how to manage exposure

[jojojoy]

I always have problem to get a correct exposure when they are together.
My dog, the lighter one, always seems overexposure.
I did try to use gray card and spot meter, but the result was not good (always underexposure).
Now I turn real-time histogram on and use manual all the time, but still got wrong exposure often.
Does anyone have suggestion for how to manage exposure in situation like this?

[photosbyvito]

well if you switch over to manual mode you can get much more control (unless you already are lol)

you can use auto mode to see wat exposure they say for a grey card.....than stop up one in arperture....

hope this helps.....

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by jojojoy

Does anyone have suggestion for how to manage exposure in situation like this?

Many digicams offer a quick-fire exposure bracketing function, typically with 3 to 5 steps of 0.3 to 2 EV. Why not experiment with this, and progressively home in on the best compromise?

[eric s]

Another problem you are going to have is that digital cameras have a limited range of light they can capture (much more limited than the human eye, and more limited that the better films you can use.) Considering the extreme difference in color between the dogs, you'll probably have to expose for the lighter color one and live with it... that will overexpose for the darker dog, but if you really want to you can try to recover it in photoshop by selecting the dog and darkening him.

Another trick is to try to only take pictures where the darker dog is in the sun and the lighter on is in shadow. That would help to reduce the differences between them without having to resort to photoshop recovery.

Eric

[eric s]

Another problem you are going to have is that digital cameras have a limited range of light they can capture (much more limited than the human eye, and more limited that the better films you can use.) Considering the extreme difference in color between the dogs, you'll probably have to expose for the lighter color one and live with it... that will overexpose for the darker dog, but if you really want to you can try to recover it in photoshop by selecting the dog and darkening him.

Another trick is to try to only take pictures where the darker dog is in the sun and the lighter on is in shadow. That would help to reduce the differences between them without having to resort to photoshop recovery.

Eric

[jojojoy]

you'll probably have to expose for the lighter color one and live with it... that will overexpose for the darker dog,

Why will the darker one overexpose if I meter the lighter color dog, ? I thought it will underexpose.


to Alan T,
I did turn bracketing function on.
Otherwise, I probably don't have anything to show.
But I wish I can get it right all the time because the moment can never com back.

[eric s]

Well, first. If you got an exposure you kinda like (because of bracketing) look at the camera settings as saved in the EXIF data with that picture. Compare those settings to the one you don't like and look at the differences.

You are right, I misspoke. If you expose properly for the light dog, the darker will be underexposed. I actually wrote underexpose and then changed it... I don't know why!

Eric

[BillDrew]

Originally Posted by jojojoy

... Why will the darker one overexpose if I meter the lighter color dog, ? I thought it will underexpose.

You are right: I think Eric was suffering from the same momentary disconection between brain and fingers that I suffer from at times.

Originally Posted by jojojoy

... to Alan T,
I did turn bracketing function on.
Otherwise, I probably don't have anything to show.

Have you looked at the EXIF data to see what worked best? If you always had the best shots with -x compensation, that is your answer.

Originally Posted by jojojoy

But I wish I can get it right all the time because the moment can never com back.

I, and every other photographer, have the same wish. Keep trying and pay attention to what works and the percentage of good ones will increase.