How do you avoid a blown-out sky?

10/09/2005 10:53:38 PM · #1

I have a new camera and am still learning how to use it... meanwhile, everyone's pictures (that I see here) either don't include the sky at all, or the sky has pretty colors. Isn't there any way to take a pic during a bright, sunny day and not get blown out? I just hate deleting the sky, but that's all I know to do. :(
Any advice??

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Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

10/09/2005 10:55:56 PM · #2

It's tough to do. The easiest way to to use a Graduated ND (neutral-density) filter.

troberge

Canon EOS-20D

10/09/2005 10:57:02 PM · #3

Have you thought about selecting it and changing the curves on it to make it darker? I am not as experienced as most on here, so there may be better advice for you. I have done that in the past though and it appears to work. Good Luck.

Cutter

Nikon D700

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

10/09/2005 10:57:11 PM · #4

rotate your angle of shot...

expose for sky and pp for subject...

take pictures of bugs...

10/09/2005 11:02:17 PM · #5

Expose for sky? (I'm still a newbie... please forgive me.) What would I adjust for that?

10/09/2005 11:03:00 PM · #6

What program lets you "change curves"?

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

10/09/2005 11:04:45 PM · #7

Originally posted by Noggin:

What program lets you "change curves"?

PS7, PSCS, PSCS2

Simonjw

Canon EOS-30D

10/09/2005 11:05:01 PM · #8

I generally make sure I expose for the sky, or use Exposure compensation, I find it easier to retreive shadows in post-processing that having to deal with a blown out sky with no-information.

The graduated ND filter is an option, i have one, but it can be a pain to whip out the cokin stacker every time you want to take a snap.

Edit: Changing curves simply won't solve your problem if the sky is blown out completely. If there is no information there, there is nothing to change...

If you can check you histograms, do so! Make sure you have minimal peaking at the white point. PM me if you need further help, I'd be more than happy to see what I can do.

Message edited by author 2005-10-09 23:06:56.

David.C

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

10/09/2005 11:09:08 PM · #9

To expose for the sky, point the camera at the sky and set the exposure. This will likely make the subject very dark, but that can be brought up in post-processing (although with added noise). One thing that helps is to use a fill flash on the subject to bring the brightness of the subject up closer to the brightness of the sky, but this only works for close opjects and the flash can be very harsh lighting.

The best way to get a good exposure of the sky and ground is to take the shot later (earlier) in the day when the sky is not so bright. It doesn't have to be very late (early), but anything is better than around noon.

David

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

10/09/2005 11:11:09 PM · #10

Bracket mode. Take one exposed for the subject and one of the the sky and merge them together to make one image.

Simonjw

Canon EOS-30D

10/09/2005 11:12:22 PM · #11

Originally posted by faidoi:

Bracket mode. Take one exposed for the subject and one of the the sky and merge them together to make one image.

Great advice, but it should be known this is obviously not legal for challenge entries.

10/09/2005 11:13:15 PM · #12

I'm not sure what a graduated ND filter is - and would it work with my camera?

I do need to get a better post-editing program... which is the best one?

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

10/09/2005 11:14:00 PM · #13

Originally posted by Britannica:

....One thing that helps is to use a fill flash on the subject to bring the brightness of the subject up closer to the brightness of the sky, but this only works for close opjects and the flash can be very harsh lighting.....

Fill flash is the best way to deal with such situations, in fact when shooting people under harsh daylight, fill flash is a must to remove harsh shadows under the eyes and avoid blown highlights. The flash will NOT produce harsh lighting when used as fill. Biggest mistake beginners make is use flash at night and not during the day...

ShorterThanJesus

Nikon D300

10/09/2005 11:14:22 PM · #14

Faidoi responded just before I was going to go. I often shoot with a tripod so I make sure to take one photo with the subject perfectly tuned and then (with the subject there or not) a shot of the same scene with the sky tuned properly. Then, in photoshop or any other decent graphics program with layers, I stick the well-exposed subject on an upper layer and the good sky on a lower layer and then simply erase the over-exposed sky from the otherwise perfectly exposed subject photo.

David.C

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

10/09/2005 11:16:19 PM · #15

Originally posted by Simonjw:

Originally posted by faidoi:
Bracket mode. Take one exposed for the subject and one of the the sky and merge them together to make one image.

Great advice, but it should be known this is obviously not legal for challenge entries.

It can also be difficult to do with anything but a completely stationary object.

---

The standard for photo editing is Photoshop, but there are also Paint Shop Pro and The GIMP (the last being free). Also, there is Photoshop Elements, which is a scaled down version of Photoshop but still does most of what is generally useful.

David

10/09/2005 11:16:31 PM · #16

Originally posted by Noggin:

I'm not sure what a graduated ND filter is - and would it work with my camera?

I do need to get a better post-editing program... which is the best one?

Your Camera probably came with Photoshop Elements, it's a very good program with lots of features, easy to use.

crabappl3

10/09/2005 11:16:53 PM · #17

A lot of fine suggestions here, but the best suggestion is to lower the dynamic range between the foreground subject and the sky. The best way to achieve this? Fill Flash. The most important time to use your flash is when doing outdoor portraits. The cause of the blown out sky is because the camera can't capture the range between the bright sky and darker subject without either one being blown, or the other too dark. Try to adjust the curves in PP to bring up the dark may work some of the time, but it tends to introduce grain in the shadow area. Expose for the sky then use the flash to fill in the shadow subject to bring it's exposure to that so it's within the dynamic range of the camera.

-danny

10/09/2005 11:16:55 PM · #18

uh-huh, uh-huh... takin' notes... Fill flash, tripod, bracket mode, layers.. gettin it all!
This is GREAT!!

10/09/2005 11:18:37 PM · #19

Originally posted by ShorterThanJesus:

Way too complicated and impractical when shooting portraits. Fill flash solves this problem in a fraction of the time. Shooting landscapes is a different matter all together, there Graduated ND filers are your best bet.

10/09/2005 11:21:13 PM · #20

Originally posted by Noggin:

I'm not sure what a graduated ND filter is - and would it work with my camera?

I do need to get a better post-editing program... which is the best one?

A ND filter is just like those partly tinted windshields on a car. It basically blocks out the sunlight. The filter can be turned depending on where the sunlight/ bright object (waterfall,etc) is.

10/09/2005 11:24:15 PM · #21

I'm not sure what a graduated ND filter is - and would it work with my camera?

Also, my subject is a very smart child who hadn't noticed me stealing a picture of her yet (hence the innocence - heh). Bracket wouldn't work for that. (can't wait to try it on something else though!!)
After she noticed me, I used the in-camera flash and the sky was still blown out with the camera on "fully automatic" setting which should have taken care of the white balance... i'm SO confused!

10/09/2005 11:24:18 PM · #22

Originally posted by Noggin:

uh-huh, uh-huh... takin' notes... Fill flash, tripod, bracket mode, layers.. gettin it all!
This is GREAT!!

Practically speaking, put your Camera in "P" mode then press your flash button so that it forces the flash to fire when you shoot, meter on the brightest spot of the scene and then shoot...easy peasy...

10/09/2005 11:25:53 PM · #23

nd filter - also like sunglasses?! I get it~!

10/09/2005 11:26:42 PM · #24

where do i get one? sounds like a great thing to have!