Need help with color in photos and videos

[TanyaLLC]

I haven't really messed around with my camera much and its kind of overwhelming to me. I haven't really touched the settings but when I take pictures and videos indoors with my lights and setup, my hair always looks really dark in the photos and videos. In reality, its bright red in natural lighting (which is not available to me as I shoot in my basement). Do you know which settings will give me a more realistic color setting? If you click below, you can see my youtube thumbnails that show the coloring vs the photo in the link below which is my real hair color. Any tips would be appreciated!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiQCfaAvkG1eXYOtHc5Q8gQ

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGMhM_pLkpM/?taken-by=tanyal527

 

[Hello man]

What camera is it? That will (hopefully) let me track down the issue. If it is a DSLR or similar caliber of camera it may have something to do with how the camera is deciding the exposure, white balance or color profile, but I am not sure.

 

[TanyaLLC]

What camera is it? That will (hopefully) let me track down the issue. If it is a DSLR or similar caliber of camera it may have something to do with how the camera is deciding the exposure, white balance or color profile, but I am not sure.

Its a Canon EOS Rebel T5..I tried changing the different settings on the dial and also on the menu settings as well trying Fluorescent Light, Day Light, AWB, etc...my hair looks dark brown in all the pictures.

 

[Hello man]

What camera is it? That will (hopefully) let me track down the issue. If it is a DSLR or similar caliber of camera it may have something to do with how the camera is deciding the exposure, white balance or color profile, but I am not sure.

Its a Canon EOS Rebel T5..I tried changing the different settings on the dial and also on the menu settings as well trying Fluorescent Light, Day Light, AWB, etc...my hair looks dark brown in all the pictures.

Huh...I can only think that your face may be brighter when under artificial lighting, so if you are shooting automatic it may be exposing for the brightest area of the frame, as some colors tend to absorb light while others reflect it.

 

[TanyaLLC]

What camera is it? That will (hopefully) let me track down the issue. If it is a DSLR or similar caliber of camera it may have something to do with how the camera is deciding the exposure, white balance or color profile, but I am not sure.

Its a Canon EOS Rebel T5..I tried changing the different settings on the dial and also on the menu settings as well trying Fluorescent Light, Day Light, AWB, etc...my hair looks dark brown in all the pictures.

Huh...I can only think that your face may be brighter when under artificial lighting, so if you are shooting automatic it may be exposing for the brightest area of the frame, as some colors tend to absorb light while others reflect it.

I shoot in my basement so there is no natural lighting unfortunately. I have 3 daylight bulbs two have the umbrella one does not. I also have on my lights in the room as well. Not sure if they makes a difference it just looks kind of dark with just the daylight lamps on. I could try to go upstairs and shoot in a room that has daylight I just had to move out of that room and haven't moved all my stuff back up there.

 

[TanyaLLC]

What camera is it? That will (hopefully) let me track down the issue. If it is a DSLR or similar caliber of camera it may have something to do with how the camera is deciding the exposure, white balance or color profile, but I am not sure.

Its a Canon EOS Rebel T5..I tried changing the different settings on the dial and also on the menu settings as well trying Fluorescent Light, Day Light, AWB, etc...my hair looks dark brown in all the pictures.

Huh...I can only think that your face may be brighter when under artificial lighting, so if you are shooting automatic it may be exposing for the brightest area of the frame, as some colors tend to absorb light while others reflect it.

but now that I think of it...looking at my thumbnails on my channel, my hair doesn't look much lighter in that other room either..I don't know if its because my background is white or what...when I take pictures with my other cheap handheld camera my hair looks more red...also in natural lighting with my camera phone.

 

[kenrivers]

Have you tried changing the aperture, ISO and the shutter speed to see if that helps? Play around with the settings for those, doing non-critical recording, and see which one gives you the best results. What lens are you using with this camera? I have a Canon T5i and will assist where I can with the settings.

Understanding Aperture - A Beginner's Guide

Apertures: when to go small and when to go wide

Understanding ISO - A Beginner's Guide

Understand ISO in 4 Simple Steps

What is ISO Sensitivity? | Understanding ISO from Nikon

How To Take Great Pictures with the Canon T5

Best Video Setting For The Canon DSLR's

 

[TanyaLLC]

Have you tried changing the aperture, ISO and the shutter speed to see if that helps? Play around with the settings for those, doing non-critical recording, and see which one gives you the best results. What lens are you using with this camera? I have a Canon T5i and will assist where I can with the settings.

I don't really even know what any of those things do. I don't know how to do much with my camera besides record and take pictures zoom etc...its very overwhelming to me..I use the lens that came with the camera. I bought it as a bundle: 8-Piece Set: Canon EOS Rebel T5 18MP 1080p DSLR Camera with 18-55mm IS II Standard Zoom Lens & Accessories Style : Canon EOS Rebel T5 Bundle. I will check out he links below. My autofocus doesn't work well either so I film on manual focus.

