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How the heck do you meter?

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YoungJedi

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I guess I really dont understand how you can meter something? Im trying to take some pics of my kids on a white backdrop. The problem is ...The backdrop turns out an ugly dull color. I have made the backdrop real white before but dont know how I did it?

I would have posted in the lighting forum but it takes to long to get an answer sometimes.......
 
YoungJedi said:
I guess I really dont understand how you can meter something? Im
trying to take some pics of my kids on a white backdrop. The
problem is ...The backdrop turns out an ugly dull color. I have
made the backdrop real white before but dont know how I did it?
I would have posted in the lighting forum but it takes to long to
get an answer sometimes.......
Click to expand...
Meter read the kids clothes up close so the white background is not visable in the viewfinder...otherwise the white background over powers the meter reading and shows up gray....also put plenty of light on the white background ......use the meter reading from the clothes as your camera setting to take the pictures......
Bill
--
'I kind of like the Earth, it's where I keep all my Stuff.'
Website; http://www.pbase.com/wboth125 Lake Wylie, SC
 
If the problem is that the backdrop is grey ( dark instead of white ) , you need to do a +1 1/3 or +1 exposure compensation in Av, tv, or P mode. Or meter of a darker point ( kids face , clothes , etc ) .

always try to meter of a median point lighting wise in a scene... so the whites will be white and blacks close to black.
YoungJedi said:
I guess I really dont understand how you can meter something? Im
trying to take some pics of my kids on a white backdrop. The
problem is ...The backdrop turns out an ugly dull color. I have
made the backdrop real white before but dont know how I did it?
I would have posted in the lighting forum but it takes to long to
get an answer sometimes.......
Click to expand...
 
I dont know how to meter? What do I do?
Torque124 said:
always try to meter of a median point lighting wise in a scene...
so the whites will be white and blacks close to black.
YoungJedi said:
I guess I really dont understand how you can meter something? Im
trying to take some pics of my kids on a white backdrop. The
problem is ...The backdrop turns out an ugly dull color. I have
made the backdrop real white before but dont know how I did it?
I would have posted in the lighting forum but it takes to long to
get an answer sometimes.......
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
YoungJedi said:
I guess I really dont understand how you can meter something? Im
trying to take some pics of my kids on a white backdrop. The
problem is ...The backdrop turns out an ugly dull color. I have
made the backdrop real white before but dont know how I did it?
I would have posted in the lighting forum but it takes to long to
get an answer sometimes.......
Click to expand...
 
Do a custom white balance on the backdrop alone, then use the custom white balance setting and take a picture of your subjects. Or you can post process the background in levels by using the white eyedropper in photoshop.
YoungJedi said:
I guess I really dont understand how you can meter something? Im
trying to take some pics of my kids on a white backdrop. The
problem is ...The backdrop turns out an ugly dull color. I have
made the backdrop real white before but dont know how I did it?
I would have posted in the lighting forum but it takes to long to
get an answer sometimes.......
Click to expand...
--
Former Kodak 280 user.
Current Olympus d-40 owner
Former Panasonic FZ10 user
Canon Rebel Semi-newbie
 
...press the * button when the centre of the viewfinder is on their skin or something of mid-range colour. Alternatively, you could use manual mode which uses centre-weighted matering.
And check the Info button after, containing the histogram.
Torque124 said:
always try to meter of a median point lighting wise in a scene...
so the whites will be white and blacks close to black.
YoungJedi said:
I guess I really dont understand how you can meter something? Im
trying to take some pics of my kids on a white backdrop. The
problem is ...The backdrop turns out an ugly dull color. I have
made the backdrop real white before but dont know how I did it?
I would have posted in the lighting forum but it takes to long to
get an answer sometimes.......
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Ricardo
http://photobucket.com/albums/v389/notornis/
 
Now I get it : you have a white balance problem ; you gotta follow Blue Breezes's advice , and do a custom white balance.

Or do what I do , just expose properly in M , and shoot raw. No more exposure, white balance problems.

I always shoot raw indoors , lighting is just too difficult to adjust.
Blue Breeze said:
YoungJedi said:
I guess I really dont understand how you can meter something? Im
trying to take some pics of my kids on a white backdrop. The
problem is ...The backdrop turns out an ugly dull color. I have
made the backdrop real white before but dont know how I did it?
I would have posted in the lighting forum but it takes to long to
get an answer sometimes.......
Click to expand...
--
Former Kodak 280 user.
Current Olympus d-40 owner
Former Panasonic FZ10 user
Canon Rebel Semi-newbie
Click to expand...
 
I shoot in raw lots too. But this is an exposure, metering problem. I have to have it down quickly as I am doing some portraits this Sunday. I just dont get this metering thing I guess......
Torque124 said:
Or do what I do , just expose properly in M , and shoot raw. No
more exposure, white balance problems.

