My Kids

[Vianna Szabo]

Hi everyone,

I photographed my kids yesterday using the same backdrop and under the exact same conditions. It was between 3 and 4 in the afternoon and very gray outside (ah, January in Michigan!). I used a large south facing window, placed the kids about six feet in front of it and used a backdrop of a green wool cape. I can't believe the difference in the lighting! Obviously I am not the world's greatest photographer. I shot the photos with my Pentax Optio 33L with 3.2 pixels. I set the white balance on both for shade. My daughter's skin tones read quite true, my son has more olive skin but I was surprised how overexposed and warm the light was on him verses the cool tones on my daughter. I am happy with my daughters and I love the expression on him but the photo may be unsuitable. I want to paint these to hang together. Any thoughts or advice will be greatly appreciated.

Vianna Szabo

[Mike McCarty]

I have two thoughts. The first is that your difference may have to do with the subjects relationship with the background. In the shot of your daughter, she seems to be separated from the backgound more than your son. For your daughters case the cameras exposure took less account of the backgound and gave a different exposure. The fact that your son was standing closer to the background made the camera take it more into consideration.

The other thing I have noticed about cloudy days is that if the clouds are patchy you can move into and out of very different lighting situations very quickly, and you don't even realize it's happened.

[Vianna Szabo]

You've got a good eye, Mike. You're right she was farther away from the background than him. We have another lovely gray day so I'll try and re-shoot the photos when he returns from school.

Thanks, Vianna.

[Allan Rahbek]

I think that the light measuring differs in the two pictures. In the girls picture it looks like the camera has measured the light on her face correct because the highlights on the left side are correct exposed and the background is underexposed.

On the boy the face is overexposed and the background is correctly exp.
The camera has measured on the background, and that is why the face is overexposed.

Do you have a spot metering in the camera? Be sure to measure at the light parts of the face.

Allan

[Jimmie Arroyo]

Let me first say you have great looking kids. Besides the lighting, I think they have different feels to them. As you were saying about your daughter's expression, it has a very classical look to it. Your son has a contemporary feel (earphones wires and all). Nothing wrong with it, I personally like more contemporary poses, but hanging together might be distracting. Or, I could be completely wrong. Good luck.

[John Crowther]

Vianna, this doesn't exactly fit with your main question. But if you're planning to reshoot, you might want to consider having them face different directions, since you're planning to have them hang together. Just an idea.

John C.