@janim
Yeah the crop stinks. I think it should have been more square-ish? Yes? It needs more contrast too, I think. Just haven't figured out how to get it. Anyways, thanks for looking and commenting!
Nice shot. Cropping can depend upon the desired effect. The rule of thirds is something I have been looking at lately. Ie centre subject on the left or right third of frame.
@shannejw
I'm not sure what EV settings are.? For this shot I did use an ISO of 800, along with light from two windows, an overhead light, as well as a side lamp light. And was also done in black and white as opposed to color. I think if I were to do again, I would do in color. Maybe that would give me the sense of contrast I feel is missing? Thanks for taking the time to look and comment!
you should have an EV setting - I certainly have had on every basic camera - ISO 800 is compensating for poor light conditions, EV is what I use to get HDR - take three pictures at EV -1, EV 0 and EV +1 - it stands for exposure value. It's this page in the online manual http://www.manualslib.com/manual/111301/Nikon-Coolpix-P100.html?page=53 You can also create high key by upping the time for exposure.
@shannejw
Thanks so much for the link, it was really helpful! I do have the exposure button, I thought I was looking for a setting within the menu. Silly me.
@shannejw
In your opinion, what is the benefit of converting as opposed to shooting in b&w? I have the manual for my camera, I've read it several times.
you can choose how you convert - take it down in different ways - for example shooting a ladybird in b&w doesn't give high enough contrast, but if you separate RGB in a photoprocessing programme you can choose the version that gives you the contrasts. You can choose different tones of monochrome - the good guys use Silver Efex for conversion.
agree with everyone else.... I would have cropped more on the right to make you appear closer to the side/edge of the image. And yes to taking the photo in colour and post-processing to bnw. And yes to a colour selfie next time. And yes to changing your ISO lower and using the EXPosure buttons to get that high key look.
My added tip is that when you aim for a deliberate hi-key shot, if you focus on a whiter component you'll get a darker shot (faster speed) then you would if you focused on a darker section. So you need to think about that when composing and setting up the white balance.
@bobfoto
Thanks to all the yeses. lol. I think I will attempt this shot again soon as I really enjoy hi key photos. Now I just need to learn about white balance as I've never messed with that function as it's hard to get to menu wise. My general auto default is 160, so it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.
@mej2011 - try this. Compose a photo, any photo. Now normally, one will half press and a little red dot somewhere will appear and the camera will go 'beep'. At this moment, the camera is focusing and checking the light. You can change on most cameras how the camera checks for light, you can set it to think that the light right at the centre of the camera/sensor is the light setting for the whole photo or you can set it to think the whole sensor is the light for the photo.
Does this make sense so far?
So back to the camera. Look in the viewfinder, aim the brightest thing you can see (in shot) and then half press and compose and shoot.
Then do the same but aim at the darkest part of the photo, again half press, compose and shoot.
You will notice how one shot is considerably darker than the other.
This is what you need to think about when hi-keying a shot, you can really overblow an image by cranking up the EXPosure and then focussing on the dark part of the object (often hair in a selfie).
@bobfoto
As soon as I turn on my camera there is a square in the center of either the lcd screen (how I normally shoot) or the viewfinder. Half clicking will either turn that square red or green depending on if the camera decides it likes the settings, lighting, zoom etc. Also, sometimes, the AF assist light comes on and makes things blurry, although I suppose it's supposed to help.
I'll have to do some googling to see how to change how the camera checks for light.
Sure.I think everyone covered a lot of stuff there. But one I want to reinforce.
Rule of thirds, rule of thirds and rule of thirds.
The image is soft (that is a photographers way of saying out of focus) but given that you took at f2.8 I am not surprised.
Photography for me is about lighting and in fact photography for everyone even if they know know it, it is about lighting. Without it we have no image.
With lighting comes shadows, with shadows comes depth and with depth come interest.
Now with that in mind the image for my liking is too flat.. What I mean by that is there is not depth and this is a direct problem of straight on lighting.
If you would of bounced or had the lighting coming in from an angle it would of added that extra depth.
Now high key shots are difficult to take as they generally need a shit tonne of available lighting be it natural or artificial but either way it should be directional.
@agima
Thanks so much! I will keep that in mind if I do a re-shoot. I pretty much had light coming from me everywhere I could think of. Overhead ceiling fan light, side table lamp, windows on either side, and flash.
@agima
Also, in reference to this photo being "soft", I've been told that by various 365 members since I started the project, again not sure if it's something I'm doing wrong, or my camera, or both since I've read reviews for my camera with the same complaints on Amazon.
Well, you got a lot of support here on technical stuff, I will need to come back and read thoroughly! But, I like the high key and yes to the selfie! nice to see you! I was previously following you, not sure what happened...