I always shoot raw indoors , lighting is just too difficult to adjust.
Blue Breeze said:
YoungJedi said:
I guess I really dont understand how you can meter something? Im
trying to take some pics of my kids on a white backdrop. The
problem is ...The backdrop turns out an ugly dull color. I have
made the backdrop real white before but dont know how I did it?
I would have posted in the lighting forum but it takes to long to
get an answer sometimes.......
Click to expand...
--
Former Kodak 280 user.
Current Olympus d-40 owner
Former Panasonic FZ10 user
Canon Rebel Semi-newbie
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
below the -2....-1....0.....1.....2 in the viewfinder. In the middle means good exposure for the scene, or at least the middle in manual. Higher is overexposed, lower is lower. It depends on the tone of what you meter whether to increase or decrease shutter speed.
YoungJedi said:
Torque124 said:
Or do what I do , just expose properly in M , and shoot raw. No
more exposure, white balance problems.

I always shoot raw indoors , lighting is just too difficult to adjust.
Blue Breeze said:
YoungJedi said:
I guess I really dont understand how you can meter something? Im
trying to take some pics of my kids on a white backdrop. The
problem is ...The backdrop turns out an ugly dull color. I have
made the backdrop real white before but dont know how I did it?
I would have posted in the lighting forum but it takes to long to
get an answer sometimes.......
Click to expand...
--
Former Kodak 280 user.
Current Olympus d-40 owner
Former Panasonic FZ10 user
Canon Rebel Semi-newbie
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Ricardo
http://photobucket.com/albums/v389/notornis/
 
YoungJedi said:
I guess I really dont understand how you can meter something? Im
trying to take some pics of my kids on a white backdrop. The
problem is ...The backdrop turns out an ugly dull color. I have
made the backdrop real white before but dont know how I did it?
I would have posted in the lighting forum but it takes to long to
get an answer sometimes.......
Click to expand...
http://www.photozone.de/4Technique/metering.htm#spot
 
YoungJedi,

To get a pure white background, you want to make sure the illumination of your backdrop is several stops brighter than the illumination of your subjects. Then you meter off of your subjects. Shooting in manual mode simplifies this.

First adjust your lighting so your background is several stops brighter than your subjects. Either increase the lighting on your background or decrease the lighting on your subjects. Test this with your camera, using the manual exposure meter in the viewfinder. To get an accurate metering of your subjects, you may want to zoom to fill the frame with one of your subject's faces and take a meter reading. Make the adjustments to shutter speed and aperture so that the manual metering needle is right in the middle of the exposure scale. Now move the camera to your background. Without making any changes to your shutter speed or aperture, meter off of the background. If your manual meter indicated that you are several stops overexposued (to the right), you are ready to take your shot. Return to the shooting position, compose and shoot.

What you should have is a perfectly exposed subject and a pure white background.

This is the technique used here:



If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to ask.

Cheers,

jim

--
Shoot more, ***** less!
galleries at: http://www.pbase.com/sandman3
 
Maybe that will help??? When I point the camera at a spot on my backdrop and push the button I really dont see it do anything. I turn the dial and I see it move the arrow. I guess that is what I dont understand. Or at this point I dont even understand what Im trying to say...LOL..Im really conffused now...Im only 33. I hope my brain will work better the older I get?.....hehehehe
Richdavid said:
YoungJedi said:
I guess I really dont understand how you can meter something? Im
trying to take some pics of my kids on a white backdrop. The
problem is ...The backdrop turns out an ugly dull color. I have
made the backdrop real white before but dont know how I did it?
I would have posted in the lighting forum but it takes to long to
get an answer sometimes.......
Click to expand...
http://www.photozone.de/4Technique/metering.htm#spot
Click to expand...
 
Sandman said:
YoungJedi,

To get a pure white background, you want to make sure the
illumination of your backdrop is several stops brighter than the
illumination of your subjects. Then you meter off of your
subjects. Shooting in manual mode simplifies this.

First adjust your lighting so your background is several stops
brighter than your subjects. Either increase the lighting on your
background or decrease the lighting on your subjects. Test this
with your camera, using the manual exposure meter in the
viewfinder. To get an accurate metering of your subjects, you may
want to zoom to fill the frame with one of your subject's faces and
take a meter reading. Make the adjustments to shutter speed and
aperture so that the manual metering needle is right in the middle
of the exposure scale. Now move the camera to your background.
Without making any changes to your shutter speed or aperture, meter
off of the background. If your manual meter indicated that you are
several stops overexposued (to the right), you are ready to take
your shot. Return to the shooting position, compose and shoot.

What you should have is a perfectly exposed subject and a pure
white background.

This is the technique used here:



If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to ask.

