photographing caucasian and african american couple - Advice Needed

[deni]

<p>Hello,<br>

I will be photographing a caucasian african american couple for their wedding coming up soon.<br>

I have never photographed the mix before. I had heard the difference in the skin tones can trick the camera. I know there are other threads on photo.net but, I have been looking and have not really found what I want to know.<br>

I have a canon 30D a 430ex speedlite, a canon 28-135 IS lens. I also have a canon 35 mm 2.0 lens.<br>

Would I benefit more using the 35mm 2.0 lens?<br>

what settings would I need to put my camera on and the speedlite?<br>

I really like the IS lens. The wedding will be indoors around 4pm which by then will be starting to get dark outside.<br>

Any help would be greatly appreciated!<br>

Thank you,<br>

Denise</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Hi, Denise,</p>

<p>Please see this ongoing thread which lists links to several excellent tutorials, including lighting lessons for all kinds of portraiture situations:<br>

<a title="Links to online tutorials and learning software for beginning photographers" href="00RljT" title="Links to online tutorials and learning software for beginning photographers"> Links to online tutorials and learning software for beginning photographers </a></p>

<p>These illustrated tutorials will probably be of far greater help than we can provide in words. Be sure to set up some practice exercises at home and, if possibly, in the same type of lighting situation you'd encounter during the actual event. After reviewing a couple of those tutorials, we can help answer more specific types of questions.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>I suggest you bracket the flash exposure. Also use reflected or bounced lighting if possible.<br>

Shoot many pictures and select the best. This recommendtion would not fly well with film cameras, just few years ago.</p>

[matt_needham]

<p>The difference between dark and light skin are going to be minor compared to the difference between a black tux and a white wedding dress. If you can handle that it shouldn't be a problem.</p>

<p> </p>

[neilambrose]

<p>I don't know why this topic continually arises because there's nothing remotely difficult about metering for people with different colour skin... Makes me think people don't understand even the most basic concepts of photography. All you have to do is meter off a mid-tone. </p>

[dmcgphoto]

<p>Denise, when I grew up and the school photographer would come and take pictures, we would always comment on how much darker our classmates were in their pictures. This was due to the exposure for the white students only. Even the Latino students were significantly darker. <br>

In my opinion, then and now, this was the photographer not being aware, or caring. The couple I assume you know, you can determine how fair one is vs the other. I might also point out that many people of color do not appreciate looking very dark in a photo.<br>

Frank's idea is good, in the beginning, to bracket, but have a mental note ready for the images later on, you are going to need to do some post if one of the couple is from Norway, and the other hails from Nigeria! Don't be afraid to shoot additional shots.<br>

As for metering on a midtone, well I've never met anyone who was 18%, which is a direct quote from an old codger of a boss who himself a very good portrait photographer and himself a gentlement of color!</p>

[savagesax]

<p>With African Americans and often Indians, you need to open up about a 1/2 to 1 F-stop. The problem is the spouse will be over exposed. The correct way is to use 2 or 3 flash units, with more power diverted and favoring darker complexions.<br>

If you don't know how to use extra lights, or can't afford them, shoot in RAW, over expose very slightly, by a 1/2 stop and fix the final prints in photoshop. It's a lot of extra work though. Probably looking at about 10 hours of corrections.</p>

[neilambrose]

<p><em>... as for metering on a midtone, well I've never met anyone who was 18%...</em><br>

<em><br /> </em><br>

Good grief - are you serious? Just select a mid-tone in equivalent light. It doesn't have to be the thing you're photographing. There are mid-tones everywhere - they're the bits that aren't dark tones and aren't bright tones. Think grass, the palm of your hand, the wall in the corner, a khaki camera bag, the door to the side, the billboard behind you, the pavement you're standing on, the shaded ceiling .... a mid-tone is whatever/wherever it might be depending on where you are.</p>

<p>Meter from the mid-tone, lock in the reading, recompose, take the shot. You know, sometimes I really despair....</p>

[pisq]

<p>so getting the corrct exposure for both persons, one in a white dress and the other is a black tux will be tricky. Also add the way in which darker skin reflects light, the oils in the skin will noticably reflect more light in darker skin than lighter skin.</p>

<p>How about bouncing the flash from the dark tux side, to selectively add more light on that side?</p>

[think27]

<p>One trick I learned after a seriously dark groom and a light skinned bride - Light backgrounds rather than dark! So where I'd often shoot with backlit trees out of focus in the background, I would use sky or a white building in the background. Also look for perhaps a white building that will kick in a little bright side light or a light colored sidewalk to kick some light up into the faces. </p>

[picturesque]

<p>If you did your research, you should have run across all the thing you can do.</p>

<p>1. Use diffused flash and as soft a light as possible, given the situation. Sometimes, you just can't control this. You may go so far as to bring oil mopping sheets (for anyone, but particularly darker skin, which reflects light more) with you (go to cosmetics stores to look for these).</p>

<p>2. Use natural separation (as Mary says above) as much as possible. Don't put dark skinned people against dark or black backgrounds--this is especially important at night with flash. If you are capable, use off camera flash for separation.</p>

<p>3. When it is feasible, put the darker skinned person in the brighter light, and vice versa. This doesn't only apply to off camera flashes or artificial light you set up, but can be applied to natural light, such as window light.</p>

<p>4. Metering and exposure for this combo is basically no different than normal. As Bob suggests, though, shooting RAW, overexposing slightly and recovering highlights in post is generally a good thing. If you use Lightroom, the new tools that let you paint in density can be used to good effect. It does add a bit to post processing time, though.</p>

<p>To answer your questions directly:</p>

<p>1. No, the 35mm f2 won't do anything more for you than any lens, regarding this issue.</p>

<p>2. Camera settings are what they should be 'anyway'. If you have good exposure technique, keep it the same, except possibly using the technique above (Bob's suggestion).</p>