Metering someone with pale skin

10 years 6 months ago #299685 by Martha
I just took some photos of a client who had very pale skin and as I'm editing these I'm realizing her skin in nearly all these photos looks really white. I'm not happy and have called her to schedule another session on my dime. She was wearing a dark red dress and the background was black. How would you meter this to insure her skin isn't bright white, yet the rest of photo is good too?


Photo Comments
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10 years 6 months ago - 10 years 6 months ago #299691 by hghlndr6
The problem isn't simply the pale skin; it's the whole dynamic range. Expose for the skin and you underexpose the dress and background. Expose for the whole scene, and you overexpose the skin.

If your metering method considers the entire scene, that dark red dress and black background is going to result in overexposing the skin, every time. What's happening is that your meter is being influenced by the black and dark red and trying to come up with an 18% reflectance for the entire scene. To expose for the skin, you need to take your reading from the skin.

Or, you could have your model hold an 18% gray card and take your reading from that. See how that works.

Throw some additional light on the background to help separate the subject, and her dark dress, from the background.
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10 years 6 months ago #299694 by Hassner
When you shoot (digital?) you should be able to see the histogram on your camera. That way you can never over- or underexpose. Shoot RAW to create more details in your highlights or shadow areas when processing.


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10 years 6 months ago #299695 by KCook

Canon 50D, Olympus PL2
kellycook.zenfolio.com/

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10 years 6 months ago #299707 by Joves
I think this is where the bracketing exposure mode comes in with your D300. There are two types one for WB, and the other for flash. It starts on page 118 in your manual. What you may want to try prior to her returning is finding something as pale as her, with an object that is about the same red on the same background. Then try some of the Bracketing setting for the WB on the warmer side for the skin. You will want to go on the warmer end no doubt, as the cooler side would accentuate it even more.


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