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Archive 2012 · Metering for a mixed couple

  
 
Sahid Limon
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Metering for a mixed couple


I have my first real mixed couple wedding this week, and I wanted to get some of your thoughts regarding any tips or ticks to properly meter and expose everything. The bride is Chinese American, so she's pretty fare skinned and will have a traditional white gown. The groom is African American, has a darker complexion, and will have the traditional black tux. I'm not certain, but I'm guessing the difference between them is about a stop, give or take a bit. Ceremony is outdoors during the day, reception indoors at night. My guess is to just meter for the brides face and maybe over expose 1/3. However, I don't know if that's going to blow out her dress or not. Also, should I flash it even outdoors in day light? I don't know, never shot one of these, so any tips you have will be greatly appreciated.


Jun 18, 2012 at 10:25 AM
ckhagen
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Metering for a mixed couple


I expose in the middle being very careful not to lose shadows on him and then balance it out later in post. I've shot my friends family several times infusing a few weeks ago and she is as white as me (freckles and all) and he is very dark. Basically I expose for their kids. lol


Jun 18, 2012 at 10:50 AM
Sahid Limon
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Metering for a mixed couple


ckhagen wrote:
Basically I expose for their kids. lol


Brilliant! I don't think they're that advanced yet



Jun 18, 2012 at 11:18 AM
Robin Usagani
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Metering for a mixed couple


I would probably meter the large bright area of the dress and set it to +2. Use tone curve, fill light slider or adjustment brush as needed on post.


Jun 18, 2012 at 11:36 AM
martinezphoto
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Metering for a mixed couple


It honestly makes no difference how far apart the bride and groom are. As in every other situation, expose to protect the highlights and know that you can pull up the shadows easily in post. Assuming your shooting Nikon


Jun 18, 2012 at 03:06 PM
amonline
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Metering for a mixed couple


2/3 overexposed for the lighter complexion. Works for me, at least.


Jun 18, 2012 at 03:53 PM
deepbluejh
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Metering for a mixed couple


You're more likely to clip highlights on the lighter skin than you are to clip blacks on the darker skin. I would expose as you normally would for the lighter skin tone, then push shadows as needed in post processing.


Jun 18, 2012 at 04:00 PM
jcolman
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Metering for a mixed couple


The only thing I do is (assuming that i am using some off camera light) is to try and give the darker skin a little more light during the formals. Otherwise, I don't do anything different.






Jun 18, 2012 at 04:01 PM
Robin Usagani
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Metering for a mixed couple


Jim brought up a good point. If you do a photo of 2 of them and use one single OCF, I would put the flash on the groom side.


Jun 18, 2012 at 04:05 PM
Sahid Limon
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Metering for a mixed couple


Jim, your samples look great. Thanks for sharing. My groom's complexion is closer to the man in blue to the far left, and the bride is similar to this bride.


Jun 18, 2012 at 04:13 PM
tobicus
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Metering for a mixed couple


Hah, we're all about this. Two of our first three weddings involved mixed race couples. For this wedding, we pretty much did business as normal. That is, we exposed the way the people looked to us. If you're really worried about it, I'd expose for the lighter complexion and pull up the darker one in post, as others have noted. We're about to start editing our second mixed wedding, and I'll update the thread when it's done.

Bride and daughter:
http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/9320/mikeandfridaphotographyr.jpg

Bride's sister and groomsman:
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/7489/mikeandfridaphotographyue.jpg

Bride and groom:
http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/9595/mikeandfridaphotographye.jpg



Jun 18, 2012 at 05:56 PM
Sahid Limon
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Metering for a mixed couple


Thanks for the feedback peeps. I went to the rehearsal today, and tried various things without a flash. Surprisingly, just shooting it at 0EV in RAW seems to still pick up his skin tone without blowing hers out. I'm hoping this is not just a fluke and will hold true tomorrow as well. Only problem is, I have to do the formals in the midday sun, at an open golf course. God help us all.


Jun 20, 2012 at 08:33 PM
lisy78
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Metering for a mixed couple


Metering is a non-issue. Meter as you normally would.

What is an issue is how you give definition. You give definition to a fair skinned subject by using the shadows. You give definition to a dark skinned subject by using the highlights.

Let that guide how you position off camera lights, or how you position them with respect to the light.



Jun 20, 2012 at 08:46 PM
lisy78
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Metering for a mixed couple


to add to what I said... in most circumstances, reasonably controlled specular highlights, especially on dark skinned dudes look epic... so don't fear harsh light, they can take it!


Jun 20, 2012 at 08:48 PM
John-Tolentino
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Metering for a mixed couple


great advise here. Taggin it for my future use. Thanks all!


Jun 21, 2012 at 12:51 AM
Sahid Limon
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Metering for a mixed couple


lisy78 wrote:
to add to what I said... in most circumstances, reasonably controlled specular highlights, especially on dark skinned dudes look epic... so don't fear harsh light, they can take it!


Thanks for this tip Ale. Just to test out your theory, I had him stand facing directly at the blazing sun. The sun was probably at its harshest. I was actually pretty surprised at how well his skin tone took it.
http://www.limonphotography.com/FM/skinsuntest.jpg



Jun 22, 2012 at 09:25 PM
lisy78
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Metering for a mixed couple


Sweet!


Jun 22, 2012 at 10:24 PM





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