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02/23/2005 08:00:39 AM · #1 |
Hello. Can anyone give me some tips on overcoming washed out skies in some of my images. Should I use a certain filter or setup the camera in a specific way.
The following is an example of what I mean. There was blue skies and some cloud cover but the image shows no blue skies. All I have done is resized the image, otherwise this is the image unedited.
Thankyou all in advance. |
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02/23/2005 08:01:28 AM · #2 |
Polarizing filter will help.
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02/23/2005 08:06:00 AM · #3 |
The skies are washing out because the exposure is being set for the front of the statue.
One of the best tricks here is to meter for the sky and then use fill flash to illuminate the statue. (Sometimes requires manual settings on the camera).
The other is to make two identically composed images, one exposed for the sky and one exposed for the statue, (tripod required), and then superimpose them in Photoshop. This is not a DPC legal technique, just for a note.
Polarizer will change the blue in the sky, but it won't necessarily fix this entire problem.
Message edited by author 2005-02-23 08:07:15. |
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02/23/2005 08:33:08 AM · #4 |
I agree that metering for the sky and then using a fill flash usually gives the best results in this kind of situation. But I also keep a few photos of nice blue skies lying around for problem shots like this so that I can replace the bad sky with one that I like. It's always better to get the shot right in the first place, but it's nice knowing that there are other options if that doesn't work out. :-)
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02/23/2005 09:04:02 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by justinbrook:
Hello. Can anyone give me some tips on overcoming washed out skies in some of my images. Should I use a certain filter or setup the camera in a specific way.
The following is an example of what I mean. There was blue skies and some cloud cover but the image shows no blue skies. All I have done is resized the image, otherwise this is the image unedited.
Thankyou all in advance. |
I think sky is irrelevant in this picture, many ad strong sky and it only and often compete whit grate subject that is not good .. ir |
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02/23/2005 09:08:56 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by nards656:
The other is to make two identically composed images, one exposed for the sky and one exposed for the statue, (tripod required), and then superimpose them in Photoshop. This is not a DPC legal technique, just for a note.
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If you took a shot in RAW and developed two images, one exposed for the sky and one for the foreground and then blended those, that's legal, isn't it?
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02/23/2005 09:13:23 AM · #7 |
Originally posted by AJAger:
Originally posted by nards656:
The other is to make two identically composed images, one exposed for the sky and one exposed for the statue, (tripod required), and then superimpose them in Photoshop. This is not a DPC legal technique, just for a note.
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If you took a shot in RAW and developed two images, one exposed for the sky and one for the foreground and then blended those, that's legal, isn't it? |
If you did it using the barndoor method on the same exposure, then it is legal, but using multiple images, RAW or not, is illegal under both editing processes. |
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02/23/2005 09:16:44 AM · #8 |
Another thing you can do is post process the sky separately from the rest of the image because of the difference in exposure... that helps bring out detail from an overexposed sky.
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02/23/2005 09:17:11 AM · #9 |
AJAger means to take a single RAW image and write out two tiffs (or whatever), one that is exposed to the sky, the other exposed to the statue. He is just using the exposure compensation feature of RAW.
Chad |
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02/23/2005 09:17:41 AM · #10 |
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02/23/2005 09:19:53 AM · #11 |
If using PS CS another option is the highlights/shadows adjustment. On some images it's just amazing.
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02/23/2005 09:28:16 AM · #12 |
Originally posted by cpurser:
AJAger means to take a single RAW image and write out two tiffs (or whatever), one that is exposed to the sky, the other exposed to the statue. He is just using the exposure compensation feature of RAW.
Chad |
I forgot to add that this is obviously illegal under basic editing, but I see no reason why it is not legal under advanced rules.
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02/23/2005 09:45:19 AM · #13 |
Originally posted by AJAger:
Originally posted by cpurser:
AJAger means to take a single RAW image and write out two tiffs (or whatever), one that is exposed to the sky, the other exposed to the statue. He is just using the exposure compensation feature of RAW.
Chad |
I forgot to add that this is obviously illegal under basic editing, but I see no reason why it is not legal under advanced rules. |
You are correct that it is legal under advanced rules, if there is only one source image. For basic, it is definitely illegal.
