What did I do wrong here ?

Raphy

I'm just curious why i got such a big difference in these two photos.... If anyone has theories, please share.... the only think i can think of right now is that the camera too the metering reading in two different spots.

both photos were shot with D70s and 50mm 1.8D lens @f/1.8, spot metering, servo-focus.

these are straight out of the camera - don't mind the photos, they're in the reject pile anyways...:

#1 - (OK exposure)



and

#2 (crap exposure)



Did I spot-meter on the wrong part ??? :dunno :dunno :dunno I noticed a few images came out like this from the shoot.

THanks guys and gals!

timk519

My guess is the sensor was looking at the man's white shirt in the first pic (as it's the only "normally" exposed part of the pic), and the black space a bit to the left on the second shot.

DonRicklin

One argument for not 'trusting' auto settings and using Manual settings (not that I do!). Seems a bit touchy in this case, though.

Don

MagicAura

I'm totally new here, but since it's on a stage with lots of changing light could it have just been a switch in their light? Like... they turned off a set and turned on a different set? Did that make any sense?

Icebear

MagicAura, that's a good guess, but not the case here. He had the camera doing the metering for him, so if the lights changed, the camera would have picked up on it. Your idea would have been more likely right had he been in "manual" mode.

Icebear

Raphy,
In a scene like this, I'd not use spot metering unless you really mean to. Matrix metering will give you better exposure for the scene.

DonRicklin

Also unlikely for what appear to be cast shots for a single number. I done a lot of theatre in thirty years and it seams unlikely they'd change the lights while having someone shoot what appear to be lobby shots or shots to sel the cast afterward.

These appear to be from on stage.

Don

jeffreaux2

Spot meter for faces. Then plug those settings into the camera in Manual.

Raphy

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Lesson learned... after i get a good exposure, i'll make sure to switch to manual and go from there... given that the lighting did not chenge much in this case !

Cheers !

anderiv

Raphy wrote:

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Lesson learned... after i get a good exposure, i'll make sure to switch to manual and go from there... given that the lighting did not chenge much in this case !

Cheers !

Raphy - the other option is to start using the exposure/focus lock button. Set the "spot" on an area of the scene that's not too dark or too light (I frequently use someone's face), hold down the exp. lock, re-compose the frame, then shoot. I use this technique quite frequently and get pretty good results.

Sure - as others have mentioned, shooting in full manual is probably the best choice, but using the exposure lock is a good intermediate step perhaps?

-Erik

SloYerRoll

Raphy wrote:

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Lesson learned... after i get a good exposure, i'll make sure to switch to manual and go from there... given that the lighting did not chenge much in this case !

Cheers !

Once you start shooting manual more often. You'll find yourself never trusting auto settings of any kind.

You'll eventually get to the point where you can expose a shot within a stop or two, then chimp to fine tune. This also makes it SOOO much easier in post, since all your images are exposed the same (or in groups when you changed exposure settings) you can fine tune one shot, then apply the change to all the images. Then it's just a matter of a tweak here and nit there and all done

PhilCollum

I agree with timk519 and everyone else on the metering, especially since the center of the image seems to be on the shirt in #1 and on the jacket in #2, but I wanted to throw out one more possibility: Were there audience members using flash photography? If so, is it possible that someone else's flash fired at the same time as your exposure?

Raphy

PhilCollum wrote:

If so, is it possible that someone else's flash fired at the same time as your exposure?

This is a possibility, as there was a photographer using flash... but i would think that TOO MANY of these shots came out this way that it just can't be a coincidence ...

Also, I've noticed that on the D40 (using all manual and non-metering lens) all my shots were fine. I was using a D40 with a 135mm lens and my D70s with 50mm (using spot metering)

THanks agian everyone !

Angelo

Looking closely it appears to me that in the second image you focused on the guy in the back row, behind the guy in the leather jacket. It's darker in the back row, so the camera would have accommodated the lower light level and overexposed the front line.

edit: actually you moved the camera a degree to the left, focusing on the black spot stage right, below the blue light.