Photo Tourny: Over-Exposure
- Thread starter Kornowski
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aviation_man
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MBGraphics
VIP Member
I'm going to have to drop out of this tourney as well as the only truly over-exposed photos that I have are from personal photoshoots that I'm not willing to show to the public just for a photo-tourney 
Vizy
New Member
I'm going to have to drop out of this tourney as well as the only truly over-exposed photos that I have are from personal photoshoots that I'm not willing to show to the public just for a photo-tourney
Nude pics? mmmk...send me some...mmmmmmkkk ? plzkthnx
:gun:
Laquer Head
Well-Known Member
I'm going to have to drop out of this tourney as well as the only truly over-exposed photos that I have are from personal photoshoots that I'm not willing to show to the public just for a photo-tourney
I think you are like me, and not to sound full of myself, but I don't take crap photos anymore. Been shooting since 35 mill film days and with digital for 10+
It's way too hard to 'edit' my work to make it look crappy!
MBGraphics
VIP Member
Vizy- No, not nudes, we are talking more like Senior portraits, personal photoshoots for friends, and photoshoots that I did for my school.
Laquer Head- Yeah I grew up using my dad's old Canon A-1 Film SLR, even when we got a Canon Powershot G1 I still preferred the A-1 and always did until I got my XTi
And I'm with you, I don't take many if any crap photos and when I do, I delete them on the spot. Sure, every now and then I do some creative stuff in photoshop to pump the saturation and whatnot but not very often.
Laquer Head- Yeah I grew up using my dad's old Canon A-1 Film SLR, even when we got a Canon Powershot G1 I still preferred the A-1 and always did until I got my XTi
And I'm with you, I don't take many if any crap photos and when I do, I delete them on the spot. Sure, every now and then I do some creative stuff in photoshop to pump the saturation and whatnot but not very often.
Laquer Head
Well-Known Member
Laquer Head- Yeah I grew up using my dad's old Canon A-1 Film SLR, even when we got a Canon Powershot G1 I still preferred the A-1 and always did until I got my XTi
And I'm with you, I don't take many if any crap photos and when I do, I delete them on the spot. Sure, every now and then I do some creative stuff in photoshop to pump the saturation and whatnot but not very often.
Yeh, and neither of us is being cocky or whatnot, just been a photog for so long that your 'good shot' accuracy stays very high!
MBGraphics
VIP Member
Haha yeah exactly, I'm by no means trying to be cocky or anything like that, I just know my skill level. I know a few photographers personally that are better than me, and I have learned from them a bit over the years, although most of what I have learned has been self taught.
vroom_skies
VIP Member
I don't quite agree with whats been said above.
There are many aspects in photography where an over exposed photo works just fine.
Take the shot I posted for instance, the whole top of the shot is blow, yet that didn't ruin the photo at all. It doesn't look out of place or like a mistake. Was it a mistake? No, since in that kind of single exposure, your going to get clipped highlights if you want to expose another aspect of the photo. Cameras can only handle so much dynamic range. Granted that doesn't work with all type of shots, in most cases your not going to want to over expose someones face. However that as well isn't set in stone. I've seen plenty of shots where faces were blown, yet it was done on purpose and the final product looks great. Not to mention the rather large niche for high key photography (and yes, I know high key doesn't automatically mean over exposed).
I find it hard to believe that neither of you have your fair share of mistakes, or as little as you make it sound. I've only been in the hobby a few years, yet am quite confident that I can hold my own against others that have been in it for a lot longer. I know my way around my camera blind folded, as I'm sure most do. As well as, normally being able to guess the correct exposure of a shot just from looking at it; and too boot, am usually within one stop. Not to brag of course.
With all that being said, do I make my fair share of mistakes? You bet ya. Are these mistakes a direct result of lack of experience? I doubt that, and I'm pretty sure my work backs me up on that. However, there are those times when mistakes do happen, and I'm not one to be ashamed of the fact that they do.
So the moral of the story would be, not everything is as it seems.
There are many aspects in photography where an over exposed photo works just fine.
Take the shot I posted for instance, the whole top of the shot is blow, yet that didn't ruin the photo at all. It doesn't look out of place or like a mistake. Was it a mistake? No, since in that kind of single exposure, your going to get clipped highlights if you want to expose another aspect of the photo. Cameras can only handle so much dynamic range. Granted that doesn't work with all type of shots, in most cases your not going to want to over expose someones face. However that as well isn't set in stone. I've seen plenty of shots where faces were blown, yet it was done on purpose and the final product looks great. Not to mention the rather large niche for high key photography (and yes, I know high key doesn't automatically mean over exposed).
I find it hard to believe that neither of you have your fair share of mistakes, or as little as you make it sound. I've only been in the hobby a few years, yet am quite confident that I can hold my own against others that have been in it for a lot longer. I know my way around my camera blind folded, as I'm sure most do. As well as, normally being able to guess the correct exposure of a shot just from looking at it; and too boot, am usually within one stop. Not to brag of course.
With all that being said, do I make my fair share of mistakes? You bet ya. Are these mistakes a direct result of lack of experience? I doubt that, and I'm pretty sure my work backs me up on that. However, there are those times when mistakes do happen, and I'm not one to be ashamed of the fact that they do.
