Taking better photos in cloudy conditions using telephoto lens

DaelpixOutdoors

DaelpixOutdoors

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David
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I used my new Sigma 150-500mm lens yesterday and today and the photos are a little poor.

How can I take better photos on a cloudy/overcast day?


Also all my photos seem to be grainy when I open up images in Lightroom 5. Is there anyway around this?
I'll give some examples tomorrow.
 
Canon 450D

Between f6.3, f7.1 and f8

ISO 800

Photos are on my flickr, just the birds
 
Photography is all about light, shoot in overcast conditions, you'll get a lack of contrast.

You can do a little with PP, but you have to learn to understand light.

Notwithstanding your exposure is all over the place from the dark backgrounds and bright birds.

Have you any understanding of what your meter is telling you? When it's mistaken and how to deal with it?
 
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As for noise.... that has nothing to do with the lens. Noise is a product of the camera. ISO800 on your camera would just seem noisy in that case. The Canon 450D isn't best known for it's high ISO performance.
 
I have used a 450d for the past 4 years and if you get the exposure spot on ISO800 is perfectly usable, particularly when using lightroom
 
DaveKing said:
I have used a 450d for the past 4 years and if you get the exposure spot on ISO800 is perfectly usable, particularly when using lightroom
Click to expand...

Usable certainly - but they would be grainy. I never ventured over ISO 400 unless I really had to on the 450D
 
your pics look sharp enough to me ,the only problem i can see is lack of use of exposure compensation .as your pics are in raw it should be no problem to brighten them a bit ,personally i never worry about noise as it can be got rid of ,you can't cure a out of focus image .just ensure your shutter speed follows the rule of thumb even with i.s i.e length + crop factor exceeds shutter speed .so basically you should be achieving a shutter speed in excess of 1/800th sec ,this unfortunately does not show up in your exif data listed .looking through the pics i would suggest 2/3rds of a stop positive compensation would work.
 
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Have you got a light meter or just relying on your camera? Check out vids on youtube from mac on campus /joe brady. Yes he is affliated with sekonic but videos are very informative.
 
the black fox said:
your pics look sharp enough to me ,the only problem i can see is lack of use of exposure compensation .as your pics are in raw it should be no problem to brighten them a bit ,personally i never worry about noise as it can be got rid of ,you can't cure a out of focus image .just ensure your shutter speed follows the rule of thumb even with i.s i.e length + crop factor exceeds shutter speed .so basically you should be achieving a shutter speed in excess of 1/800th sec ,this unfortunately does not show up in your exif data listed .looking through the pics i would suggest 2/3rds of a stop positive compensation would work.
Click to expand...

Photos on my flickr were ranging 1/250 1/250 and 1/350
 
An issue you need to be aware of is you've underexposed the original shots. Using an ISO at the upper limit of your cameras ability will show more noise than you may wish for anyway, but once you try and recover an underexposed shot, then the noise will be increased further yet.

Always try and get your exposure spot on to begin with, even if this means going above you ISO comfort level. This will give you the best chance of polishing the shot in PP, and maybe even getting the noise down to an acceptable level
 
the higher you push ISO the more important it is that you nail the exposure, shoot raw and use the meter and histogram. If anything over expose a little and pull it back in PP, just be careful not to blow the highlights.
 
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