[Hattifnatt]

I'll just drop one more tip, if I shoot portraits with natural light and the light is not quite enough I like to use TaV mode. I set the the shutter speed to 1/250s, 1/350s etc depending how much the subject is moving, the aperture to get the desired background blur (f/2.4, f/2.8 etc) and let the camera boost the ISO as needed. For the metering, you can use spot metering on the skin as somebody said above or use exposure compensation... but expose for the subject and don't be afraid to blow up the background a little bit.

[Paul the Sunman]

Sorry

I'm not sure how else you expected it to look. Shooting in shade with a bright sunny background couldn't look any other way (without fill-in lighting or blowing the background).

[iheiramo]

Small jpg is hard to work with, but RAW would be salvageable:



In case you don't want to edit yourself, you put download link to RAW file here on thread and you'll probably get several versions to choose from.

[TaoMaas]

You were right to think that shooting your son in the shade would provide some nice lighting on him, but where you messed up was in not matching that up with the light on the background. If you shoot someone in the shade...and don't plan on using flash to supplement things...then you need to pose them against a background that's in shade so the light levels match more closely. Your foreground/background can be shade/shade or sun/sun or sun/shade, but shade/sun makes things really tough, especially if the background is in full sun.

[TerryL]

I keep trying to post a raw file, but get a invalid file message. How do I post a raw file? Also, how do I take and use my improved pictures from this post?

[iheiramo]

I keep trying to post a raw file, but get a invalid file message. How do I post a raw file? Also, how do I take and use my improved pictures from this post?

You can't post RAW directly into this thread. Upload the shot to some cloud service that allow you to share download link. Then post that link into this thread.

The people who edit your shot can give you the link to finished jpg once they have uploaded it somewhere.

[Rondec]

I keep trying to post a raw file, but get a invalid file message. How do I post a raw file? Also, how do I take and use my improved pictures from this post?

Open a Drop Box account or Google Drive and up load it there. Pentax Forums only allows you to upload a low res jpeg.

[iheiramo]

TerryL, if you have smart phone it most likely is either iPhone or one of the androids. iPhone account include iCloud and androids use google account which include Google Drive. So most likely you already have a cloud service you can use to share the shot. Just make a folder in them and make sure to check security so that it allows read only for people with link.

[TER-OR]

You might be able to work with a shady situation like that if you stand out in the sun, and he's just barely in the shade, facing the light or about 30 degrees to it. A fill flash would have made the difference, though, particularly with diffuser. Even a light reflector probably could work.

All that said, some good post-processing as shown can do wonders.

[TerryL]

Thank you, Mike.

[ChristianRock]

Other than the excellent advice given here so far, I would like to add that the focus point seems to be a bit more on the center of the image (his shirt) than on the face. I could be wrong and it's not so easy to tell because of the small resolution, but it seems like his face is a bit out of focus.

You have to remember that Pentax does not give you face or eye detection, which would make this job a bit easier. You can still get great shots as people here have proven time and again, but you have to be mindful that you are the one controlling where the camera is focusing. Me, I just use the old technique of "get focus confirmation on where you want to focus, then reframe for composition". If you did that and still the face was a bit off focus, then it's time to fine tune the AF of your lens.

The advice you got on the light challenges is right on, this is just a very difficult light situation. I've shot my kids birthday parties in very similar light and I know it's a challenge, but you learn to deal with it as you get more experience. Fill flash, as people have said, is your friend. Also, the composition advice (keep the distracting elements out, like the table edge) is very helpful. Composition is everything.

Other than that, it seems like you raised a good kid and you should be proud! And hopefully you should be able to have him and other family subjects around as willing subjects on other times, to take other portraits as you get better and better with photography

[ehrwien]

You have to remember that Pentax does not give you face or eye detection

You can select this in Live View, though!

[ChristianRock]

You can select this in Live View, though!

Ah, true, I keep forgetting that they added that.

[TerryL]

Congrats to the young fellow...

Lots of different things to change what you'd done, not that there is anything WRONG per se in what you've got there:

1) spot meter on skin in the shade. Old school and it works.
2) use centre metered...with the dark shirt it would probably get you there with no exposure comp. might need some test exposures to make sure the exposure is ok.
3) use matrix metered with a (+) exposure compensation. Might need some test exposures to make sure the compensation is adequate.

4) use fill flash

Open shade is a great place to make portraits. You might consider moving your subject so the back ground isn't as difficult to work with.
Practice practice practice.

I'm no pro, but I've made plenty of portraits and I love the view from a fast fifty. ƒ4 is a good aperture to work at at the distance you are at, and the shutter speed is reasonable for handheld portraiture so that is all good.

To be completely honest, its a snapshot and I wouldn't be scared to boost it in post (i'm assuming you're collecting RAW files in at least one card slot).

Open Shade Portraits: Exploring Photography with Mark Wallace - YouTube

A quick edit - its tough to work with such a small jpg... but I think you've got something workable in the file.

Thank you very much, that looks much better.

---------- Post added 07-22-19 at 08:31 AM ----------

You were right to think that shooting your son in the shade would provide some nice lighting on him, but where you messed up was in not matching that up with the light on the background. If you shoot someone in the shade...and don't plan on using flash to supplement things...then you need to pose them against a background that's in shade so the light levels match more closely. Your foreground/background can be shade/shade or sun/sun or sun/shade, but shade/sun makes things really tough, especially if the background is in full sun.

