I really need some help - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/07/2006 07:45:18 AM · #1

I'm doing our daughters school pictures- i refuse to pay someone else who doesn't do a very good job. Well I'm having a HUGE problem with her eyes! I'm shooting in manual, 45-150mm f3.5-5.6 lens. Shutter of 1/160sec, iso 100, and at f4.5.
See here
fall portraits

Now I tried bumping up the ISO and the background had a ton of hotspots, I want that tree in the background. You can see in a couple of them that I darkened some spots in the background- i know it's not good it was a quick fix for the time being. And I'm looking at them on here and the colors look a lot more saturated and orangish then they do on my file so I don't know what that's about.
How do I get her eyes to light up? For some reason my flash isn't firing, but if I put it in portrait mode, the flash on fill flash, then it fires but in portrait mode EVERYTHING is washed out looking and lots of hotspots.
Help! Btw I do not have an external flash and I did not use a tripod. TOo hard to tote a tripod around with my daughter. The more time I take the more irritated she gets lol.

Message edited by author 2006-11-07 07:46:36.

Jaded_Housewife

Canon EOS-5D

11/07/2006 07:46:46 AM · #2

if you didnt my advice would be to aim a reflector at her face. that should help.

edit to add: just a home made aluminum foil on cardboard thing , car window reflector(have them at most dollar stores) could work if you dont have one.

Message edited by author 2006-11-07 07:47:48.

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

11/07/2006 07:50:23 AM · #3

okay I'll have to try that this weekend. She's going to hate me lol. This will be take number 3! The area I'm shooting her in his almost all shade except the sun bouncing off that yellow tree. So if I use foil I wonder if I can bounce enough light off of the tree.
I don't get it, all the senior portraits I've done I didn't even use a reflector- did for maybe one of 2, and I didn't have this problem. Figured I'd shoot my own child and have issues lol.

xXxscarletxXx

Nikon D80

11/07/2006 07:52:15 AM · #4

They have good Bokeh ^_^ lol

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/07/2006 07:53:09 AM · #5

lol thanks scarlet! Seems to be my strength!

I'm getting really frustrated with the eyes though.

Jaded_Housewife

Canon EOS-5D

11/07/2006 07:53:21 AM · #6

lol. well luckily it IS your own child, because even if she doesnt like it you can still make her try again until its right and you'll know what to do next time. so thats good. good luck!

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/07/2006 07:57:13 AM · #7

see now that one I didn't have a problem with so I may just use it. But it has no color in the background.

Jaded_Housewife

Canon EOS-5D

11/07/2006 07:59:23 AM · #8

it looks like the flash went off for that one.