FredJames ya out there??

Here are a couple of pics from today....I have alot more but still need to view them...

I was trying to shoot more towards golden hour, but still having trouble and pics not looking exactly like I want. I either get really washed out skin tones or very flat looking tones. I attempted to position and move around her but still not happy. Im not sure if Im expecting too much here? Any advice would be great...Always value your suggestions...
I was shooting with D300, ISO 400, 1/160 at f6.3 VIVD on this one only Apature

Spot metering was used on these....Suggestions on this??? Should I be in Matrix



f8 1/250 ISO 400 SPOT Nutral setting at +1 contrast, -1brightness, Sat 0, Hue -1 sharpness 3



f5.6 1/320 ISO 400 SPOT Same nuetral settings..Here face is way too light on this one and really thought this would have turned out better.



Just noticed the WB seems off on this one....This picture is what Im having the most issue it seems. It seems that here face has sun and light but still dark looking. ALmost as if a muddy film over. If I attempt a levels adjust here face blows. I dont think on print here face would be light enough would it?? What would be the way you handle this either in Post Processing or at the time of the shot.

f8 1/250 ISO 400 Spot Metering Same Nuetral settings

I think you did fantastic in capturing the moment ...the only comment is the lighting on the one side of the face and possibly if you had illuminated the entire face it may have been more radiant...otherwise well done and a cute little girl to photograph
cheers and thank you for sharing
joyce

--
Tom O
http://www.pbase.com/tom_and_kris

I appreciate the nice comments. Im just trying to improve and learn more

hmmm, seems every picture has sun and shade in it... Where did you spot meter off? I would have used center-weighted or even matrix and checked histogram after the shots to make sure it wasn't too off either way.

Are you shooting RAW or JPEG?

I have noticed the D300 tends to "emphasize" hot spots especially on faces more so than my previous cameras. I find a custom curve in LR where I pull down the highlights and lights to -10 each seems to really clean this up.

Also, my experience is the D300 meters as far to the right as possible without blowing highlights, this is also different. Maybe fine tuning exposure for a -1/3 or even -1/2 in matrix would help...

Are you using Active D-Lighting at all?

But, these are not bad pictures at all... I kind of like them.
--
TJ
D300, 18-200 VR, SB800

To further expand on my previous post... Here are two examples of a similar picture I took this morning in pretty harsh sun light.

Crops from the NEF converted in Lightroom using my settings and from the NEF converted using NX with neutral settings, rest zeroed out (contrast, brightness, saturation). ADL was off.

both pictures are exposed to the right, but neither has any clipped highlights, at least according to lightroom. Shot using Matrix with no EV compensation. I later switched to Center Weighted and this produced better histograms for me.

Lightroom crop:



NX crop:



Look at his face where the sun was hitting it... the NX crop is horrible and shows those "hot spots". This is what a JPEG would have looked like... hence why I shoot NEF and use Lightroom. Not saying it couldn't have been fixed in camera, I just find it easier to do in PP.

Here are the histograms:

NEF Lightroom:



NX TIFF histogram:



--
TJ
D300, 18-200 VR, SB800

...he does there more. I think. =)

-Terry

I have been using CS3 in the past but notice that same result your getting in NX in CS3...When I open my files in NX I get just the opposite....The files look much much better than CS3....There was some shade and golden light but I really thought they might come out better from the camera....

Some of the pics I have been getting straight from the came have been very blah on the skin tones....
Im still experimenting...

Here is another pic done in NX initially and then placed in CS3 for cropping and effects

I ithink lightroom is doing better but are you happy with the skin tones you have been getting from the D300??? The tone on your childs face seems little hot on both.

I was spot metering off of my daughters face on the above pics...I was not recomposing the shot and metering off here checks

tjtoed said:

To further expand on my previous post... Here are two examples of a
similar picture I took this morning in pretty harsh sun light.
Crops from the NEF converted in Lightroom using my settings and from
the NEF converted using NX with neutral settings, rest zeroed out
(contrast, brightness, saturation). ADL was off.

both pictures are exposed to the right, but neither has any clipped
highlights, at least according to lightroom. Shot using Matrix with
no EV compensation. I later switched to Center Weighted and this
produced better histograms for me.

Lightroom crop:



NX crop:



Look at his face where the sun was hitting it... the NX crop is
horrible and shows those "hot spots". This is what a JPEG would have
looked like... hence why I shoot NEF and use Lightroom. Not saying
it couldn't have been fixed in camera, I just find it easier to do in
PP.

Here are the histograms:

NEF Lightroom:



NX TIFF histogram:



--
TJ
D300, 18-200 VR, SB800

Click to expand...

I think they all look great! Very natural..

Do you have a similar picture from a previous camera maybe? To illustrate the look you want to get?