I understand, completely. Could have traded seats with him. I was in a big rush.

---------- Post added 07-22-19 at 08:35 AM ----------

You might be able to work with a shady situation like that if you stand out in the sun, and he's just barely in the shade, facing the light or about 30 degrees to it. A fill flash would have made the difference, though, particularly with diffuser. Even a light reflector probably could work.

All that said, some good post-processing as shown can do wonders.

I have a Pentax flash and diffuser, too. I'll start using it. Thank you.

---------- Post added 07-22-19 at 08:41 AM ----------

Other than the excellent advice given here so far, I would like to add that the focus point seems to be a bit more on the center of the image (his shirt) than on the face. I could be wrong and it's not so easy to tell because of the small resolution, but it seems like his face is a bit out of focus.

You have to remember that Pentax does not give you face or eye detection, which would make this job a bit easier. You can still get great shots as people here have proven time and again, but you have to be mindful that you are the one controlling where the camera is focusing. Me, I just use the old technique of "get focus confirmation on where you want to focus, then reframe for composition". If you did that and still the face was a bit off focus, then it's time to fine tune the AF of your lens.

The advice you got on the light challenges is right on, this is just a very difficult light situation. I've shot my kids birthday parties in very similar light and I know it's a challenge, but you learn to deal with it as you get more experience. Fill flash, as people have said, is your friend. Also, the composition advice (keep the distracting elements out, like the table edge) is very helpful. Composition is everything.

Other than that, it seems like you raised a good kid and you should be proud! And hopefully you should be able to have him and other family subjects around as willing subjects on other times, to take other portraits as you get better and better with photography

Thank you, Marc.

---------- Post added 07-22-19 at 08:42 AM ----------

some fill flash would have been nice....could have easily dropped to 100iso and got the shutter at or under 1/180 with no worries of having a HSS supported flash

my editing skills are lame.....i'd only make it worse.....

I agree. Thank you.

---------- Post added 07-22-19 at 08:50 AM ----------

I've seen worse
Here's a quick and dirty edit on the small jpeg. +0.4EV exposure, -25%highlights, +50% shadows. Minor crop and rotate.

Thank you, Sandy. Looks good.

---------- Post added 07-22-19 at 08:52 AM ----------

some fill flash would have been nice....could have easily dropped to 100iso and got the shutter at or under 1/180 with no worries of having a HSS supported flash

my editing skills are lame.....i'd only make it worse.....

I'm definitely going to start using fill flash. Thank you.

---------- Post added 07-22-19 at 08:58 AM ----------

Terry you have had plenty of good advice on exposure/fill flash.

Just a couple of observations on framing..........

Try and keep stuff like the edge of the table out of the shot

You have very bright light behind leading to burnt out decking next to shaded decking. Frame to avoid that.

The background has very bright grass which meets darker leafed shrubs/trees. this creates a strong division in your background which cuts across just below the subjects shoulder line. It distracts the viewer from the subject. Either subject standing or you taking a lower stance could avoid this.

There is so much to think about !!

Thank you, Peter. Those are really good points. Your opinion is always appreciated.

---------- Post added 07-22-19 at 09:02 AM ----------

What makes you say you blew it? You'll get some technical advice here (like: use fill flash), but i think that doesn't matter. What does it FEEL like to you, and is that feeling something different to what you were hoping for? Maybe it doesn't fit how you see him (since you know him well) - maybe you like him and he's a cheerful person, but this picture is too sinister, so it doesn't match how you see him? I think the dark eyes make it sinister but also interesting.
Either way, this IS a very good portrait - in fact i have not seen many better portraits on PF. I would leave it exactly like it is.

Yes, it is the dark eyes. Thank you for your reply.

---------- Post added 07-22-19 at 09:04 AM ----------

I think this is a compelling portrait, one that could have been a little better by applying one stop exposure compensation at the time it was made. Yes, that might be applied in post processing and yes, fill flash might have worked as might judicious use of spot metering, but given that this was probably not a planned shoot and few know how to place exposure with a spot measurement, the simplest approach might be adequate and is easily anticipated by noting the strong back-light.


Steve

Yes, it is the dark eyes. Thank you for your reply.

---------- Post added 07-22-19 at 09:07 AM ----------

I'm not sure how else you expected it to look. Shooting in shade with a bright sunny background couldn't look any other way (without fill-in lighting or blowing the background).

I agree, Paul. Thank you.

[TerryL]

The video is extremely helpful. Thank you.

---------- Post added 07-22-19 at 05:55 PM ----------

The main issue is lighting. I call that sort of extreme left and right side lighting the "Nat Geo cover portrait of a physicist". Not a lot you can do in the middle of a hot sunny day outdoors; was there anyplace indoors with air conditioning? Then with the lights off in the room, you could use some window light for a nice 3/4 key light and dark background.

With the DFA 50mm I would have gone for more like f/2 instead of f/4 for more bokeh. But I see in your profile that you also have a DFA 100mm. I would have gone with that for tighter cropping, more bokeh, better compression. Nothing wrong with a full body shot, but as a portrait, you really want to get in head and shoulders.

For post processing I'd convert it to black and white. The green in the background is a major distraction, and also to crop tighter.

Here's a quick and dirty crop, B&W conversion, burn edges, and gaussian blur the background from your posted jpeg:

I love it. Thank you.