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I Blame the White...Balance.

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Brotha J

Brotha J

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First Name
Brotha
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J
So, took the trusty D90 to the lake this morning for a shoot. I thought I had the settings just right: Aperture preferred, 200 ISO, with "Direct Sunlight" white balance.

I got a ton of great shots. But I got these just as much.
#1
DSC_4623.jpg


#2
DSC_4624.jpg


#3
DSC_4625.jpg


#4
DSC_4627.jpg


#5
DSC_4628.jpg


#6
DSC_4629.jpg


#7
DSC_4630.jpg


Good exposure then over exposure. What gives?

I was using a 8G Class 4 card. Was that the problem? (i bought a Class 10 after the shoot).

Help!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
First question which comes to mind.... Was the sun consistent through the shots, ie: did any clouds float through during the shots presented?

Edited:
I looked at each EXIF and the overexposed ones have no EV dialed in, the others (better exposure) do by a full stop. That would make sense for the camera to overexpose the area outside of the black. So now why the overexposure? My gut feeling is using spot metering, you used a focal point on the black outfit so it metered off that. Since it's reasonably dark, the black outfit for the most part was acceptable for exposure, but it would blow out the rest of the image.

By dialing in a full stop underexposure, you've darkened up the black outfit considerably and the rest of the image falls into place with the removal of overexposure.

And I'd venture a guess if you had metered off her face, thinks would have fallen into place much better with no EV compensation.

What has me stumped a bit is how fast you did this.... There's only a few seconds time between some of the shots alternating between dialing in -1.00 and going back to zero, then repeating. To shoot, chimp, dial and reshoot seems to me to be more than a few seconds.

That's my take... I don't think it's the card at all as they are after the camera has done all it's 'stuff' and simply recording.
 
Last edited:
I was going to suggest that you check which metering mode you were in.
 
sharkey said:
I was going to suggest that you check which metering mode you were in.
Click to expand...

Last shot and all previous looks to be SPOT.

Camera Maker: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model: NIKON D80
Image Date: 2011-11-06 10:24:49 (no TZ)
Focal Length: 135.0mm (35mm equivalent: 202mm)
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 0.0080 s (1/125)
ISO equiv: 200
Exposure Bias: -1.00 EV
Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)
White Balance: Manual
Light Source: Fine Weather
Flash Fired: No
Orientation: Normal
Color Space: sRGB
GPS Coordinate: undefined, undefined
Software: Ver.1.10
 
Depending what the sensor was on during the spot metering might explain it especially since he reports some shots were fine. The blanket is overexposed IMHO.
 
M38A1 said:
What has me stumped a bit is how fast you did this.... There's only a few seconds time between some of the shots alternating between dialing in -1.00 and going back to zero, then repeating. To shoot, chimp, dial and reshoot seems to me to be more than a few seconds.
Click to expand...

Can't speak for Nikon but my Canon has an auto-bracketing feature - three shots with three different EV compensations. Might be an unintended program mode. :shrug:
 
So I took the 0.00 shots (appearing overexposed) and ran them through Lightroom V2.2. All I did was decrease exposure by one full stop (-1.00) manually. They appear to be almost identical to the in-camera -1.00 EV comps displayed. With that, I can safely say I believe the camera was doing what it was told from an exposure perspective.

The fact you used SPOT metering makes it easier to troubleshoot since it was consistent in use, and framing was consistent. ISO and aperture remained constant, so that only leaves shutter speed as a variable in the "triangle" short of your EV comp dialed in. Since no flash was used, shutter speed would have no impact on exposure in this case for "A" mode.

So that brings us back to where the exposure was metered. We see SPOT metering was used, and after the above, I'm still leaning towards somewhere on the black outfit.

These are fairly easily correctable images in post, so that's the good part. Maybe next time, consider using a different metering mode, such as Matrix. As much as some people don't care for KR, here's a link you might find interesting. Scroll down about half way to the Metering Modes section and read a paragraph or two.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d90/users-guide/controls-top.htm

I'm no expert, but that's my take on what's going on...

Would be curious to hear from Anthony, Scott or others as well...

.
 
Thanks for the input guys!

What puzzles me still is you guys mention spot metering. The pairs of pics were taken exactly at the same. I simply held the button to get two shots. How did I get two different meter readings?
 
Johnny Monsoon said:
Yup, Nikon does too. And that was my first guess.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but you really have to fiddle with a few buttons to get the auto-bracketing to work. And looking at EXIF information never showed an overexposure compensation. All even or one under...
 
Brotha J said:
Thanks for the input guys!

What puzzles me still is you guys mention spot metering. The pairs of pics were taken exactly at the same. I simply held the button to get two shots. How did I get two different meter readings?
Click to expand...


