Help 4 Snowy Engagement & the SUN IS OUT.

[lisa_f]

<p>Why today? Why today does the sun decide to blast blinding rays everywhere.</p>

<p>I found a young couple...2 years until wedding...that are willing to be my "victims" for me to practice TODAY during the WORST hours for sun. (No charge to them and they are fully aware that we may need to reshoot if I fail.)</p>

<p>Sad thing is I have already spent a ton of time and MONEY setting this up and would love to get "something." I believe fill flash (SB900) will be the order of the day but am concerned about my overall settings. I've been practicing shooting manual while using the meter on my camera (D80 - is that called TTL?). I am willing to go to the high f-stops but concerned I may then get it really wrong. I'd appreciate any starting point settings...or any other help (trying not to freak out and start crying while I type this).</p>

<p>p.s. I shot second for a super cool photog yesterday (from my small shoot group) who treated me amazingly and coached me all day that I would bow down and kiss her feet, but in the process I was reminded how INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT shooting a wedding is. And that clients have NO basic idea at all about what it takes. I am amazed by all of you.</p>

[neilambrose]

<p>It's easiest if you shoot manual. Just set your chosen aperture and then aim the camera directly at the snow in the brightest part of the scene and check the shutter speed as recommended by the meter. Then open the shutter speed 3 stops further (e.g if the meter recommends 1/2000, you actually use 1/500).</p>

<p>Use flash on TTL with -2/3 stops exposure compensation for fill if you need it. This will normally only when your subject is back lit. If front lit you won't need fill at all.</p>

<p>The result will be correct exposure with optimal white and black point, and sufficient fill light to balance the exposure.</p>

<p>If you're shooting digital you can check the exposure histogram and trim the exposure as you need it. Don't take much notice of the LCD preview - in bright light it won't be easy to judge. The histogram is likely to be more accurate and useful.</p>

[lisa_f]

<p>NEIL! Thanks SO much for this.</p>

<p>I'll definitely take and use your advice. And YES, I totally agree the preview is SO bad in even a bit of light.</p>

<p>At least I'm glad I "get" that front lit doesn't require fill flash! Ha. So much to learn.</p>

[neilambrose]

<p>Oops. Meant to use example of 1/4000 to 1/500 in the above (3 stops difference). But you knew that :-)</p>

[picturesque]

<p>As with bright sun without snow, I'd try for mostly backlit shots with fill flash unless you can use the sun as one would with portrait lighting. I think with images where the faces are large, you'd still need fill flash if the subjects are frontally lit by the sun if there are shadows larger than a sliver on the faces. Remember that the snow will act as a giant reflector. You indeed may not need fill flash at all if backlighting and you let some minor highlights on backs of heads and hair blow.</p>

<p>Bright sun is ISO 100, f11, 1/250th--you may have to close down further for bright sun on snow if you want to retain detail in the snow. If you are in bright sun, that's what you use if you want detail in the highlights. If you want to use wider apertures you can try high speed sync, but remember your flash power is cut (stay close to your subjects, within 6 feet or so). Even without high speed sync, you still need to stay within about 10 feet for flash to make a dent.</p>

<p>As a fall back, use shutter priority, minus compensate the ambient exposure by a stop or two, and adjust (comp) flash until it looks right. As Neil pointed out, use your histogram and blinkies display. and remember, not <strong>all</strong> of the snow needs to have detail. I'd also shoot RAW.</p>

[wedding-photography-denver]

<p>In full sun, backlit and back/side lit will be the more simple use of the sun. Very effective too if you get it right.</p>

<p>If you don't really know it, look up the sunny 16 rule. Then add your flash but be aware of the distance to subject (flash will fill against sun, but only very effective within a certain range of distance (depending on ISO/aperture). As a fall back, using shutter priority will CYA, just minus comp. your 900 by about 1 - 1 1/3 stops in TTL. One good thing about the 900 is the TTL - BL mode, which allows for the subject to be exposed correctly, despite backgrounds (kinda).</p>

<p>If you have shady places nearby, use the snow as the fill and place your subjects/couple at the "edge" of the light/shade. Not in the sun, but right before the sun begins.</p>

[lisa_f]

<p>Well, I didn't see these last 2 replies before I left to go to the shoot. It was VERY white, very BRIGHT (I had tears running down my cheeks and I was looking AWAY from the sun) and very COLD. And of course, she wore a white coat and he wore black. Harumph.</p>

<p>It was SO bright I could NOT see the preview NOR the histogram (though I am not so hot at reading it YET). I only could see blinkies if they were a large percent of the preview. So I punted.</p>

<p>On manual and shooting RAW, 100 ISO (had no idea if this was correct other than I knew I had lots of light and no movement to catch), chose a range of f 5.6 up to 8 (depending on how far away I was for them trying for a bit of narrow DOF) and then for each pose I asked them to hold while I adjusted the shutter speed three stops from what the camera meter said was correct and took at shot at EACH stop. (No flash because they wanted the city in the background which put the sun behind me...but I appreciate Nadine that you fine tuned the method for me and you are right. I should have used it for the closer shots.)</p>

<p>And I got some images with both whites and blacks showing texture! At this point, I'm calling it progres. I am trying to do one personal project each month that forces me to learn something. I learned TONS today...and asked them if they'd like to do it again when the weather gets nicer and they agreed! Hopefully I end up with this wedding (in 2012). If I keep experimenting and coming to this forum, I should be able to handle it by then!</p>

<p>Thanks so much for the detailed explanations specific to my situation and equipment!!!!!!!</p>

<p>(David - Nope, I don't know that rule and I'm going to research it now. Thanks.)</p>

[savagesax]

There's not much snow here in LA, but when I head to the national parks I often find snow there. This also works with beach weddings. Anyway, whenever I shoot in bright sun I meter for the snow or the sand and pretty much as Neils setup rule of 3 stops. If the sun isn't at high noon and blazing I'll use 2 stops. Added to this if your shutter speed is too high for fill flash add an ND filter or a polarized filter. The white snow will remain white with both types of filters. Polarized filters usually have a 2 stop latitude adjustment whereas an ND filter can be 1, 2, or even 3 F-stops. Be sure to use quality filters. These filters are really effective when using a flash. By the way an ND filter is sort for a neutral density filter. I tend to favor polarizing filters because this filter also reduces glare, such as from snow, the sun, and even water.

 

When using fill flash try to be within 15 feet from the subject at full power, at 10 feet set for 1/2 power, anything less you should be able to use TTL with decent results. Of course flash power depends on the type of flash unit you use. So try yours out at these setting and then you can fine tune your settings.

 

You had a difficult photo shoot. Glad you asked how to do this.

[lovcom_photo]

<p>I would under-expose the snowy background, to get good detail there. Then I would put the camera in manual, flash in TTL full auto, and let the flash expose for the people's skin. If the shutter speed is faster then the sync speed, I will drop the ISO and/or put an ND filter on the lens to darken by 1-2 stops.</p>

<p>In this way you get nice detailed snow, deep blue sky, and perfect human skin exposed. I would never try such a shot without a flash regardless of where the sun is.</p>

<p>To decrease the shutter speed as a few of you suggest is to risk blowing solid white the snow/sand. I would go the opposite direction...go for faster shutter speed to get detail in the white snow/sand. This strategy could also bring out more details in the bride's white dress too.</p>