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Photos Shooting with bright backgrounds and only room lights

No matter how great your camera might be, it is how you apply your skills that makes the difference between an OK shot and a great shot. Here you can talk technical, talk creative, share your techniques, lighting, and digital editing. This is where we can all help each other to take better photos.
If you post a photo here and are looking for a critique, you should be prepared for honest criticism even if it hurts. It will only help to make us better photographers.

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midiman
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Photos Shooting with bright backgrounds and only room lights

Post by midiman »

To celebrate our new technical sub-forum, I decided to post about one of my tricks in dealing with bright backgrounds. I could have used my light kit, but was feeling lazy and wanted to see how I might do with just room light, a tripod and setting my camera to 'no flash' and longer open shutter. Many digitals, even non-SLR have manual modes.

When faced with room light and bright outside sunlight I would have needed about 650 watts of light to bring my doll up to a bright enough level so I could use one setting to capture the window imagery and Gabrielle. Instead I used a tripod and took two photos, one to get the best window lighting and one for the lighting I wanted on Gabrielle. Then using Photoshop I laid the bright one over the darker one and removed all but the window image, leaving a very small 2 pixel feather for better blend in. Of course I could have pulled the curtains but thought the outside imagery was more interesting. Edit took about 15 minutes...less time than it would have taken for me to unpack, setup and take down my lighting kit.

The two photos taken (actually I took around six and chose the best two)


This is my final result.... (Click on photo for hi-rez)


Note I also cropped the final photo to remove the plug outlet on the left and the partial bookcase on the right.
Anyone who does not have Photoshop can use GIMP, a Photoshop compatible program that is in free to download. Feel free to contact me if you need assistance on this technique or Photoshop/GIMP.

Happy shooting.
Midiman...
My Doll photos... here in my Doll Album

Gabrielle BT ---- Libby Ruby13 ---- My Teddy Babes --- Bianca from Lars & the RG --- jessica Wicked RD ------ Aredhel PIB ------ Amaya 4woods - Kira Anatomical

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midiman
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Re: Shooting with bright backgrounds and only room lights

Post by midiman »

In this photo, I overlaid the dark one and then cut out a circle with a feathered edge of 100 on the original 3200 pixel wide photo. On a 1600 pixel wide yo would use half the feathering. As you can see, it creates a whole new ambiance. One could even crop it to produce a portrait instead of landscape aspect ratio. The spot effect hides the more unladylike pose :)
Midiman...
My Doll photos... here in my Doll Album

Gabrielle BT ---- Libby Ruby13 ---- My Teddy Babes --- Bianca from Lars & the RG --- jessica Wicked RD ------ Aredhel PIB ------ Amaya 4woods - Kira Anatomical

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Longshot
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Re: Shooting with bright backgrounds and only room lights

Post by Longshot »

There is a photographic process know as HDR (High Dynamic Range) that uses this principle. With some of the newer DSLR’s this feature is built right into the camera. Basically is does something called exposure bracketing in which you shoot a series of pictures one right after the other at various aperture settings. Then you can blend the images as you mentioned in the software that you have available.

If you have the newer versions of Lightroom or Photoshop, Photomatix sells a plugin that does most of the tonal mapping for you. HDR photography prettying much requires the use of a tripod and only works well on stationary subjects. Just the slightest movement between exposures is hard to workaround.
May your roots be strong and your branches free to wander.

Here is my Amber’s Doll Album: http://www.dollalbum.com/dollgallery/in ... ?cat=13424

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Re: Shooting with bright backgrounds and only room lights

Post by Bianca »

Longshot wrote:There is a photographic process know as HDR (High Dynamic Range) that uses this principle. With some of the newer DSLR’s this feature is built right into the camera....
And here I am stuck with manual labor :(
xxxooo Bianca
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Longshot
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Re: Shooting with bright backgrounds and only room lights

Post by Longshot »

Bianca wrote:
Longshot wrote:There is a photographic process know as HDR (High Dynamic Range) that uses this principle. With some of the newer DSLR’s this feature is built right into the camera....
And here I am stuck with manual labor :(
I thought all you movie celebs had personal assistants to do the manual stuff. :D
May your roots be strong and your branches free to wander.

Here is my Amber’s Doll Album: http://www.dollalbum.com/dollgallery/in ... ?cat=13424

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Re: Shooting with bright backgrounds and only room lights

Post by Bianca »

Longshot wrote:I thought all you movie celebs had personal assistants to do the manual stuff. :D
Midiman is helpless without me :)
xxxooo Bianca
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Re: Photos Shooting with bright backgrounds and only room li

Post by john1972 »

Great idea..
I wouldnt have thought of doing this.
Worked very well the end result is amazing I wouldnt have
even known that was a alpha layer for the window..
Great work..

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Re: Photos Shooting with bright backgrounds and only room li

Post by Bianca »

Thanks, John. Just out of curiosity I am wondering which of the two photos people prefer... I think I am leaning more towards the more cameo shot on the right.

xxxooo Bianca
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