I need some advice on this photo please

Ry@n

Ry@n

Ry@n

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Joined
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Essex
Hi all,
Im having trouble getting the light and metering right on these types of shots.
Does anyone have some tips on what i can do to make these types of shots stand out better, the riders are too dark and it ruins the photo.
Here is the type of photo i am refering to:
I have not edited the photo at all yet apart from resizing and also a little sharpening (which the camera doesnt do enough of)
wakes1st3.jpg


At the moment i am using a 400D and Kit Lense and a Skylight 1A filter. I will hopefully buy a Canon 70-200mm F4 L lense when i come back from my holdiay in 3 weeks. I hope this lense will help in a lot of ways except for the above problems ?

Also another question i have is how do you stop the camera getting dusty ? These bikes kick up allot of dust. Is there any type of cover i can buy ? I was thinking of using sandwich bags for the time being.

I think i shot in centre weighted metering.
Thanks for any help on how i can improve.
Ryan.
 
Slightly off topic but is that the Joyce Green track? certainly look's like it! :D


Anyway, try some fill in flash, also, are you shooting in RAW or JPEG?
 
Its a track called Wakes Colne, very popular too.

When you say fill-in flash, do you mean simply use a flash whilst taking the shot ? Or is it an after effect added?

Im shooting in JPEG at the moment, i only have 2GB card and i have never processed a RAW file yet. Maybe i should try it an also get a larger card.
 
Looks like you could knock the exposure up a little more without burning the sky out, try upping it by say .3EV on the exposure compensations. Fill in flash as mentioend would definately work as well (Yes, this is using the flash on your camera to subtly add a bit of lighting into the shadows.) And yes, you an get camera raincovers that will protect from dust as well. I can't remeber any brand names though unfortunately. Im getting a custom made one by a guy on another forum, which will fit my camera+ 150mm lens perfectly, and also has a hole allowing me to work the focus ring. Its made out of gortex, and best of all... its in cammo green. :D
 
Ry@n said:
When you say fill-in flash, do you mean simply use a flash whilst taking the shot ? Or is it an after effect added?
Click to expand...

Basically yes, you just use the flash while taking the shot, it will help fill any shadows in on the subject (hence the name). You can get the same effect in photoshop though. Just select the bike and guy and up the levels. Your be suprised how much detail is hiding in the shadows :)

For example:

biker1if3.jpg
 
OK cheers guys, im having another go tomorrow so ill try a few different techniques. As for the camera cover, i might ask my dad as he is an upholsterer and has some nice materials that could be used. What material would your custom one be made from ?

Nice work on the edited pic. Does it take you long to carefully select the bike and rider without selecting some of the background ?
 
Ry@n said:
Nice work on the edited pic. Does it take you long to carefully select the bike and rider without selecting some of the background ?
Click to expand...

About 2-3 seconds....very roughly outline the biker on a 20pixel feather, or take more time and do about a 10px feather
 
alex how do you do that? i use to be a photoshop guru but now kinda forgotten after not using it for a year, i love the style of that pic.

edit: to expand, I know to to clone out the poeple, but i mean like the lighting style etc. I know its one of the level adjusts but usually i just sue contrast/lightness and occasionaly slightly change the colours. Is that the basis? Is it virtually trial and error with every pic, or some sort of set rutine one can use?
sorry for thread jacking, pm me if you want :)
 
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