OK, here's a summary of the EXIF info by shot. I'm confused as to what the actual camera was as the OP indicates a D90, but the EXIF says D80. :ponder:

#1
Camera Maker: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model: NIKON D80
Image Date: 2011-11-06 10:24:25 (no TZ)
Focal Length: 105.0mm (35mm equivalent: 157mm)
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 0.017 s (1/60)
ISO equiv: 200
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)
White Balance: Manual
Light Source: Fine Weather

#2
Image Date: 2011-11-06 10:24:25 (no TZ)
Focal Length: 105.0mm (35mm equivalent: 157mm)
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 0.0080 s (1/125)
ISO equiv: 200
Exposure Bias: -1.00 EV
Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)
White Balance: Manual
Light Source: Fine Weather


#3
Image Date: 2011-11-06 10:24:33 (no TZ)
Focal Length: 135.0mm (35mm equivalent: 202mm)
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 0.017 s (1/60)
ISO equiv: 200
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)
White Balance: Manual
Light Source: Fine Weather


#4
Image Date: 2011-11-06 10:24:35 (no TZ)
Focal Length: 135.0mm (35mm equivalent: 202mm)
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 0.013 s (1/80)
ISO equiv: 200
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)
White Balance: Manual
Light Source: Fine Weather


#5
Image Date: 2011-11-06 10:24:44 (no TZ)
Focal Length: 135.0mm (35mm equivalent: 202mm)
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 0.013 s (1/80)
ISO equiv: 200
Exposure Bias: -1.00 EV
Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)
White Balance: Manual
Light Source: Fine Weather


#6
Image Date: 2011-11-06 10:24:47 (no TZ)
Focal Length: 135.0mm (35mm equivalent: 202mm)
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 0.020 s (1/50)
ISO equiv: 200
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)
White Balance: Manual
Light Source: Fine Weather

#7
Image Date: 2011-11-06 10:24:49 (no TZ)
Focal Length: 135.0mm (35mm equivalent: 202mm)
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 0.0080 s (1/125)
ISO equiv: 200
Exposure Bias: -1.00 EV
Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)
White Balance: Manual
Light Source: Fine Weather



With only seven images, I'm thinking one might be missing in the "pairs" as the routine is even/one under, then even/one under except for the oddball one. If that's the case, then somehow you most probably have it set to do a two bracket shot to include one even and one under. I didn't think you could set it up like that, but I suppose it's possible as I've only done three shot bracketing. Maybe start with this and about half way down is a .pdf link.
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=99008

.
 
Brotha J said:
^ You're right! I did forget one of the "pairs".
Click to expand...

Well that solves part of what's going on...

Is it a D80 or a D90? (I'm guessing D80)

And have you figured out how to set the camera back to remove the 'bracket' shooting? Should be the little BRKT button on the left side of the body by the lens mount. Otherwise, you'll still be in that mode and run the risk of an underexposed shot on that once in a lifetime opportunity.

I always try to make it a point to return the camera to a group of settings I know when I pick it up, I know what's supposed to happen. "A" mode, ISO 200, Matrix metering, f/8, continuous focus.
 
M38A1 said:
Yeah, but you really have to fiddle with a few buttons to get the auto-bracketing to work. And looking at EXIF information never showed an overexposure compensation. All even or one under...
Click to expand...

It takes me pushing one button. I believe the D90 is the same. Easy to do.

He's shooting a D90 (I have a D80; went from an 80 to a 90 then back to an 80). Chances are he's using a D90 that's running D80 firmware. IIRC that's how they are released.
 
I love reading stuff like this and then more I learn, the more complicated it gets. I've recommended this site to other just starting out with cameras that wanted something more than just a quick snapshot to identify where they've been. Thanks guys.
 
achesley said:
I love reading stuff like this and then more I learn, the more complicated it gets. I've recommended this site to other just starting out with cameras that wanted something more than just a quick snapshot to identify where they've been. Thanks guys.
Click to expand...

No, it isn't so complicated. At the end of the day, you buy a camera. You learn how to operate the settings a little, and you start shooting.

Eventually you learn what to do to make photos that look interesting and enjoyable to you.

That's all there is to it. All the technical mumbo-jumbo in the world is just fluff. Yeah, you can exploit it to some degree, and some of it allows you to push your artistic envelope a little, but that doesn't mean a better image. I cannot imagine Ansel Adams fretting over the technical marvels of which camera he had to use. And as we've seen, even here, some of the most interesting photos are taken with very arcane equipment, void of all this technical mumbo-jumbo.

Shoot & smile. Enjoy. Don't get caught up in the bench racing.
 
^Amen brother. I've seen and taken some amazing photos with a disposable camera. I do recommend a decent digital though. But you don't have to spend tons of $$ on the latest 12-megapixel model. You can get marvelous pics with 3 megs and up.
 
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