Really dumb question

shabba

shabba

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Edit My Images
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Cannot believe I'm asking this one, but hey....

How can I get around the exposure issue when I have say a bright blue sky in shot mixed with something in the foreground - where I want them both exposured correctly. It seems either the sky is blown out or the other part is way too dark.

I assume I have 2 options:

- Some sort of HDR type shot, multi layer with a different exposure for each.

- Use off camera flash to fill in the darker area.


I'm not missing anything with metering am I? I generally shoot on AV setting and adjust the exposure comp as I require. I'm not yet confortable enough with manual where I would instantly know the correct shutter speed, ISO and f strop combo for every photo I'm taking.

Or is it a case of where the position of the sun is?

Using a 40D.

Again sorry this is such a basic question.
 
This was something I was playing with at the weekend and found using Program mode and spot metering to be quite effective. i.e. zoom in on your subject and get a spot meter reading using the camera, then take another for the sky. Then switch over to manual mode (you've got to do it sometime :D) and basically set a balance of the settings you've just metered with the camera, then adjust until your happy, however you should not need to make too much adjustment, well i didn't anyway :).
 
Sometimes metering in the middle will work.. other times you're just going to end up with an underexposed foreground AND an overexposed sky - although if you're handy with PP this can be the best option, it's hard to say accurately as it varies.

Otherwise yes you're down to HDR, flash or grads!
 
Easiest way, if your camera supports it is the auto bracketing feature. This will take a number of shots above, below and on thre correct exposure. Then you can merge the best bits of each in your photo editing software, or make an HDR out of them.
 
Are you shooting RAW? That will give you some extra dynamic range.

Actually I don't find blue skies so bad - it's the bright but overcast ones, i.e. white, that give me most problems.
 
Its a 40D, never seen that feature.

I guess its impossible to get the explosure as the different parts of the image require different exposure due to the lighting they are in. Just thought I'd check.

Will look into the Filter option, I thought that was used to stop down the camera - i.e to shoot longer shutter speeds in good lighting conditions. I assume this wouldnt help though as surely the effect applies to the entire image, i.e making both the sky and the subject darker.
 
Tracer said:
Are you shooting RAW? That will give you some extra dynamic range.

Actually I don't find blue skies so bad - it's the bright but overcast ones, i.e. white, that give me most problems.
Click to expand...

Yep I always shoot in RAW.
 
shabba said:
Its a 40D, never seen that feature.

I guess its impossible to get the explosure as the different parts of the image require different exposure due to the lighting they are in. Just thought I'd check.

Will look into the Filter option, I thought that was used to stop down the camera - i.e to shoot longer shutter speeds in good lighting conditions. I assume this wouldnt help though as surely the effect applies to the entire image, i.e making both the sky and the subject darker.
Click to expand...


You use graduated nd filters, they come in 1 2 and 3 stops, they will hold back the sky but not the foreground or vice versa if you use upside down.
 
Not a dumb question at all. Just because you don't know something often means you haven't had the chance, need or time to learn it. Never apologise for not knowing something. The idiot is the person that doesn't ask and misses out on the chance.

The ND filter can be slid down in front of the lens to cover just the sky. It doesn't have to go over the whole image. A graduated filter fades in the middle from dark to light. This makes the 'join' less aparent in the image.
 
Personally I'd get one or the other exposed correctly and adjust the other section in PP.

You could make a copy of the layer, adjust the levels and then erase the bits that didn't need adjusting making one good image ;)
 
Russ77 said:
Personally I'd get one or the other exposed correctly and adjust the other section in PP.

You could make a copy of the layer, adjust the levels and then erase the bits that didn't need adjusting making one good image ;)
Click to expand...

Yeah I had to do that for an imange the other day, it worked I guess but not perfect solution for me.

Appreciate all the replies.
 
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