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Exposure Q&A

Lesson 7 from: Unique Posing for Weddings

Doug Gordon

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Lesson Info

7. Exposure Q&A

Next Lesson: Posing Rules

Lesson Info

Exposure Q&A

okay there's quite a few uh questions about focusing and re composing and things of that nature okay I'm just gonna ask three of them okay perfect okay let's see mary says I used cannon I thought I was locking exposure and focus when pushing my button down halfway and my only locking focus tinker s realm says if you lock f under the eye area does this make the image sharp under their eye and not on their eye and caroline reid says a lot of pros say don't focus and recompose it won't be tack sharp can you tell us your thoughts ok you have three different questions there believe it or not they're all in the same thing but the three different ones so the first one I'll attack first question was I thought I was exposure locking and focusing that doesn't automatically happen it depends on in your functions you have different exposures you go inside your menu you have a lock you have a f locke you have a lock hold so it really depends on what they are inside the camera you need to know what ...

the cameras set for and howto work with it like if you want to be a one button shooter what you could do is just set a eh eh eh flock holt so that means you're focusing meet a ring and holding the button down and moving in my case all I'm doing is pressing the button but I actually have it set for a lock I'm locking the exposure and I could reframe and we compose as I go along now the second question is if I lock under the eyes everything else going to go soft listen if your depth of field is that shallow between this part and your eye that means that has nothing to do with your exposure that's more to do with your distance to the subject give you an example I love shooting with my eighty five millimeters one point four lends a shoot at one point for all the time so saying shooting at one point for if I would have focus can I have my five millimeter one point four so I can show what I'm speaking off if I was to shoot theeighty five millimeter at one point four and I'm right on top of mackenzie is my depth of field going to be soft from the eyelash to the eye it may be right but if I'm shooting thank you very much if I'm shooting with eighty five one point four but on twenty feet away is my depth of field still as shallow what do you think it's not is it because it depends on distance the subject so if you're right on top of the subject who ever asked that question sorry I'm trying to do three things here and I'm not that smart if you're right on top of the subject then it's going to affect it if you're not you'll be fine ok on the last one wass what was the third question have a very good memory that you remembered all of those up until this point last time I do two things at the same time was amazing so I'm giving you props that was incredible on the last question from caroline reid was a lot of people say don't focus and recompose it won't be taxed a lot of people say a lot of things okay you have to determine what you like it all depends I focus and recompose all the time because I'm taking my media ring off of it I think its fine you have to remember the cameras are so sharp you know to be honest with you I know I'm not the only one who feels the cameras a two shot the shopper they've gotten they've created more work for me because I have to go in and fix things when I first shot that defore my mind was ready to exp blowed because I'm like oh my god this is too clear I could see the little hairs on her nose wasn't so great if you have good lighting it's going to be super rich and clear anything else before I do this I want to the eighty five one four thing and that if you have questions we'll go in before we break is that okay all right good so let's take a look I'm going to go off here because I don't know if people think that I actually shoot handheld plus I'm sure the ladies at home dying to see my muscles when I flex up it's kind of amazing isn't it nice turn your head to me a little bit beautiful good you could slide out one second would just turn your head to may tilt your head here now I don't have perfect lighting that's okay but I want you tilt your head a little bit to the left turn ahead to your right good looking at me right here so I'm going to go into aperture priority and I'm going to go one point for ok so here we go tilt your head good turn your head to your right acts don't look at me you're gonna be serious hold it right there beautiful just like that smiling come on give me more excellent look up at me chin up a little bit good let's take a look now ideally this doesn't work perfectly because can I focus and recompose on a close up at one point four the answer is I'm not going to get what I want now obviously the lighting's not great here but take a look at what I did what's my depth of field at one point for here I'm getting from here to right behind the eye right so now do I have the lighting I want no but let me try and fix that a little bit whoops blanket right here can we turn the dial down so we're not so hot I think we're right now set all the way up good turn your head a little bit thank you perfect look right here I'm going to do with the right way with the right light so let's take a look you're gonna be serious here one point four right on top of her let's take a look so we got good clarity in the eye so my death the field is limited at one point four based on my proximity to the subject right so now watch what happens I come back here turn your head to your right good eyes up here nice and relaxed eh there you are doing terrific don't move take a look she should be completely out of focus at one point four right let's see how shocked she is I hope I'm right what do you think but you can't shoot at one point four because someone said you shut it have fun when you find a rule break that baby break it wide open how did I know how do I know that shooting a twelve thousand so is okay because I accidentally accidentally went outside and shot a twelve thousand or so and it was fine I'm not going to say did it on purpose I was it was an accident but then I'm like wait a minute there's no grain why delights good the light's good so guess what how did I know at one point four because I've got to change from one point for tow four to get that full like that it still worked because the light's good it's all about light your message so far before we get into posing buying the light look for the color of the light exposed for the light and everything else it's simple buying that light look for it see it feel it touch it you have to understand it I know that I don't look good now but I know if I turn this and I move it around I could get what I want I can come into the light here I could come here and turn my head to it and get a profile like I see it I feel the hot spot feel it see it touch it any questions before we get ready to do what you came for and start really learning how to make people look we're posing because we're going to talk about it a little bit the rest of the way but I want to make sure that you have a basic understanding yes when you're doing two thirds sliding yet so one I would be completely in light and the other one will have like a shade or two thirds like just two thirds fight means you're covering two thirds of the face right I mean the closer side too has the shadow the closer side to mei is going to be the short let side which means that it's going to be in shadow which means it looks dinner so do meter can you meet her on the cheek instead of the shadow if you meet her on the shadow is there more take a look at me here sorry take a look here is there a difference right here on that side of her face yes there is there is a difference so if you would a meter on this side first this side what would happen if you needed to hear that so it's gonna go really dark if you meet her here what's gonna happen on this side is gonna blow out no good no fun we don't like okay I'm glad you recapture three most important points of exposure to for everyone because they were like what was the third one what was the third one good I have to watch it over and like I said you guys are on explode motor ready your heads are all ready to explode everything you do I'm glad that you're here you have all the power you're going to take this home with you but it's on ly powerful if you watch it over and over and over and over until you're sick of me if you watch it you will get a better understanding of light watch watch watch okay questions before we go well I wanted to see if there are any questions here in the studio audience when when you were all about albert I'm getting tell you to him to be like when you were sitting manual did you exposure luck I don't need to exposure lock in manual because I've already locked my exposure when I'm in a manual setting correct it's okay people asked that all the time I don't think it was a dumb question it's not because people ask how well do you need to exposure lock in manual because they're forgetting you already ask if you already said okay yes everybody with that lighting of course I would I'm going to do something really really quick you're going to be the parents okay this has nothing to do with