I did a shoot of a white xb yesteday. I had to do some major processing to fix some overexposure/underexposure. Here are two shots, that turned out kinda decent, but I still think they need some work... Let me know any tips or what you think can be done to improve these pics. thanks

 

When your main subject is white, you have to go +1 maybe +1 1/2. It's like shooting snow. Your camera meter is trying get everything to that 18% gray that it's set up for, so your camera drops your metering down, you have to go up.

Also if you don't use it yet, start using your spot meter when the color of the main item is more important than whats around it. Your spot will meter off of the AF point that you are using.

Another thing to watch is your highlights screen, make sure you're not clipping them. Whites and reds give digital cameras problems.


I think they look pretty good, you were able to make adjustments in post, but work on what I posted to help get the best in the camera first.

 

You could consider doing some psuedo-HDR. This is where you generate multiple exposures from the same RAW file. If you don't go nuts with the setting, it can give the image a very subtle pop that looks real but would actually be impossible to take in reality.

 

^ good call on the spot meter. I should have read up on that before the shoot. These are pretty much right out of the camera with some minor tweaking. Some of the other shots needed multiple layering so I could fix the underexposure/overexposure of the car.

Here is one corrected. But not sure if the car though looks too "unnatural." I need another set of eyes since this is the first time I'm working with layers specifically to brighten/darken one section of a picture.

 

The above image looks better with the most of the top sky cropped out.

You have some JPEG artifacts in the light part of the sky you can try to go over with the blur tool.

 

^ oh yeah, werd. Gonna fix that later... Just posted to show you guys the layering of the car to brighten it up, and keep the background as is..

 

Can't see your photos...

try repost

 

Images are there

 

Strange, now I can see them. Couldn't before

Another thing to try is to take a meter reading off the car (i.e. zoom in and focus directly on the car first). Then set your aperture and shutter speed manually according to the camera's recommended setting and recompose your shot. This means your exposure will be correct for the white vehicle and the current lighting and not the overall composition and should give you better detail in the car.

 

Ah some nice info from you guys as always =) definitely helps for future reference.

 

Reading this made me go back and look, the 40D has spot metering but it is not tied to the AF points. Sorry you'll have to go 1D series body for that or to Nikon. And some of Rebel series bodies don't have spot metering at all.

 

Wow. Don't have spot metering. I didn't know that.

I've taken spot metering for granted ever since 35mm days.

 

I checked, the XS and original Rebel do not, so it's not as bad I remember.

 

40D the spot metering is simply the center AF point area IIRC.

 

Yes, I was thinking it was to selected AF point. But that is only with the 1D series with Canon.

 

Dunno if it's the iPhone screen but the car looks grey to me.

Black or white subjects are so hard to shoot exposed right.

I wouldve shot raw, spot metered off the car, shot one image see how under exposed it is, make adjustments. and then Use that image for a custom white balance..

 

It's white