So the moral of the story would be, not everything is as it seems.
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Laquer Head
Well-Known Member
Vroom,
I hear what your saying, but after years of shooting, I just don't over-expose, I pretty much only use manual settings and I see very little point in blowing out photos. I dont find that it adds creativeness--makes it look like you F***ed up and often draws attention away from whats being presented.
There are exceptions though--but generally I aim for balance.
Also, I do make mistakes/shit shots here and there but they don't even make it off my card--they get deleted almost immediately after review!
I hear what your saying, but after years of shooting, I just don't over-expose, I pretty much only use manual settings and I see very little point in blowing out photos. I dont find that it adds creativeness--makes it look like you F***ed up and often draws attention away from whats being presented.
There are exceptions though--but generally I aim for balance.
Also, I do make mistakes/shit shots here and there but they don't even make it off my card--they get deleted almost immediately after review!
aviation_man
New Member
But you see, I've taken a lot of 'mistake' photos and they've turned out amazing.. So you kinda have to be optimistic too
And you never know, a photo may look like crap on your 2.5inch screen, but sometimes they look great on computer; at least that's what I've come to find out, out of the semi small amount that I've been cameraing.
Laquer Head
Well-Known Member
But you see, I've taken a lot of 'mistake' photos and they've turned out amazing.. So you kinda have to be optimistic too
Totally valid point..I guess I'm just super picky and I can tell right away if I like a shot or not.
..oh and my screen is 3"..get it right!!
aviation_man
New Member
lol, sorry, not everyone has a screen the size of my house (sarcasm lol)
But yeah, just playin around with over exposed settings can be quite interesting.
For example, try leaving your camera on "sepia" tone for one day and keep looking through the view finder or screen or whatever and see if you see a good shot that you normally wouldn't have thought would be a good shot.
It's actually pretty fuuun.
But yeah, just playin around with over exposed settings can be quite interesting.
For example, try leaving your camera on "sepia" tone for one day and keep looking through the view finder or screen or whatever and see if you see a good shot that you normally wouldn't have thought would be a good shot.
It's actually pretty fuuun.
vroom_skies
VIP Member
I didn't mean to imply that you should over expose, however there are those situations. For the record, imo, most over exposed shots are mistakes or poorly done. So yes, in most instances it is a determent to the photo. Although when one does have the talent to execute it properly, it can be quite stunning. Just like you 90% of my shooting is done in manual, as it should be. I hate it when people buy DSLR's and shoot in auto or glorified auto modes.
Laquer Head
Well-Known Member
Shooting 'auto' is a waste of a good camera!
MBGraphics
VIP Member
Lol, I wasn't at all saying that over-exposing is bad at all, trust me, I do my fair share of some over-exposing for neat effects and what not, but like i said, it's all for the stuff that I cant share to the public 
Kornowski
VIP Member
Aren't you supposed to go and take a new photo when a tourney comes up, especially if you don't already have one that fits the theme.
Wow, I'm by no means a 'photographer' but I couldn't disagree with you more Laquerhead. Your logic just seems so off...
You don't over-expose because it just looks like a f'up? Surely you'd read what Bob had posted about it fitting with some pictures? Also, surely using a camera on auto mode with get the correct exposure and have everything balanced.
I guess I picked too hard of a topic for some people
Wow, I'm by no means a 'photographer' but I couldn't disagree with you more Laquerhead. Your logic just seems so off...
You don't over-expose because it just looks like a f'up? Surely you'd read what Bob had posted about it fitting with some pictures? Also, surely using a camera on auto mode with get the correct exposure and have everything balanced.
I guess I picked too hard of a topic for some people
Laquer Head
Well-Known Member
Aren't you supposed to go and take a new photo when a tourney comes up, especially if you don't already have one that fits the theme.
Wow, I'm by no means a 'photographer' but I couldn't disagree with you more Laquerhead. Your logic just seems so off...
You don't over-expose because it just looks like a f'up? Surely you'd read what Bob had posted about it fitting with some pictures? Also, surely using a camera on auto mode with get the correct exposure and have everything balanced.
I guess I picked too hard of a topic for some people
It's not that you picked too hard a topic...its easy to blow out spots on a picture! I just think that it looks like shit--and you expect people to go take a new pic..that looks like a missed shot on purpose?
I do alot of street photography, and over exposing doesn't look good...it looks like you don't know how to take proper pics!
I'm not gonna use a 2000 dollar camera to do so-called 'artsy stuff' I tried and got bashed by people that didn't even enter a pic. Anyhow, I didn't mean for this to turn into a fight but obviously when you feel backed into a corner or people don't like your idea you need to try to say things like 'it's too hard of a topic'
Kornowski
VIP Member
Man, whatever. You're entitled to your opinion, you don't have to enter a picture. I can see we're not going to any anywhere here...
Backed into a corner? I don't care if people don't like my idea, they don't have to enter, I couldn't give a toss. It's the internet.
It's a photograph competition, I didn't realise it'd turn into such a big issue.
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