Cheers,

jim

--
Shoot more, ***** less!
galleries at: http://www.pbase.com/sandman3
Click to expand...
This is one of the best explanations of how to use the camera for metering that I've ever read.

You are much appreciated!

Rich
 
Dang that is what im needing..On your picture fo the girl. What is the setup? How far is she from the backdrop? From the camera? How many lights do you have on the backdrop? On the subject?..I know its alot of questions but god this is hard sometimes. Thanks for your time and patience.....
Sandman said:
YoungJedi,

To get a pure white background, you want to make sure the
illumination of your backdrop is several stops brighter than the
illumination of your subjects. Then you meter off of your
subjects. Shooting in manual mode simplifies this.

First adjust your lighting so your background is several stops
brighter than your subjects. Either increase the lighting on your
background or decrease the lighting on your subjects. Test this
with your camera, using the manual exposure meter in the
viewfinder. To get an accurate metering of your subjects, you may
want to zoom to fill the frame with one of your subject's faces and
take a meter reading. Make the adjustments to shutter speed and
aperture so that the manual metering needle is right in the middle
of the exposure scale. Now move the camera to your background.
Without making any changes to your shutter speed or aperture, meter
off of the background. If your manual meter indicated that you are
several stops overexposued (to the right), you are ready to take
your shot. Return to the shooting position, compose and shoot.

What you should have is a perfectly exposed subject and a pure
white background.

This is the technique used here:



If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to ask.

Cheers,

jim

--
Shoot more, ***** less!
galleries at: http://www.pbase.com/sandman3
Click to expand...
 
YoungJedi,

In camera manual mode, YOU make adjustments to the shutter speed and aperture to set the correct exposure. THe camera will "meter" the scene when you half-press the shutter. When looking in the viewfinder, you will see an exposure scale across the bottom. THis is what you use to set a "correct" exposure. While looking throught the viewfinder, start with setting a shutter speed of 1/200 seconds. Next select the aperture that places the needle in the center of the viewfinder. Notice as you scroll through the various aperture settings that the needle moves one direction or the other. Continue trying different apertures until the needle rests in the dead center of the exposure scale.

Once your needle is in the dead center of the exposure scale, you should be very close to the "correct" exposure settings. Take a test shot and look at your histogram. If you are underexposed, open up your aperture until the needle rests to the RIGHT of the center on the exposure scale. If you are overexposed, stop down the aperture until the needle rests to the LEFT of the exposure scale.

Learning to adjust the shutter speed and aperture in manual mode is essential before you attempt to do studio work! Once you do it a few times, it will come very easy.

Cheers,

jim

--
Shoot more, ***** less!
galleries at: http://www.pbase.com/sandman3
 
I just have to reply to this and say thank you to Jim for such a great explanation. You are most certainly one of the most helpful members of this forum and you're very appreciated.
Sandman said:
YoungJedi,

In camera manual mode, YOU make adjustments to the shutter speed
and aperture to set the correct exposure. THe camera will "meter"
the scene when you half-press the shutter. When looking in the
viewfinder, you will see an exposure scale across the bottom. THis
is what you use to set a "correct" exposure. While looking
throught the viewfinder, start with setting a shutter speed of
1/200 seconds. Next select the aperture that places the needle in
the center of the viewfinder. Notice as you scroll through the
various aperture settings that the needle moves one direction or
the other. Continue trying different apertures until the needle
rests in the dead center of the exposure scale.

Once your needle is in the dead center of the exposure scale, you
should be very close to the "correct" exposure settings. Take a
test shot and look at your histogram. If you are underexposed,
open up your aperture until the needle rests to the RIGHT of the
center on the exposure scale. If you are overexposed, stop down
the aperture until the needle rests to the LEFT of the exposure
scale.

Learning to adjust the shutter speed and aperture in manual mode is
essential before you attempt to do studio work! Once you do it a
few times, it will come very easy.

Cheers,

jim

--
Shoot more, ***** less!
galleries at: http://www.pbase.com/sandman3
Click to expand...
--
--olivia
http://www.pbase.com/olivian
There is no friendship, no love like that of the mother for her child.

 
YoungJedi,

I use the AlienBees strobes and this was probably a three or four light setup. Ordinarily I use one strobe for the backdrop located near the floor pointed toward the center of the backdrop. The subject is about 4 feet from the backdrop. The camera is about 6 feet from the subject. The main is just to camera left, using a large umbrella. The fill is positioned camera right. The main is about three times stronger than the fill. A hair highlight was used in this shot ona boom to camera right. If you look very closely at the shot, you can "see" the position of each of the lights. Look closely at the shadows and bright areas and catch lights in the eyes. You can really tell quite a bit about a lighting setup by looking closely at the lighting & shadows and catchlights.

Good luck,

jim
--
Shoot more, ***** less!
galleries at: http://www.pbase.com/sandman3
 
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