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07/17/2005 06:04:25 PM · #1 |
| Hi. I have a recurring problem whenever I take a picture with a sky behind a subject. If I adjust for the sky, the subject becomes underexposed. If I adjust for the subject, the sky becomes overexposed. I have had this problem with every camera I've owned. Even when I try to cut out most of the sky, even if I just have a corner showing, I still get comments that my sky is overexposed. Is there any way to get around this, especially by following the basic editing rules? |
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07/17/2005 06:34:02 PM · #2 |
Selective color in the adjustment layers group allows you to tweak individual color channels PLUS white/neutral/black levels. It's frequently the best way to solve this problem in basic editing.
R.
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07/17/2005 07:00:28 PM · #3 |
| If you want to do it as you are taking the photo buy a Graduated Neutral Density filter. It will hold back the sky and properly expose both. |
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07/17/2005 07:20:25 PM · #4 |
Well... yes and no. The easiest way, is to put the subject facing the sun, and then it's all blue skies. A Graduated ND filter would work to an extent as well, but i don't know how well for this. One great solution is to use flash fill and still expose for the sky.
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07/17/2005 07:41:09 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by kyebosh:
Well... yes and no. The easiest way, is to put the subject facing the sun, and then it's all blue skies. A Graduated ND filter would work to an extent as well, but i don't know how well for this. One great solution is to use flash fill and still expose for the sky. |
You are correct as well. She said 'subject' so it's not clear whether it's a subject you can move and is not clear how close the subject is, so fill-flash may be out as well. June, could you clarify?
- Jen |
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07/17/2005 09:31:42 PM · #6 |
| As to subject, I can rarely move subject, though I have used fill flash, but only if the subject is relatively close. I am talking especially about outdoor landscapes, monuments, architecture, etc. I have used varying levels of light compensation (minus or plus what auto exposure is.) Like for instance, my metal entry was noted as saying the sky was overexposed. Well, it was a white sky when I took the picture. My current entry in Independence also had the same comment. I could not use fill flash because the actual subject was over 100 feet away. I did compensate for light, but the sky still came out overexposed. I do not have an slr, which makes the task even more difficult. I use an Olympus Camedia D550z, and exposure does seem to be a recurring problem, though I have tried to take that into account when I am taking pictures avoiding sky and subject conflict as much as possible. |
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07/17/2005 09:34:28 PM · #7 |
I'm assuming your camera has no ability to change metering modes? What about an AE lock? I looked at a few photos taken with your camera (not just from your profile) and I have to admit, overexposed sky DID seem to be a common theme, so maybe it's the camera?
ed:
On another note, have you ever tried correcting for the "blown" areas by adjusting the highlights down in the "Output" section of the Photoshop "Levels" dialog box?
Message edited by author 2005-07-17 21:36:19. |
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07/17/2005 10:46:49 PM · #8 |
This isn't really a problem that is related to any particular camera, it's just that the sky can be very bright, especially on lightly overcast days.
If you shoot from opposite the sun, you're dealing with a backlit subject, and the only solutions are fill flash or multiple exposures combined later in PS (not legal for basic or advanced, BTW).
This is a problem we all face, and the "challenge" so to speak, is to use light to your advantage.
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07/17/2005 11:02:53 PM · #9 |
I second Jen's suggestion of a graduated ND filter. This is exactly the type of situation they were created for. A blue tinted one will also punch up the sky and get rid of those 'white sky' blues.
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07/17/2005 11:18:31 PM · #10 |
Used a graduated Neutral Density filter. Only real way to solve your problem. Cokin makes the best system. You can move the graduation up and down to match the horizon. Screw on ND's are really hard to use. |
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07/17/2005 11:56:18 PM · #11 |
If you can somehow capture a tonally compressed or flat image, which doesn't completely blow out the highlights or plug up the shadows, you can use (graduated) masks in conjunction with Tone Curves to approximate some of the effects of the Grad ND filter.
Obviously bot as good as capturing the expanded tone range in the first place, but a possible workaroung if using a GND filter isn't a possiblity. |
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07/18/2005 12:46:11 PM · #12 |
Take the picture at an exposure, which is about midway of the sky and the subject. Create a layers. Use levels command to correct the tone of the main subject. Create another layer. Use levels to correct the tone of the sky. Erase the lower portion of the top layer.
This works out well on landscape photographs. But, it is not allowed in challenges.
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07/18/2005 12:56:19 PM · #13 |
| There are just some things (tricks) that you just can NOT do with a point and shoot camera. Just because it is a digital camera, doesn't mean you can fix everything in photoshop. If the data does not exist in the file your out of luck, unless you completly replace the sky area with another properly exposed sky from another shot. |
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07/18/2005 03:17:45 PM · #14 |
| use a fill flash! that would minimize post processing to effectively meter the subject and sky. |
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07/18/2005 04:37:31 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by kbhatia1967:
Take the picture at an exposure, which is about midway of the sky and the subject. Create a layers. Use levels command to correct the tone of the main subject. Create another layer. Use levels to correct the tone of the sky. Erase the lower portion of the top layer.
This works out well on landscape photographs. But, it is not allowed in challenges. |
This should be legal in an Advanced challenge. You can also do the same thing with a single image layer and multiple adjustment layers, each with its own mask. |
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