your h take a look right here okay so we're going to get into this imposing but what I want to show you real quick this is it it's the only light I have it's a window light right so let's do it let's take a look I'm gonna put I'm just gonna give you a brief posing thing I know we're running out of time come right over here I'm putting dad on the back side why he's bigger if you weighed mohr I'd probably put you there because what I want to do hide him I want to make him look ten or so we're gonna bring her in close mom you come right here beautiful you're going to come in close here arm around each other you turn your head this way gorgeous you come forward to me a little bit beautiful you come down to their level doubt I know that's hard now let's take a look this you two look perfect don't you god is wrong because he split let we need to turn dad's face to the light now everybody lean forward shut up down a little bit push classes up take a look watch how many things come right from here I'm at one point four again so I'm going to change it right here hold on one second I'm gonna go to a two point eight good looking at me here dad turn you head to your right a little bit I'm gonna bring not like down mom try not to look so scared okay looking at me here you're doing absolutely terrific I'm not worried about white balance here smiling teeth look right here mom faking it don't move god if you can look a little more pissed off for the next one so take a look here's the first image watch how we move on to the next one I'm gonna tell the camera just watch this look at my hand turn your head to dada what about beautiful turn your head a little bit mackenzie mom lean forward a tad mom tilt your head look at my hand smiling happy teeth faking it mackenzie look at my hand teeth excellent data about the anger keeping up good excellent there we go take a look one lighting pattern watch how easy the adjustment made I get it move anything bam I got a perfect in tonight now watch we're not done that's here give me your hand here you're going to bring your hand on the shoulder dad you're going to bring your hand here right on top of dad so I'm gonna explain posing of hands and all that with a wild leader you're going to look down gorgeous dad being in close to your daughter look down stretching out that so you only have three of them good lean in close does like that turn your head mom looking down no smile stretching our beautiful eyes down they're still in the direction of the light aren't they take a look just like that dad leaning closer stretching out I know you don't know but that's all good perfect take a look so now I did three completely different poses look at how perfect it works out I had them looking at the camera now they're here can I see all three please the light did it change take a look I'm sorry that works pretty well doesn't it because the face is into the light I want to ruin it I turn dad's head to the daughter but I have all their faces to the light and I have good clean light don't I understand ladies question about having your holding your hand up and saying can you look at my hand versus look into the camera and why do you do that why do I have her looking at her hand here I'm assuming it's a wedding and if she had her ring on there's a little bit when we get into bridal mota family posing I'm having a look down at the expensive ring and mom's ring would be a nurse that what you're saying no I'm saying when you hold your hand up and say look look over here look at my hands instead of look at the camera why am I doing night I'm creating three different sellable images this is traditional boring portraiture this one here becomes all look the second photographer captured it from the side my goal is a photographer is I don't want to be multiple entity I don't want to be one person I want to be multiple entities you're going to hear this and I'm going to talk about it do I want to sell two photographers on a wedding or a session what do you think why not it's not even that it's more work I'm losing money I lose money because I could have that person out on their own on a five thousand dollar wedding rather than getting fifteen hundred dollars from to be with me I don't want to work with anybody else I got control I gave you three different looks in a second member flow posing isn't just about that it's about making things flow together at a systems it's those air three great images of mom and dad so I'm trying to create three different salable entities now you'll see later on when we do the photoshopped portion of the dad is skating on the edge here because his chin is an out far enough but I know that I'm going to crop right in and I'm going to cut part of mom's hair out I'm going to cut all of it because I want to take the same image and make it look different the most valuable thing I can tell you is you should be able to take one image and turn it into three different images every time with a single crop if you could do that you're going to make a fortune because of a bright says to me or subject says you didn't take enough I took enough because I made it happen by shooting mohr it's about creating something from nothing I want to see look I screwed up bright and mom didn't come out do I have bright and mom right here I have them alone could cut him out I got them right there I have the segment I have a shot right here of the bride with mom and dad's hands I got a story I got mom and her daughter alone cutting him out cropping it out when we get into cropping your head's going to explode because I'm going to show you so money I'm so fired up to show you everything that we can do because it's a about creating something from nothing you understand the light if you see the light let's go for it let's move on and as mr seacrest says we'll see you after the break I love your enthusiastic you do it your way I love your enthusiasm but it won't be here tomorrow we're going to take a fifteen minute break before we do that doug can you tell us what we're gonna do right when we get back I guess you kind of just did that I don't know take a break we are finally going to go into posing we're going to learn some basic posing rules that are going to teach us number one how to deal with different size subjects of different heights we're really going to go and we're going to deal with plus I subjects we have so many different types of subjects that were going to deal with over the couple of days that we hear everything from an interracial couple everything from a plus sized couple to peep but with disabilities to seniors to all of the different things in between because the fact is at the end I expect you to say wait a minute oh my god he's doing the same exact things for everybody because nobody has ever come to me and said listen I don't want to be sexy I weigh too much I have a big nose don't take profiles I have one eye smaller than the other just shoot him my head I don't know what to do my job is to take whatever it is that they don't like about themselves I'm not going to call it a defect on I'm going to make it look better I always ask my subjects before I shoot them is there anything you want to tell me you don't like about yourselves and I said no not really big well good I'm glad you're in love what yourself I see this but no I'm kidding I don't tell them ok I say that because you got two major problems okay look atyou I could give you a whole list of them all right but let's make sure we're on the same page what we don't like so the fact is we're going to find out what people like about each other what they like about themselves and move on and go I'm here to I don't want to call the problems I'm not here to fix problems I'm here to make people look better now mind you that's what I think looks better if I learned one valuable thing I'm sorry I know we're over on time and I know someone's dying to go to the bathroom at home just like come on me and stop I gotta gold's gotta go theo the fact is okay that's why you should watch this on an ipad so you can go and take it with you okay dora laptop okay the fact that I don't want to think about what people are doing the fact it's very very simple you want me I've lost my train of thought okay uh oh when I was younger when I first started shooting is about eighteen years old and I remember my mother looking at a job I did on dh she said to me she goes up it's obvious you didn't like the way this girl looked this came out terrible I was devastated and you know what she was right because I didn't think the girl was pretty or whatever it wass idea and do the best I could so from that day on I realized no matter who the subject is no matter what subject is I have to find a way to fall in love with them every time right like jesse it's hard but I'm looking for you okay I'm looking on you I'm gonna find something but I'm trying to find something that I love that ultimately I can latch onto and just go with it and be in love most times it's the eyes it's the smile it's different things and sometimes I'll say the mackenzie object kendig lesson I just love the way you look serious there's something about it I love it you look great this is working for mai are you okay if I go this route because it may be so radical different because mackenzie maybe think I want to look happy but I may be thinking I want you to look seductive I want you to look at me with your eyes