[edit]

I'm referring to the last picture you posted btw, I agree the first ones seem a little washed out.
--
http://www.stageshots.nl
capturing emotions on-stage

I took the liberty of retouching it a bit.
Hope you don't mind, and will remove the photo on your request..

Quick levels and hue adjustment.



--
http://www.stageshots.nl
capturing emotions on-stage

If you want beautiful skin tones, you can tweak the picture control settings to give you that. The settings used for landscape or natural colors may not flatter skin tones. It's up to you to tweak until you're satisfied. The D300 allows you to save different picture control settings for different purposes.

And why wouldn't it be hot??? the sun was shining directly on my child's face... any of my older cameras, I get blown highlights on his face.

I am not sure what you are expecting the D300 to do that any other camera would have the same or even more trouble with...

nikond2000 said:

I ithink lightroom is doing better but are you happy with the skin
tones you have been getting from the D300??? The tone on your childs
face seems little hot on both.

I was spot metering off of my daughters face on the above pics...I
was not recomposing the shot and metering off here checks

Click to expand...

--
TJ
D300, 18-200 VR, SB800

I realize the sun was on the face, but it was not harsh sunlight and I was exposing for the face....I was metering on her check. In theory wouldnt the camera slightly underexpose for light faces when metering? Im still playing with the settings to gain the proper skin tones.

I appreciate all the nice comments and like these photo's but they are still not an accurate representation of her skin tone. These have a Very washed out look IMO.

Another issue I have addressed is opening these files in CS3. In the past I have never had a Problem with Adobe Raw. When opening files from the D300 they are pushed even more to the right it seems. Now Im opening in NX and then taking to CS3 which is kinda a pain

Going to play some today

I see what you are saying.

However when looking at your pic you have a bright yellow jacket and light concrete in the background. None of this looks bright but the little boy's face is blown. Im just trying to understand why skin tones are getting so washed.

tjtoed said:

I am not sure what you are expecting the D300 to do that any other
camera would have the same or even more trouble with...

nikond2000 said:

I ithink lightroom is doing better but are you happy with the skin
tones you have been getting from the D300??? The tone on your childs
face seems little hot on both.

I was spot metering off of my daughters face on the above pics...I
was not recomposing the shot and metering off here checks

Click to expand...

--
TJ
D300, 18-200 VR, SB800

Click to expand...

Here's a thread in D3 forum on Picture Styles and skin tones.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1021&thread=26235609

The D300/D3 are so customizable, you should be able to get what you want.

Hello,

I'm in the woods tracking some animals. Its extremly foggy here in Illinios and I wanted some animals just poking out ot the fog shots. Or surronded by fog.
Keep it quiet I don't want people to know I do wildlife and landscapes. (He he)

There's like 100' visiblilty if that. I should be back later this afternoon and take a look. I can't really see the shots but can read the text.

Fred

Yeah, I know what you are saying... My point was this "blown", even though the histogram/highlight warnings are saying it is NOT blown is worse when I use NX to convert the NEFs over what I can get out of Lightroom.

Again, I think this is the default tone curves in the D300, not overexposing...

99% of my shooting is of people/kids with a lot of those using flash, so this is something I am constantly trying to improve/prevent.

nikond2000 said:

tjtoed said:

I am not sure what you are expecting the D300 to do that any other
camera would have the same or even more trouble with...

nikond2000 said:

I ithink lightroom is doing better but are you happy with the skin
tones you have been getting from the D300??? The tone on your childs
face seems little hot on both.

I was spot metering off of my daughters face on the above pics...I
was not recomposing the shot and metering off here checks

Click to expand...

--
TJ
D300, 18-200 VR, SB800

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
TJ
D300, 18-200 VR, SB800

Hey sorry for the late reply. Holidays got me good. Your shots are much better and remember the ladder of life. It's a long ladder and everytime you go up a step it's a good thing.

You went up a step here so be happy. Now you have many more to go. I'm still climbing and will be for ever. It's a endless ladder

OK I feel your problem is still your lighting. That and your post work is still not as good as it will be as you improve. One day you will be great at both.

The lighting looks still too much not infront of them and more to the side. The shadows tell the story and the one with her sitting was the light half on her and half off?

You need to fing soft even lighting that is just as even on the background or maybe a stop or so less (not more) Get it right in the LCD and try a greycard in a shot then use it to adjust in Capture.

I did a quick adjustment to your shot. This is kinda what it would look like if your had it better.

Watch adding to much sharpness to eyes in post work. You had to have them way up there. Stay below 20 and leave the other setting in sharpness alone for now.

Hope this makes sense, If not let me know, Fred

I am wondering what did you change in order to archieve this kind the skin tones. Would you suggest more contrast in the picture control settings?