Camera Labs

Well today i drove 160kms to take some nice photos, and what did i get?
a big FAIL!

In almost all of then i used A mode with F8 - F11, when i look at the histogram and viewf i though it was balance but when i saw the photo on the pc (PANIC!) "where is my sky?"

I hate to edit photos... i only like to shot the best i can and dont do nothing at the pc, but is it possible to have a great photo without touching the saturation/bright/constrast/sharpeness?






So if you pick the one you like more and make your changes post back and say what have you changed(saturation/bright/constrast/sharpeness)

Thanks any C&C are apreciated!

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D3000 - AF-S 18-55mm
Flickr
Ricardo Malveiro

Here is one edit

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D3000 - AF-S 18-55mm
Flickr
Ricardo Malveiro

Hi Frielspak,

You've made it a challenging task for the camera to meter your image and you have come across what many landscape photographers face on a regular basis.

Perhaps it's even harder for the camera since you have the horizon smack-dab in the middle of every shot shown here too..lol.

Suggestion:
Get a Neutral Density Grad Filter to even out the light-levels of the sky and earth.

Change your metering to center weighted, point at a bright part of the sky and change your exposure bias to +1 or +2..whichever the situation calls for - and then you may end up with a more evenly exposed image that you can work with.

Depending on the light, the ND grad filter and your camera, combine these two methods and experiment until you hit a reasonable level.

Good luck!

Cheers

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Nikon stuff and other stuff, but not nearly as much stuff as I really want!

Thanks LahLahSr.

I think i used the Circular Polarizing Filter in some of then, but the result wasnt that good, i will look for a ND Grad then.

So i should get the Horizon in the sky? and change exposure compensation to +1 or +2? It wont make it more bright? :S

Thanks

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D3000 - AF-S 18-55mm
Flickr
Ricardo Malveiro

I would have dialed positive exposure compensation if a person was in the foreground, with such a large sky I would have dialed in a negative exposure compensation

Cheers

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Nikon D7000, D40X, Nikkor 18- 200 VR II, f3.5-5.6, 70-300 AF non VR, Kit Lenses.

Hi Frielspark,

The example I gave was based on the metering from a bright part of the sky. It's all about the light levels.

Essentially your challenge here is that you have a very high variation in light-levels from brightest to darkest.

The ND Grad Filter can darken the brightest part of the image - in this case the sky - so that the light levels are more even. However, there are are ND filters that go up to 10 stops (or more) of light-dimming. Depending on your scenario, the filter will take you SOME of the way - but perhaps not all.

With a filter, but metering for the brightest part of the sky, may still leave the ground too dark. Playing with the exposure bias - e.g. dialling it a few steps, may bring out the ground to a point where post-processing can do the rest.

The limitation lies in our cameras' ability to span the whole range of light-levels without rendering anything pure white or black. Typical sensors will encompass 7 F-stops in range and the trick is to bring the brightest and darkest areas within that range.

Ideally the LCD should show you what's commonly referred to (warning: very technical term here) as "blinkies", indicating either complete over- or underexposure. However, that is a very rough indication and before blinkies occur you can still hit a threshold that is effectively unworkable. So I would encourage you to evaluate the exposure with your own eyes as well.

Cheers

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Nikon stuff and other stuff, but not nearly as much stuff as I really want!

LahLahSr, thanks for the info, I did not take the grad filter into account. As I shoot heaps on the beach and surfing in bright sunshine I sometimes have the same problem with blown out sky or the guy on the board is to dark. We are in mid spring, midday, sunny and 30c so I intend to go and see what I can shoot then have lunch and a beer with my wife.

Cheers

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Nikon D7000, D40X, Nikkor 18- 200 VR II, f3.5-5.6, 70-300 AF non VR, Kit Lenses.

Try looking into a GRAD ND filter or possibly take TWO photos. One exposed for the sky, and the other for the landscape. Then combine in photoshop.

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"If I want a 'snapshot'... i will use my phone.."

My Photos:
http://mistycreek.deviantart.com/

x2 to fallenembers' and LahLahSr's suggestions.

You have two options - either via hardware or software - to try to balance the final shot.

Either a grad ND filter to bring back the sky (but with some scenes this will also underexpose elements of your foreground/ darker subject if you have mountains or trees against the sky so a soft grad will help) or taking multiple exposures (exposing for the sky and foreground, or just plain bracketing) and blending through photoshop.

If you have software that can auto align your multiple images then all well and good, but to help you chances you'll need to try to take your bracketed shots quickly to avoid movement/changing light. A good option (it works on my D90, not sure about other cameras/brands) is to set the camera for bracketing, set the shutter to continual high, compose the shot and hold the shutter down - the camera will then quickly take the number of shots you've set up for in bracketing.

Just wondering. Did/do you use D-lighting?

Ben
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When in doubt..... Press the shutter.

I don't think that'll save any sky with that level of dynamic range in the image.

So HDR is my solution?

Nop i don't used D-L in camera.

Thanks

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D3000 - AF-S 18-55mm
Flickr
Ricardo Malveiro

Well you could go down the HDR road, or blend layers in photoshop from two exposures (one for the sky and one for the foreground)

Here's a link to a good HDR blog:

http://neilvn.com/tangents/2010/07/11/hdr-technique/

It's HDR, but doesn't scream at you, if you know what I mean....

I know how to do HDR, my prob is that i would like to make got photos wihout using 3th programs (PS, Photomatix, Dynamic HDR..)

Can you say me what time of edit this photo have?

http://olhares.aeiou.pt/golden_softness ... 37866.html

Thanks

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D3000 - AF-S 18-55mm
Flickr
Ricardo Malveiro

I think you misunderstood me - the guy that wrote that blog has a specific way of generating his HDRs, which may be different to yours.

You may have to wait a very very long time to get the shot your eye sees without using any pp. The dynamic range of DSLRs is not quite up to the human eye yet....!