperture preferred mode, I'll stick to manual, which is easy and fun on the 5DII (not so easy and fun on the Rebel).


By the way, I was so frustrated with the minimum focusing distance of the 50mm 1.4 today, I kept thinking: if only I had a macro lens that also does portraits...


Peter: I'm going to get that latest book. It gets referenced a lot. --And you did not confuse me. You helped a bunch.


Thank you all so much!


Gina

[Gina Franco]

Gina - I've updated the previous post with exif data. [img]/emoticons/emotion-21.gif[/img]
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Thank you!!

[Sheiky]

Here's an update: I found that indeed the Auto Lighting Optimizer default was set on "strong." Who knows how or why. For several of my images turning it off made a significant difference. For others, almost none at all. So it's not likely the real problem, but it certainly contributed. Thank you to John and Jan for pointing out that setting.

That is definitely a part of the problem! In auto-mode it is put on standard full time. I suggest you put the ALO on off or standard at all times. I prefer OFF because you can do it yourself later on with postprocessing and you'll get more grip on your photos and getting more consistent photographs. Although the standard setting shouldn't be to heavy.

I think Peter is absolutely right about the hard light that day--absolutely--which is why the sky is blown out--but I also think the Brothers and the grass are overexposed.

Agreed. Have you checked what type of lightmetering you used? Matrix, spot etc

I've been looking into a circular polarizer filter for the 24-70, actually, ever since Easter weekend with the Brothers, but they're a bit pricey considering that I probably don't need one, not just yet. Maybe this summer when I head to the Arizona desert for a couple of months.

I bought a B&amp;W 77mm circulair polariser MRC and yes it is quite expensive, but it can bring out a lot more contrast and color in your photos. I think it is definitely worth it, especially if you take nature/landscapes a lot.

Exposure in auto-mode worked perfectly, as I expected, (ignore the composition--I was just pointing skywards and towards white flowers, since it's easy to overexpose either and both).

Very nice photo, that's how photos should look like straight out of the camera.

So: I'm thinking that until I can figure out what I'm doing wrong in aperture preferred mode

Check your lightmetering again... It should give you the same results if you take a picture in auto mode, then switch to AV and select the same settings. Inclusive ALO standard. It will automatically select the same shutterspeed if your settings are the same.


I hope you can figure it out and enjoy your weekend [H]


Good luck,


Jan


Ps:

By the way, I was so frustrated with the minimum focusing distance of the 50mm 1.4 today, I kept thinking: if only I had a macro lens that also does portraits...

Canon EF 100 f2.8 macro, with or without IS I use it for both occasions as well []

[Gina Franco]

Jan (and everybody who was so helpful to me here),


I finally had a little time last night to run through the Custom Function settings on the 5DII and found both the Highlight Tone Priority enabled and the ALO set at "Standard" default. I had disabled ALO on the DPP software, but hadn't realized I'd need to check for in-camera settings too (You have no idea what a technophobe I am in reality, how slowly I catch on to things like this). I'm betting that disabling these two functions is going to make all the difference in my exposures when I go back to using AV mode. I think the two combined with a sunny hazy day made for a lot of overexposed photos. --And since the camera works just fine on both Auto and Full Manual modes, I'm pretty sure it was nothing more than a setting mishap.


Thank you so much for helping me! I'm really grateful to all you folks here. You're great (and patient) teachers.


Jan: when you get ready to sell that polarizer for a couple of bucks, let me know. I'm looking to get one in the next six weeks or so. You could throw in that 100mm macro as part of the deal, too. I wouldn't complain.


g.

[Sheiky]

Way to go Gina! I hope you'll be happier next time shooting. To be honest you want your camera to work great from the start and not to wander around all custom functions first, I get that [:P]

when you get ready to sell that polarizer for a couple of bucks, let me know. I'm looking to get one in the next six weeks or so.

I will notify you when I do [] But don't count on it for a few more days [H]

You could throw in that 100mm macro as part of the deal, too. I wouldn't complain.

Hmm maybe after the "bug-season" [:P] Really it started again and it really is time for shooting macro and getting dirty again!! I just LOVE it! [Y]