Getting good saturation

[russpears]

Getting good saturation

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems as though to get good color saturation you must get enough light on the subject to get saturation, but not too much light that you wash the color away.

Does shooting for a middle grey directly relate to getting good color in images?

[russpears]

It seems to also suggest that a photographer who is shooting for the over all best color needs to reduce the dynamic range of the photographic scene to accomplish this and that diffuse light may give better saturation by reducing the contrast inherent in hard light. Moreover, using higher ISO/ASA settings may adversely affect saturation as well, because it simply amplifies the signal and the noise levels.

Does this relation actually exist in photography, guys?

[Marko]

Yup what you wrote makes sense to me. If you're looking to produce very saturated images, soft light works and you need the right amount of it. Think very overcast days.

Shooting middle grey doesn't relate directly to saturation imo. shooting for middle grey is what camera meters do in every single situation.
The quantity and quality of the light are the keys. Shoot for middle grey in blazing noon sun and you're still shooting in light that's too contrasty.
Hope that helps - Marko

[russpears]

In respects to shooting for the middle grey this would be for the subject you wish to get the best color from and not just all about getting the right exposure. Right?

[Marko]

In getting the best exposure, you are getting the best average colour for every coloured or b/w element in the scene you are shooting. "Shooting for mid grey" is simply taking an average of all the tones in a scene. When the scene has mixed tones, that average is very good but it won't give you a final perfected image. Almost never. Maybe in the studio if you spend hours messing with the light so that the light is perfect for every subject in the scene..then you'll likely get very close, and you'll likely still want to mess with certain elemnts in the darkroom or photoshop.

Let's say you shoot a basket of mixed fruits and the exposure is correct, then the colour will be good. Will the colours of every fruit be perfect? NO.

This is because perfection lies in the eye of the picture creator. You may want the apple redder or less red. This is controlled in photoshop or the darkroom.

Straight up - VERY VERY VERY few shots come out of your camera perfecly especially if you shoot raw. If you are looking for a magic formula, I have good news, the magic formula is practise and we can help guide you to it. :)

[kat]

If I'm understanding this right (reading it right) the grey card would be getting the right white balance so that your colors are right for the light you are working with. The light you are working with determines the contrast/tones/harshness you will see in a photo.

My time to shoot is always in the early morning late evening and overcast days. There is a difference in the overall appereance of my photos when shooting in this light.

[russpears]

The intensity of the light and sensitivity of the camera should also affect the color saturation seems to also be the case, is my point.

[Marko]

I agree with what you wrote Kat.


The intensity of the light and sensitivity of the camera should also affect the color saturation seems to also be the case, is my point.
I agree with the intensity of the light of course. The ISO....yeah when you are talking high iso, the saturation may not look as good due to the possible introduction of noise/artifacts.