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02/23/2005 10:05:18 AM · #14 |
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned using a gradual filter. A Cokin 'Gradual Blue B2 Light - 123L' would work well in this situation. Combine this with a polarizer, as Martin (nsbca7) pointed out, and would see a much more defined sky. Grad Grey G2 Light might also work.
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02/23/2005 10:12:45 AM · #15 |
Grad filter would also darken the statue. That's why I didn't recommend it. I would think he wants good exposure on the statue.
Or are you saying that the recommended filter would not darken the statue due to the color?
Message edited by author 2005-02-23 10:13:17. |
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02/23/2005 10:30:14 AM · #16 |
Originally posted by nards656:
Grad filter would also darken the statue. That's why I didn't recommend it. I would think he wants good exposure on the statue.
Or are you saying that the recommended filter would not darken the statue due to the color? |
The filters I mention come in various shades of color or graduation of color. The light series is basically clear at the bottom and graduates to a darker color at the top. Seeing how the statue is silhouetted against the sky you are correct that this filter would also darken the statue. Honestly, I didn't think about that. I suppose you could easily select the statue in post-processing and lighten it some and still get the sky effect wanted. A matter of choice/taste I guess.
For more info on the filters: //www.cokin.com/cokin-data/composants2/pages-filtres/filtre-121Lst.html
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02/23/2005 11:05:50 AM · #17 |
The suggestions below are good. Above is a VERY quickie edit. There are nasty jpg artifacts in teh sky now from my puching the levels of the sky too far to keep some clouds.
I did a very quick selection of the sky with the magic wand (i did not botehr to be between his legs). I then put the sky and the rest on 2 layers. did a levels mid point adjustment on the foreground to lighten it a bit. for the sky...there are may methods, i tried something i have been wanting to try..i stuck in a new layerlayer, filled it wil blue, and then adjusted opacity (sort of like a filter would do on a camera)
in some ways it is easier to just replace th esky with a 'stock' sky from your own files. (take pics of pretty skys, sunsets, etc just for this kind of use...)
a PL filter is best, a blue grad second choice. third is two pics, ON A TRIPOD, one exposed for the sky, one for the statue, and put them together later.
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02/23/2005 11:06:52 AM · #18 |
I suspect that what Justin wants it to look like is something like the below version:
This is done in photoshop, of course, but it's the visual equivalent of pull processing in film. The basic steps are as follows: cntrl-alt-tilde selects the brightest areas int he image, cntrl-J makes a new layer of themn, and setting layer to "multiply" darkens them. Back to base layer, cntrl-alt-tilde again, xntrl-shift-i to invert the selction, cntrl-j to make a new layer of it, and set the layer to "screen".
Now adjust the opacity sliders ont he 2 layers to get the desired balance. This is a basic, contrast-reducing workflow for PS. You can use it for contrast enhancement as well by screening the brights and multiplying the darks.
I understand where everyone's coming from in the various recommendations, but IMO most of what's being suggested would make a "different" shot. I don't see anything wrong with silhoutettes against bright skies, and I find it unnatural if the skies in a silhouette scene are allowed to darken too much. he fill-flash trick is of course very useful, but you have to be careful you don't darken your sky unnaturaly using it.
Robt.
Dang, professor, we right on top of each other...
Message edited by author 2005-02-23 11:08:09.
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02/23/2005 03:13:23 PM · #19 |
Thanks for all your help folks. Those two examples are a real improvement.
I am just learning how too use Photoshop. I never new about layering properley until now. Here is my first attempt.
Comments welcome! |
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02/23/2005 03:46:33 PM · #20 |
There ya go Justin! Very natural looking. Maybe hue-shift the sky a tad, it's on the magenta end of the blue range...
Robt.
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02/24/2005 06:31:05 AM · #21 |
Just thought I'd share one of my favorites I fixed due to a boring sky...
first the original: //www.sabphotography.com//barn.jpg
now the sky: //www.sabphotography.com/P7120798.jpg
and the final product: //www.sabphotography.com/barnsun1.jpg
sorry for the links...not a member so I assume that is why I can't do thumbnails.
Just realized that that is the wrong sky shot, but you get the idea.
Message edited by author 2005-02-24 10:38:59. |
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