Steve'sDigicams

lin7604 · Oct 2, 2011, 7:15 PM

how can you do that? some days i it's a nice clear shy or a thin layer of cloud but in the pics it looks white once viewed... how can you avoid that?

Steve40 · Oct 2, 2011, 9:16 PM

A circular polarizer works part of the time, if the sun angle is right. But a Graduated Neutral Density filter works 100% of the time, regardless of sun angle. Of course a little exposure compensation is also a good idea, 1/3 - 2/3 stop negative is preferable. Some folks will meter from the clouds - sometimes this will sort of work, with a little fix in PhotoShop.

VTphotog · Oct 4, 2011, 1:53 PM

Sometimes, it is a matter of how you have your metering set. If you use spot, or center weighted averaging, and are metering on a subject in the shadows, you will just about always have blown out skies. Matrix, or multi-point metering is better at avoiding this, but has limitations as well, and not all cameras implement it in the same way.
Try experimenting with metering on a shadowed subject and then using some negative EC, and then repeat by metering on the sky and trying positive EC. Decide which works best for you. Many of us also use exposure bracketing to ensure at least one of the shots will be correct. This can also be used to make a HDR image which shows details in the shadow and the highlight areas.

brian

vIZnquest · Oct 6, 2011, 7:15 AM

Getting a grad filter would most likely take care of what you are asking without having to go and do all that PP.

TCav · Oct 6, 2011, 7:39 AM

Can you post some examples of shots you're disappointed with?

Kaschiro · Oct 17, 2011, 9:52 PM

Hi.
I do not want to step on any toes, I just joined the forum and I can not find the place where I can post a new thread....
My name is kaschiro and my email is kaschiro@dc.rr.com ...this is a new forum for me and I cannot find my way around....my camera questions are for the canon sx30is, can kind person point me in the right direction
Kas

VTphotog · Oct 17, 2011, 10:53 PM

Welcome to the forum. To get answers for your camera, scroll down the main page to the section marked Digital Cameras (point and shoot), to the Canon forum. If you don't see the full list, try clicking on the + sign on the right side of the page. You can use this to collapse the sections you don't wish to see, and expand those you do.

brian

BillDrew · Oct 27, 2011, 8:18 PM

Shoot a bunch with a very big range of exposures. Take a look at the results with the EXIF data. Doing that several times will let you figure out what is possible (not everything is).

SteveB · Dec 10, 2011, 1:02 PM

Meter on the sky and add +1 EC & lock exposure.

SIMON40 · Dec 13, 2011, 5:32 PM

Quite often the exposure "range" is beyond what the camera can capture in one exposure.
Metering for the sky is fine- but you have to bring up the dark foreground via editing- which often results in noisy images.
If the exposure range is not too severe,using a polarising filter will help greatly and/or if you have a definite foreground/sky separation,a graduated filter will help also.
Myself- I would simply bracket three exposures with at least a -1,0,+1 ev(quite often more) range and merge them using a suitable HDR or alike software program.
You can then fine tune via an editing program,in the knowledge that all the lighting range is there to play with,without creating noise.

Shooting RAW in a one exposure situation can also recall more highlight/shadow data than an in camera jpeg- however,in the situation you talk about- seldom enough..

Oct 2, 2011, 7:15 PM	#1
lin7604 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 132	how to avoid a blown out sky? how can you do that? some days i it's a nice clear shy or a thin layer of cloud but in the pics it looks white once viewed... how can you avoid that?

Oct 2, 2011, 9:16 PM	#2
Steve40 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Asheville NC Posts: 178	A circular polarizer works part of the time, if the sun angle is right. But a Graduated Neutral Density filter works 100% of the time, regardless of sun angle. Of course a little exposure compensation is also a good idea, 1/3 - 2/3 stop negative is preferable. Some folks will meter from the clouds - sometimes this will sort of work, with a little fix in PhotoShop. __________________ Steve Owen. http://steveslandscapes.50webs.com. Cameras: Canon G12, SX150 is, and A1200. "A true photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words". Last edited by Steve40; Oct 2, 2011 at 9:23 PM.

Oct 6, 2011, 7:39 AM	#5
TCav Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Washington, DC, Metro Area, Maryland Posts: 12,265	Can you post some examples of shots you're disappointed with? __________________ The lens is the thing. 'Full Frame' is the new 'Medium Format'. A good camera helps a good photographer; it doesn't make one. If you're going to use a filter, make it a good one.

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Oct 4, 2011, 1:53 PM	#3
VTphotog Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Extreme Northeastern Vermont, USA Posts: 3,535	Sometimes, it is a matter of how you have your metering set. If you use spot, or center weighted averaging, and are metering on a subject in the shadows, you will just about always have blown out skies. Matrix, or multi-point metering is better at avoiding this, but has limitations as well, and not all cameras implement it in the same way. Try experimenting with metering on a shadowed subject and then using some negative EC, and then repeat by metering on the sky and trying positive EC. Decide which works best for you. Many of us also use exposure bracketing to ensure at least one of the shots will be correct. This can also be used to make a HDR image which shows details in the shadow and the highlight areas. brian

Oct 6, 2011, 7:15 AM	#4
vIZnquest Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 2,944	Getting a grad filter would most likely take care of what you are asking without having to go and do all that PP.

Oct 17, 2011, 9:52 PM	#6
Kaschiro Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 10	Hi. I do not want to step on any toes, I just joined the forum and I can not find the place where I can post a new thread.... My name is kaschiro and my email is kaschiro@dc.rr.com ...this is a new forum for me and I cannot find my way around....my camera questions are for the canon sx30is, can kind person point me in the right direction Kas

Oct 17, 2011, 10:53 PM	#7
VTphotog Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Extreme Northeastern Vermont, USA Posts: 3,535	Welcome to the forum. To get answers for your camera, scroll down the main page to the section marked Digital Cameras (point and shoot), to the Canon forum. If you don't see the full list, try clicking on the + sign on the right side of the page. You can use this to collapse the sections you don't wish to see, and expand those you do. brian

Oct 27, 2011, 8:18 PM	#8
BillDrew Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hay River Township, WI Posts: 2,512	Shoot a bunch with a very big range of exposures. Take a look at the results with the EXIF data. Doing that several times will let you figure out what is possible (not everything is).

Dec 10, 2011, 1:02 PM	#9
SteveB Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 105	Meter on the sky and add +1 EC & lock exposure.

Dec 13, 2011, 5:32 PM	#10
SIMON40 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Bangor,North Wales Posts: 2,684	Quite often the exposure "range" is beyond what the camera can capture in one exposure. Metering for the sky is fine- but you have to bring up the dark foreground via editing- which often results in noisy images. If the exposure range is not too severe,using a polarising filter will help greatly and/or if you have a definite foreground/sky separation,a graduated filter will help also. Myself- I would simply bracket three exposures with at least a -1,0,+1 ev(quite often more) range and merge them using a suitable HDR or alike software program. You can then fine tune via an editing program,in the knowledge that all the lighting range is there to play with,without creating noise. Shooting RAW in a one exposure situation can also recall more highlight/shadow data than an in camera jpeg- however,in the situation you talk about- seldom enough..