[hockmasm]

Hey everyone,

I just read this book and it was amazing! Super in depth about exposing correctly. He mentions tips like exposing +1 over the meter for pink skin like caucasions to -1.5 to 2 for dark skinned people.

He also goes through a variety of situations like high key, low key, etc. and how to tackle them. I especially liked how he explained that different apertures cause CERTAIN COLORS to change....what a concept! Like, aperture 22 will cause yellow to look different from aperture 5.6. One makes it dark and muddy while the other crisp and bright.

Check it out if you have not already...

Michael Freeman's Perfect Exposure: The Professional's Guide to Capturing Perfect Digital Photographs

[egordon99]

I especially liked how he explained that different apertures cause CERTAIN COLORS to change....what a concept! Like, aperture 22 will cause yellow to look different from aperture 5.6. One makes it dark and muddy while the other crisp and bright.

Come again? That's news to me....But I've only been shooting for five years. I'm sure Michael Freeman knows better than me

[adwb]

I agree well worth a read or 2 or 3 , interesting comments throughout
adwb

[ChipB]

I especially liked how he explained that different apertures cause CERTAIN COLORS to change....what a concept! Like, aperture 22 will cause yellow to look different from aperture 5.6. One makes it dark and muddy while the other crisp and bright.

Along with egordon99 I was surprised by this statement - so, I grabbed the camera and went in search of yellow flowers - found some on my front porch.

Took four photos - 2 with my Sigma 17-70mm at 70mm, one at f5.6 and one at f22; then 2 with my Elicar Macro at approx the same magnification as with the Sigma, and again, one at f5.6 and one at f22. The four photos are virtually identical! The histograms were virtually identical also - some minor differences because of slightly different portions of yellow and green in the pics.

I focused my attention on the actual yelllow and could see no difference in the quality of the color - course my eyes are old!!

[hockmasm]

Maybe I read it wrong but I swear he showed several examples of color shift using different f stops.

He showed how green, blue, red, yellow all changed depending on it. I have a copy on the way from Amazon, and will let you know. unless someone else who's bought it can explain for us?

Michael Freeman's Perfect Exposure: The Professional's Guide to Capturing Perfect Digital Photographs

[ChipB]

One thing I have seen is different lenses can render color quite differently - I have one lens that really, really doesn't like reds! I have to mess around with exposure values - basically underexpose the pic by about 2 stops to get a photo I can work with.

I wasn't trying to "slam" the book you referenced - I was just surprised by the comment about color and f-stops. I'll probably try to do a *serious*, much better controlled test in the next day or so - and hopefully will end up with some postable photos.

[adwb]

As I said I have the book, I have to admit I don't remember any mention of a colour shift based on aperture but I will have a look and see if I can find what you read.
Alistair

[Ira]

I believe this is totally possible based on the full spectrum of light as it travels through your lens, and how certain parts of that spectrum are modified/inhibited/enhanced based on the aperture.

But I just don't care.

I have ENOUGH to worry about getting in-focus and correctly exposed shots to worry about THIS.

[adwb]

I especially liked how he explained that different apertures cause CERTAIN COLOURS to change....what a concept! Like, aperture 22 will cause yellow to look different from aperture 5.6. One makes it dark and muddy while the other crisp and bright.

OK found it on page 60 through 63 , as you correctly said he talks about the effect that different apertures have on certain colours. essentially all he is saying is that if you over or underexpose a image there will be shift in the hue of a colour which is obvious.What he is however pointing out is that this affect some colours more than others yellow being a good example as it will go from a shade of yellow to a ochre if underexposed enough while other colours may not have such a severe reaction.
As this is a book on how to try to get the best exposure with out resorting to hours of PP it a valid point to make , as compensation for a given light situation may rectify the overall exposure but can have side effects.
There are some images to demonstrate this and if they certainly do show how you need to be aware of this phenomenon.
General under exposing darkens and allows recovery later when very often over exposure is not as recoverable.
take three images one 2 stops under; one normal ;and one 2 stops over , you will get the two stops under back to normal most times but often won't with the 2 stops over, IMHO.

Alistair

[Blue]

. . . He mentions tips like exposing +1 over the meter for pink skin like caucasions to -1.5 to 2 for dark skinned people.

. . .

This seems backwards to me. Otherwise I've been doing it backwards for years.

[Marc Sabatella]

I assume he is talking about spot metering off the skin itself - metering directly off skin will render it the equivalent 18% gray, which is too dark for white folks and too light for black folks. So you'd want to adjust accordingly. But if you're metering off something that is already more neutral (like a gray card), or using multisegment or center weighted metering), then indeed, you'd probably end up needing to darken a little when shooting light skin to keep it from blowing out, or lighten dark skin to keep the detail from disappearing into the shadows.

[adwb]

. He mentions tips like exposing +1 over the meter for pink skin like caucasions to -1.5 to 2 for dark skinned people.

Again the author is trying to show you how to get near perfect exposure without P.P.
What he actually said is that the human eye/brain is conditioned to "see" certain things and expects Caucasians to have "white/ pale skin" in order to achieve this on a computer screen or the reverse for dark/heavy suntanned skin you should consider slightly over or under exposing to emphasise the tone and make it more acceptable to the eye.
If you meter on a Caucasian face the camera meter takes it as the mid tone which is too dark to be accepted as correctly exposed to your eye/brain.
In the zone system a Caucasian face would be one step above the centre point i.e. zone 6.and you would therefore overexpose [+1/2 to 1 steps ]to get up one zone from the centre point.
So if you set your exposure on a grey card, lit the same way as the face,or held next to the face, then the meter takes takes the mid point as the grey card and either skin type would then come out hopfully correct.
Alistair

[kitkat]

OK found it on page 60 through 63 , as you correctly said he talks about the effect that different apertures have on certain colours.
Alistair

I have this book. In the section of the book 'EXPOSURE AND COLOR' (pp60-63), the word 'aperture' is not used at all. The word 'exposure' is used a lot.

[bdery]

that guy is the best photo author I know. "The photographer's eye" is an amazing book, from which I still have a lot to learn. I'll delve into it again once I finish writing that thesis of mine...

[adwb]

I have this book. In the section of the book 'EXPOSURE AND COLOR' (pp60-63), the word 'aperture' is not used at all. The word 'exposure' is used a lot.

well excuse me I'm sure, I always thought images for examples with different fstop numbers = apertures, which is what is pictorially what is shown on page 63 and illustrates the OP's post
Alistair


ap·er·ture (pr-chr)
n.
1. An opening, such as a hole, gap, or slit.
2.
a. A usually adjustable opening in an optical instrument, such as a camera or telescope, that limits the amount of light passing through a lens or onto a mirror.
b. The diameter of such an opening, often expressed as an f-number.c. The diameter of the objective of a telescope