I’ve received several inquiries about some photos I recently posted so I thought I’d share my thought process and the EXIF data. Despite what it seems, no on or off camera lighting was used in producing the following shots – it was basically me chasing the light and taking advantage of whatever was available. And trying not to be scared of the dark.
EXIF Data: Exposure: 1/200s at f/2.2 | ISO 6400 | No flash | Metering: Center-weighted average | White balance: Auto
Camera: Nikon D3s | Lens: Nikkor 35mm f/1.4
When I saw that Diana+Shaun brought a clear umbrella, I wanted to play with the ceiling lamp behind them and create a silhouette effect. I metered for the brightest spot which was the lamp, of course, and adjusted the shutter speed so it wouldn’t be too blown out (too bright). It was about 5:00pm when this photo was captured. The light was barely hanging on and in a matter of minutes it would be dark.
EXIF Data: Exposure: 1/50s at f/2.2 | ISO 6400 | No flash | Metering: Center-weighted average | White balance: Auto
Camera: Nikon D3s | Lens: Nikkor 35mm f/1.4
When we began shooting, it was still fairly bright outside. By the time I was releasing my shutter for this shot, it was dark (almost 6pm). Thankfully, Pasadena City Hall is beautifully lit at night and provided the right amount of light for me to stay at a reasonable ISO. I didn’t want to raise my ISO more than 6400 in order to avoid noisiness (or graininess) so I lowered my shutter speed all the way down to 50. Before I pressed the shutter button, I held my breath to lessen any shakiness and get the photo as sharp as possible. This time I didn’t meter the brighter area – I metered the couple. If I metered the building, the couple would be completely black. Of course I wanted the couple to be exposed properly so they’d be visible in the photo. I risk blowing out the brighter areas when I do this but my main concern is the couple especially when I don’t have the luxury of time.
I hope this was helpful and answered your questions!
P.S. Here’s a little secret I’ll share with you: My magic number is f/2.2…I’d say 90% of my photos are captured at f/2.2. Don’t tell anyone. ;)
P.P.S. I am in love with the 35mm lens. I love it as much as my 50mm, maybe a little more. Maybe…
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