PROBLEM...New lighting set and pic's TOO BRIGHT!!!

13photography

13photography

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Hannah Smith-Chilton
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Please help, i'v just bought a new lighting set that sets all three lights to remote flash, but after the image has been taken, they're just too flippin' bright, like the whole photo is bright white, iv tried adjustin exposure, but still no luck :(

Please help as im at the end of my teather!!!!!!


Hannah

X
 
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Adjust the exposure some more.

I know it's a stupid answer, but there is no information to go on whatsoever. What sort of lights? How bright? What energy output? What guide number? How close to the subject? What kind of subject? What modifiers? What camera settings - where is the EXIF? At 1/125, f/22, 100 ISO - you'd need light levels twice as bright as the sun, which is quite bright. Do the lights have any output adjusters? Have you tried them? Do they work?

Can you post a picture of the lighting setup? Can you post a sample image with EXIF intact?
 
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Yep i could take a photo if need be, im using a 2m x 6m white vinyl backdrop, 2 x 220w softboxes and 1 x 220w silver umbrella light, surrounding the subject area at about 2m distance, iv completely lowered the exposure, and i'm using a canon eos 500D.

Could you advise me on which settings to use please? And i'm trying to shoot a portrait style photo,

Oh and the positioning of the lighting could be a help too, i would not like any shadows in the image...

Thankyou so much for replying, and im sorry if i'm a bit 'blank' with my description, bit new to this whole thing..

Hannah x
 
Posting some photos will help and has already been said they need to be complete with the Exif data so owe can see what settings you are using. You could also tell us what settings you re using, ie what 'mode' your camera is in, what ISO, shutter speed, F number, though the exif will tell us this anyway. Just out of interest, what does your picture come out like if you turn your extra lights off?
 
As a start point try setting the camera on MANUAL exposure, which is essential, ISO to 100, aperture to f/8 and shutter speed to 1/125.

If that's too bright then try going to f/11. If that's still too bright then you really need to look at dialing down the power on your flash heads. Try 1/2 power to begin with, then 1/4 if you need to. There should be no difficulty getting the exposure down low enough, one way or another.

You do not want the ambient light to be too bright, or you may run into problems. A dim room would be ideal. It doesn't have to be darkened, but you don't want sunlight streaming in.
 
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When you say you have "lowered the exposure", what do you mean by this? Are you adjusting the camera or the lights?

If you try shooting as Tim has just suggested then you should get a reasonable photo and be able to make small adjustments from there.

13photography said:
Could i just ask what exif means?
Click to expand...

The EXIF data is the data that the camera stores within the file about the camera settings. It will be able to tell you the shutter speed, aperture and ISO which is what you need to adjust to get the exposure right.
 
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EXIF is the shooting data, which is contained in every digital image file (unless your software has removed it). It will show things like camera used, focal length, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focus mode, metering mode, exposure mode, white balance setting and lots of other things. This information can be a tremendous aid in diagnosing problems.

p.s. Welcome to the forum. :) There are plenty here who are willing to help, but it works both ways. We often need information to help determine where the problem lies. I'm afraid your first post really told us nothing at all to help us figure out your problem. It is nearly always useful, and saves time and frustration, if you post an image up, together with its EXIF data. Then people have something they can work with.
 
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M mode, ISO to 100, aperture to f/8 and shutter speed to 1/125. As TDodd said,

i have the images now just struggling with uploading them, im trying to use photobucket...
 
Just to warn you, your images will soon be removed and replaced with links as they are way too big
 
buy a light meter / put your camera on manual, and adjust the exposure

pretty basic stuff
 
can you adjust the power on the back o the flash heads?

Or even just use one to start with, till you get the hang of it, then add another one in.
 
iso 1000 f3.5 1/20 and auto program is your problem.
 
You have a virtually white room and light is bouncing all over the place.
You are going to need to dial the lights possibly to minimum output to be able to use your current camera settings.

EDIT as tom says all your exif details show you have set the camera incorrectly.
 
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Do what Tim, tdodd said earlier, change the camera to manual mode (not the lens), dial in iso 100, f8 and 1/125th shutter speed. (if you have no idea what I am talking about, then we have to invent some more smileys)
 
tiler65 said:
iso 1000 f3.5 1/20 and auto program is your problem.
Click to expand...


+1 as they say...... The high ISo in particular is very apparent with the grain.

You need to try again with the settings suggested earlier and I'd just try with one light too.
 
Shoot in manual, set the camera to use the sync speed (probably 1/125th or 1/250th of a sec) dial in f22 or so as an aperature. 100 iso. If there's still too much light turn the flash heads down if possible or increase the exposure. If you can do that you will have to move the lights further away from the subject
 
Exposure speed is 1/25?
Up the speed to 1/125 as suggested first?
 
You are shooting at a shutter speed of 1/25 instead of 1/125. That means you are pulling in a lot of ambient light, and I suspect that is your main problem.

In fact, depending on your flash triggers, you should use the fastest shutter speed you can, up to your camera's sync speed. On the 500D I guess that will be 1/200, which should certainly help kill the ambient light.

So, try 1/200, and if you see a dark band at the edge of the frame you will need to slow it down a little, to 1/160. That should probably be sufficient.
 
Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhh

it is 1/125th not 1/20th as your exif is reading, the higher the number the less time the shutter is open and less light gets onto the sensor.
 
turn off the flashes, and learn how to shoot in manual first - inside, outside, on a bright day, in a dark room

3 settings to play with : ISO, aperture, shutter speed

When you have cracked that, turn on the flash units back on again
 
Hannah i have a small studio in Nottingham next to the train station. If you have time free tomorrow or sat morning and fancy popping over drop me a PM.
You only need to bring your camera. :thumbs:
 
Richard King said:
turn off the flashes, and learn how to shoot in manual first - inside, outside, on a bright day, in a dark room

3 settings to play with : ISO, aperture, shutter speed

When you have cracked that, turn on the flash units back on again
Click to expand...


Jeseesh, I thought I was blunt.
 
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