Shooting In The Woods

[jd07]

Will you still underexpose a bit when your shooting in the woods? Around here the tress are dead from the winter so no leaves cover them. You can get some strong backlight from the sun, though I didn't know if I should stay a little more conservative since there is more shade in the shot with all the trees backlight. Mostly it goes tree shadow, sun, tree shadow, sun, on the ground. I underexposed about 2/3 of a stop just to play it safe. I assume I could of gone a little darker with 250D.

 

[jd07]

To add, will I find that the stock will hold detail in 2 stops under? Some other backlit locations (not in the woods) on a street I had a 3 stop difference. I underexposed my shadows 2. I don't know if I may have went too much and should of kept it open a bit like 1 1/2 under. On the test I did skin tones looked fine at that setting though I am worried about some of the darker buildings.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Two stops under for shadows is fine, plenty of detail in most things, the only exception would be dark skin tones and other dark-toned objects.

A lot depends on the mood you want to set in terms of exposing the woods.

Also, if you are rating a stock slower, you are giving yourself a bit more leeway in the shadows in terms of exposure. In other words, if you are rating a stock 2/3's of a stop slower and underexpose a shadow by 2-stops based on that new rating, on the negative itself the shadow is only 1 and 1/3-stop underexposed.