Class Materials

bonus material

Day 1 Slides
Flow Posing Guide
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop A
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop B
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop C
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop D

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

I loved every minute of it! I watched and re-watched the Live show 3 times and now have the video version to burn into my mind. I don't get sick of watching it, I learn something new with each viewing. I have notes upon notes, inspirational quotes and I was truly inspired. I saw you live at your workshop and I wish we would of covered the business section a bit more in depthly because after watching you here on creativeLive I was floored! I can't wait to attend another one of your workshops because you are a wealth of knowledge, energetic and you inspire me to be better! I'm so glad I wasn't afraid to try even though I was terrified at first. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being such an amazing mentor!

a Creativelive Student
 

Doug is AMAZING! The way he teaches makes it fun and easy to understand. The way he poses his couples are so fast and easy to learn, I have taken my photography from mediocre, to world-class. I would love to meet him and thank him personally one day. Thank you Creativelive for introducing me to Doug, and thank you, Doug, for introducing me to CreativeLive! The best community for learning!!!

Adrian Farr
 

Doug has so much enthusiasm, it is beyond measurable. He is truly a fantastic motivator. He helps you understand the best ways to work with the light you have and shows you some very simple yet effective posing techniques. I highly recommend watching and buying this course if you want some great advice on improving your photography.

Student Work

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