Understanding Aperture - A Beginner's Guide

Apertures: when to go small and when to go wide

Understanding ISO - A Beginner's Guide

Understand ISO in 4 Simple Steps

What is ISO Sensitivity? | Understanding ISO from Nikon

How To Take Great Pictures with the Canon T5

Best Video Setting For The Canon DSLR's

 

[kenrivers]

Please let me know if you have any questions after looking at the links. It can be overwhelming to anyone just learning their camera but be patient it will come to you with practice. Trust me it is worth the effort.

Some of the terms over-simplified:
Aperture - the opening that determines how much light is let in. For example f/1.8 is a wide opening that will let in a lot of light vs. f/22 which lets in very little light.

Shutter speed - how long the shutter is open. For example on bright sunny day you would use a faster shutter speed than you would in a dimly lit room.

ISO - is a refernce to when film was used a.k.a. film speed. You would use a lower ISO in a brightly lit shoot and a higher one in a dimly lit scene.

The three of them work together. Practice will help you gain a better understanding of how they work together.

 

[TanyaLLC]

Please let me know if you have any questions after looking at the links. It can be overwhelming to anyone just learning their camera but be patient it will come to you with practice. Trust me it is worth the effort.

I appreciate your help.

So I have read through the ISO AND Aperture so far and I am assuming I want to put the ISO between 400-800 since it is indoors and I am using daylight lights as well as indoor lights. Is it bad to use both? using just my daylight lamps does not light up the room that much. In terms of Aperture I am still unsure if I want it to be a high f number or lower? In my pictures and videos I show beauty products and clothing so I'm not sure if I want the background to be blurred or not? I definitely want to be the focus in the items that are in my hands.

 

[kenrivers]

If the daylight lamps don't provide enough light then you have to use what is available to you. It is a challenge to overcome an underlit video. Regardless of whether or not the background is blurred make sure you have good contrast.

 

[giantbucket]

in the pic where you're in the car, the light is coming in from the sides and from behind.

in the video, it's mostly front lighting.

set up some rear lights, something to help illuminate your hair from the back. for example, look at this image below. the part of the hair that has backlight is brighter richer and more vibrant, whereas the rest is dark and flat

even in your car pic, the hair by the window (left side of image) is brighter and richer, but the other side (away from the window) is darker

 

[giantbucket]

also, remember that daylight and natural outdoors light is BRIGHT, even when it's cloudy. if you try to punch up the ISO to make up for it, you always lose colour ability while you gain exposure ability. on the T5 you probably don't want to go past ISO 400 anyways, but if you're shooting at 60fps then your "shutter speed" is always under 1/60sec, which is kind of daylight speed, which means with low indoor lighting you'd need too much ISO or too wide of an aperture.

you need more light overall, and more from the side & back.

 

[basroil]

I haven't really messed around with my camera much and its kind of overwhelming to me. I haven't really touched the settings but when I take pictures and videos indoors with my lights and setup, my hair always looks really dark in the photos and videos. In reality, its bright red in natural lighting (which is not available to me as I shoot in my basement). Do you know which settings will give me a more realistic color setting? If you click below, you can see my youtube thumbnails that show the coloring vs the photo in the link below which is my real hair color. Any tips would be appreciated!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiQCfaAvkG1eXYOtHc5Q8gQ

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGMhM_pLkpM/?taken-by=tanyal527

1) Your hair IS actually that dark. Most dyes are absolutely horrible to shoot simply because they have non-linear responses and depend not only on temperature, but light direction (especially bleached hair that's been dyed). Different light temperatures will produce different colors more in those dyes.
2) Before looking up anything else, check http://strobist.blogspot.jp/2006/03/lighting-101.html , since you are talking about studio lighting rather than general photography. That site will help you make your lighting more accurate, dynamic, and actually easier.

 

[Hello man]

also, remember that daylight and natural outdoors light is BRIGHT, even when it's cloudy. if you try to punch up the ISO to make up for it, you always lose colour ability while you gain exposure ability. on the T5 you probably don't want to go past ISO 400 anyways, but if you're shooting at 60fps then your "shutter speed" is always under 1/60sec, which is kind of daylight speed, which means with low indoor lighting you'd need too much ISO or too wide of an aperture.

you need more light overall, and more from the side & back.

You can always try to diffuse light through a sheet-diffused light wraps around the subject more. Or you could get one of those super cheap 5 in one reflectors/diffusers off amazon. If the hair stays the same darker color even with brighter exposures, chances are it is the hair dye not behaving the same under the artificial light. The other thing to think about is that "hot" or continuous lighting is usually less harsh than say a flash, or sunlight. Flash tends to bounce off more, same with sun light. Hot lights are usually more diffuse and overall less bright. One of my flashes at full power is pretty much blinding.

 

[TanyaLLC]

If the daylight lamps don't provide enough light then you have to use what is available to you. It is a challenge to overcome an underlit video. Regardless of whether or not the background is blurred make sure you have good contrast.

Is my contrast not good enough in my videos currently? I was going to buy some fabric and make a diy backdrop with some pvc pipe but I have seen a bunch of other people have white backgrounds and have a really clear and bright video. I think its more of me doing something wrong....

 

[basroil]

Is my contrast not good enough in my videos currently? I was going to buy some fabric and make a diy backdrop with some pvc pipe but I have seen a bunch of other people have white backgrounds and have a really clear and bright video. I think its more of me doing something wrong....

