Exposure - help needed for digital user!
Discussion
I've got a Fuji S3000 camera which seems to produce great results except when the sun's involved, so i'm after some advice on settings or other actions for cases where either the sky is too bright or the subject is too dark. Prime example is this, taken on the south coast TVRCC run in December.....:
Any ideas/suggestions? Also, while this photo's on screen, what are the general opinions on flare - good/bad? Too much? Ways to avoid?
Thanks all - look forward to learning something!
Tony
Any ideas/suggestions? Also, while this photo's on screen, what are the general opinions on flare - good/bad? Too much? Ways to avoid?
Thanks all - look forward to learning something!
Tony
If you want to expose for both the sky and the subject, there are really only two ways:
1. Grad ND filter
A glass/plastic filter that you mount in front of the lens, when you position it correctly it darkens the sky, but lets the ground through untouched (think like a pair of sunglasses but not uniformly dark). You can either get a screw-in one for your lens, or a matte box and slide it into there.
2. Photoshop and bracketing
Take 3-4 shots. One exposed for the sky. Another exposed for the ground. Then a few inbetween. Then load them into photoshop, and put the correctly exposed sky over the shot with the correctly exposed ground (so you remove the overexposed sky in the 2nd shot)
Don't point at the sun unless you're specifically after lens flare. I'd only use it if you're trying to demonstrate a very hot bright day, but you could do that with heat haze.
Also, give the car more 'looking space' - that is, frame the car slightly to the left, so the headlamps have a bit more space to 'look' out of the frame. Its more natural.
>> Edited by parrot of doom on Sunday 9th January 00:30
1. Grad ND filter
A glass/plastic filter that you mount in front of the lens, when you position it correctly it darkens the sky, but lets the ground through untouched (think like a pair of sunglasses but not uniformly dark). You can either get a screw-in one for your lens, or a matte box and slide it into there.
2. Photoshop and bracketing
Take 3-4 shots. One exposed for the sky. Another exposed for the ground. Then a few inbetween. Then load them into photoshop, and put the correctly exposed sky over the shot with the correctly exposed ground (so you remove the overexposed sky in the 2nd shot)
Don't point at the sun unless you're specifically after lens flare. I'd only use it if you're trying to demonstrate a very hot bright day, but you could do that with heat haze.
Also, give the car more 'looking space' - that is, frame the car slightly to the left, so the headlamps have a bit more space to 'look' out of the frame. Its more natural.
>> Edited by parrot of doom on Sunday 9th January 00:30
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tom.jeffs4/my%20photos/D60/tt%20night%20montage.jpg
Thats a test I did before I bought this D60. I shot one exposure of the sky (orange glow), one of the landscape (the headlamps and road), and one of the brakelights. I then cut and pasted them all together in photoshop. In reality if I'd tried to get it all in one shot, I would have exposed for the headlamps, but the sky would have been black, and the brakelights would have been bright glowing red.
Thats a test I did before I bought this D60. I shot one exposure of the sky (orange glow), one of the landscape (the headlamps and road), and one of the brakelights. I then cut and pasted them all together in photoshop. In reality if I'd tried to get it all in one shot, I would have exposed for the headlamps, but the sky would have been black, and the brakelights would have been bright glowing red.
parrot of doom said:
Thats a test I did before I bought this D60. I shot one exposure of the sky (orange glow), one of the landscape (the headlamps and road), and one of the brakelights. I then cut and pasted them all together in photoshop. In reality if I'd tried to get it all in one shot, I would have exposed for the headlamps, but the sky would have been black, and the brakelights would have been bright glowing red.
That is a cracking photo PoD - thanks for the advice - even though the camera does have the option of add ons, they are purely for zoom. How do I go about the box, and is it simply a case of holding it in front of the standard lens? I'll try that next time with multiple shots though, if only i'd have thought about it at the time with this one.... ah, hindsight is a wonderful thing eh!
>> Edited by bigtone on Sunday 9th January 00:54
Try a Lee filter system. They do attachments for holding a matte box on the front of the lens via a screw-in adaptor. You then slot your filters into the matte box.
www.leefilters.com/CPTS.asp?PageID=130
www.leefilters.com/CPTS.asp?PageID=130
just makes you wanna be there, loverly Photo. All great advice.
The only other thing is to move the camera into raw, and then use manual mode to find the mid point between the correct exposure for the subject, and one for the sky.
Then pick the exposure in manual mode that is slap bang in the middle.
If the difference is just +/-2-fstops then you can normally correct it by processing two versions of the image in the RAW-JPEG conversion (I'm using Canon's DPP but there are others), and then you stich them together in photoshop. Because raw can give you up to 2 f-stops of adjustment, you can then fix the image.
As they are both from the same image you can then just stick them together in photoshop being quite easy on where you cut one onto the other, and they always align.
With doing it manually with 2, 3 or more shots you normally have to have a tripod, or a very good memory.
One final thing, if you do stick it on a tripod and do multiple images, use the manual focus/exposure point selection, and then select the right part of the image for each bit. It's easier than having to remember each one by turn and doing it in manual mode.
Finally, it always amazes me at the difference between the eye/brain's dynamic range and a photo - just shows how amazing nature is as if you looked at all of those photos with your eyes your brain would have done all the processing and made them "right" for you
J
The only other thing is to move the camera into raw, and then use manual mode to find the mid point between the correct exposure for the subject, and one for the sky.
Then pick the exposure in manual mode that is slap bang in the middle.
If the difference is just +/-2-fstops then you can normally correct it by processing two versions of the image in the RAW-JPEG conversion (I'm using Canon's DPP but there are others), and then you stich them together in photoshop. Because raw can give you up to 2 f-stops of adjustment, you can then fix the image.
As they are both from the same image you can then just stick them together in photoshop being quite easy on where you cut one onto the other, and they always align.
With doing it manually with 2, 3 or more shots you normally have to have a tripod, or a very good memory.
One final thing, if you do stick it on a tripod and do multiple images, use the manual focus/exposure point selection, and then select the right part of the image for each bit. It's easier than having to remember each one by turn and doing it in manual mode.
Finally, it always amazes me at the difference between the eye/brain's dynamic range and a photo - just shows how amazing nature is as if you looked at all of those photos with your eyes your brain would have done all the processing and made them "right" for you
J
Here it is in pictures, 'cause reading that I'm not sure it makes sense.
Take one original with exposure set between good for the sky and good for the building
Now "level" the raw file to get the sky, and take the building right out to make selection easier
Do the same for the house to make it better
Select up the sky, expand and feather to make the fit seamless, and then add one and the other together
Hope that makes sense!
J
Take one original with exposure set between good for the sky and good for the building
Now "level" the raw file to get the sky, and take the building right out to make selection easier
Do the same for the house to make it better
Select up the sky, expand and feather to make the fit seamless, and then add one and the other together
Hope that makes sense!
J
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