@nanalisarocks
I will also need to come back several times to thoroughly read and comprehend all the knowledge shared with me here. Hopefully I will be able to execute this shot a little better in the near future.
Thank you for following me.....again. I think, actually, this happened once before where you were following me and then lost me. Not sure what is going on.
@agima With your D3200, you could try the f/2.8 in Live View with AUTO Area Mode. That will kick in Face Detection, and get the focus on your eyes. Or should. That would satisfy Brendan's problem with "softness" at f/2.8. But yes, I would definitely close down the shutter and "convert" to hi key in an editor. Much easier, and you would have much more control over the whole process.
@mej2011 "softness" is a problem with proper focus, and f/2.8 this close will make the DoF (Depth of Field) a few centimeters at best. Such conditions are difficult to focus correctly shooting someone else, and impossibly shooting yourself, unless "face detect" kicks in. Like I said above, close down the aperture and process for hi key would be how I would go about it...
@frankhymus
Thanks! I'll give it a shot. I took this photo prior to having my Nikon D3200 and haven't really tried selfies that much with that specific camera yet.
January 8th, 2015
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Thanks so much Penny and George!
Yeah the crop stinks. I think it should have been more square-ish? Yes? It needs more contrast too, I think. Just haven't figured out how to get it. Anyways, thanks for looking and commenting!
Thanks for the comment, I will definitely work on the rule of thirds idea long with cropping.
I'm not sure what EV settings are.? For this shot I did use an ISO of 800, along with light from two windows, an overhead light, as well as a side lamp light. And was also done in black and white as opposed to color. I think if I were to do again, I would do in color. Maybe that would give me the sense of contrast I feel is missing? Thanks for taking the time to look and comment!
Thanks so much for the link, it was really helpful! I do have the exposure button, I thought I was looking for a setting within the menu. Silly me.
In your opinion, what is the benefit of converting as opposed to shooting in b&w? I have the manual for my camera, I've read it several times.
I see. Thanks for the clarification. I'll be getting an editing program for my birthday soon, just not sure what program exactly.
I have Gimp, and Photoscape, and sometimes utilize online editors as well.
My added tip is that when you aim for a deliberate hi-key shot, if you focus on a whiter component you'll get a darker shot (faster speed) then you would if you focused on a darker section. So you need to think about that when composing and setting up the white balance.
I'd use Auto ISO in this situation.
Thanks to all the yeses. lol. I think I will attempt this shot again soon as I really enjoy hi key photos. Now I just need to learn about white balance as I've never messed with that function as it's hard to get to menu wise. My general auto default is 160, so it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.
Would you mind looking at this one too? I thought I tagged you in it when I took it because I read your discussion posting, but I guess not.
Does this make sense so far?
So back to the camera. Look in the viewfinder, aim the brightest thing you can see (in shot) and then half press and compose and shoot.
Then do the same but aim at the darkest part of the photo, again half press, compose and shoot.
You will notice how one shot is considerably darker than the other.
This is what you need to think about when hi-keying a shot, you can really overblow an image by cranking up the EXPosure and then focussing on the dark part of the object (often hair in a selfie).
As soon as I turn on my camera there is a square in the center of either the lcd screen (how I normally shoot) or the viewfinder. Half clicking will either turn that square red or green depending on if the camera decides it likes the settings, lighting, zoom etc. Also, sometimes, the AF assist light comes on and makes things blurry, although I suppose it's supposed to help.
I'll have to do some googling to see how to change how the camera checks for light.
Rule of thirds, rule of thirds and rule of thirds.
The image is soft (that is a photographers way of saying out of focus) but given that you took at f2.8 I am not surprised.
Photography for me is about lighting and in fact photography for everyone even if they know know it, it is about lighting. Without it we have no image.
With lighting comes shadows, with shadows comes depth and with depth come interest.
Now with that in mind the image for my liking is too flat.. What I mean by that is there is not depth and this is a direct problem of straight on lighting.
If you would of bounced or had the lighting coming in from an angle it would of added that extra depth.
Now high key shots are difficult to take as they generally need a shit tonne of available lighting be it natural or artificial but either way it should be directional.
Thanks so much! I will keep that in mind if I do a re-shoot. I pretty much had light coming from me everywhere I could think of. Overhead ceiling fan light, side table lamp, windows on either side, and flash.
Also, in reference to this photo being "soft", I've been told that by various 365 members since I started the project, again not sure if it's something I'm doing wrong, or my camera, or both since I've read reviews for my camera with the same complaints on Amazon.
I will also need to come back several times to thoroughly read and comprehend all the knowledge shared with me here. Hopefully I will be able to execute this shot a little better in the near future.
Thank you for following me.....again. I think, actually, this happened once before where you were following me and then lost me. Not sure what is going on.
Thanks! I'll give it a shot. I took this photo prior to having my Nikon D3200 and haven't really tried selfies that much with that specific camera yet.