Like I said, you need to read EVERYTHING on the Strobist 101. There's a lot you seem to not know about lighting in general, and that primer is perfect for beginners. Go ahead and give it a read, and then come back here in a week and show us your progress.

 

[kenrivers]

I'm sorry, I never meant to imply the contrast you have right now is not good enough. I was trying to relay that contrast is important. It was never meant to be a commentary on your videos. I can see why a white background, with the right lighting, will be bright since white reflects.

 

[TanyaLLC]

Is my contrast not good enough in my videos currently? I was going to buy some fabric and make a diy backdrop with some pvc pipe but I have seen a bunch of other people have white backgrounds and have a really clear and bright video. I think its more of me doing something wrong....

Like I said, you need to read EVERYTHING on the Strobist 101. There's a lot you seem to not know about lighting in general, and that primer is perfect for beginners. Go ahead and give it a read, and then come back here in a week and show us your progress.

ok thank you to everyone for their tips and suggestions!

 

[TanyaLLC]

in the pic where you're in the car, the light is coming in from the sides and from behind.

in the video, it's mostly front lighting.

set up some rear lights, something to help illuminate your hair from the back. for example, look at this image below. the part of the hair that has backlight is brighter richer and more vibrant, whereas the rest is dark and flat

even in your car pic, the hair by the window (left side of image) is brighter and richer, but the other side (away from the window) is darker

I will definitely try to put the lights behind me and see if that helps. Thank you!

 

[TanyaLLC]

I haven't really messed around with my camera much and its kind of overwhelming to me. I haven't really touched the settings but when I take pictures and videos indoors with my lights and setup, my hair always looks really dark in the photos and videos. In reality, its bright red in natural lighting (which is not available to me as I shoot in my basement). Do you know which settings will give me a more realistic color setting? If you click below, you can see my youtube thumbnails that show the coloring vs the photo in the link below which is my real hair color. Any tips would be appreciated!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiQCfaAvkG1eXYOtHc5Q8gQ

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGMhM_pLkpM/?taken-by=tanyal527

1) Your hair IS actually that dark. Most dyes are absolutely horrible to shoot simply because they have non-linear responses and depend not only on temperature, but light direction (especially bleached hair that's been dyed). Different light temperatures will produce different colors more in those dyes.
2) Before looking up anything else, check http://strobist.blogspot.jp/2006/03/lighting-101.html , since you are talking about studio lighting rather than general photography. That site will help you make your lighting more accurate, dynamic, and actually easier.

Thanks I will check that link out. Yes, my hair only looks super red in natural lighting...but I have seen other people in youtube videos with similar colored hair and it shows up bright red on camera.

 

[TanyaLLC]

I'm sorry, I never meant to imply the contrast you have right now is not good enough. I was trying to relay that contrast is important. It was never meant to be a commentary on your videos. I can see why a white background, with the right lighting, will be bright since white reflects.

No problem, I'm not offended. I need as much feed back as possible as I am very inexperienced with photography and filming. I just press record and talk haha

 

[kenrivers]

Glad to hear it. It takes time, practice and mistakes before you really gain an understanding of what you are doing. Of course people with knowledge who are willing to help makes it easier.

 

[TanyaLLC]

Glad to hear it. It takes time, practice and mistakes before you really gain an understanding of what you are doing. Of course people with knowledge who are willing to help makes it easier.

That's true.

 

[TanyaLLC]

I haven't really messed around with my camera much and its kind of overwhelming to me. I haven't really touched the settings but when I take pictures and videos indoors with my lights and setup, my hair always looks really dark in the photos and videos. In reality, its bright red in natural lighting (which is not available to me as I shoot in my basement). Do you know which settings will give me a more realistic color setting? If you click below, you can see my youtube thumbnails that show the coloring vs the photo in the link below which is my real hair color. Any tips would be appreciated!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiQCfaAvkG1eXYOtHc5Q8gQ

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGMhM_pLkpM/?taken-by=tanyal527

1) Your hair IS actually that dark. Most dyes are absolutely horrible to shoot simply because they have non-linear responses and depend not only on temperature, but light direction (especially bleached hair that's been dyed). Different light temperatures will produce different colors more in those dyes.
2) Before looking up anything else, check http://strobist.blogspot.jp/2006/03/lighting-101.html , since you are talking about studio lighting rather than general photography. That site will help you make your lighting more accurate, dynamic, and actually easier.

Is my contrast not good enough in my videos currently? I was going to buy some fabric and make a diy backdrop with some pvc pipe but I have seen a bunch of other people have white backgrounds and have a really clear and bright video. I think its more of me doing something wrong....

Like I said, you need to read EVERYTHING on the Strobist 101. There's a lot you seem to not know about lighting in general, and that primer is perfect for beginners. Go ahead and give it a read, and then come back here in a week and show us your progress.

I don't have a flash that comes off my camera. Just the one attached. Also, Is this Strobist 101 about filming videos too or just photography? I am looking for how to best light my videos more importantly. The pictures that I take go along with the videos that I film .