Into the sun?

Sooty_1 (Critique Team)

3

4 Dec 2012 - 8:25 PM

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If you want the foreground better exposed (at the expense of burning out the sky), then aim the camera down so you exclude most of the sky from the frame and use that as a reading for your exposure when you recompose with the sky in the frame. If you're using auto modes, you will either have to switch to manual mode and use the reading or dial in some + exposure compensation. If will probably take +3 or more to expose the ground enough if metering from a bright sky.

Nick

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Tooth (Critique Team)

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4 Dec 2012 - 8:35 PM

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AN ND grad (Neutral density graduated) filter will also help with a lot less faffing around in software afterwards - darkens the sky compared to the land

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Paul Morgan (e2 Member)

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4 Dec 2012 - 8:38 PM

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If the camera has good dynamic range simply leave it in aperture priority mode and dial in some compensation, depending on the conditions it might need quite a lot, + 2 or 3 stops.



Failing that, as previous post, HDR.

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User_Removed

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4 Dec 2012 - 8:42 PM

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Mozzy,

You say you are shooting in Manual. But how are you metering for the exposure?

I suggest that you decide what aperture you want, set Aperture Priority, take the exposure reading from the foreground rather than the sky and see how that works.

Then take a bracketed set of, say, 9 exposures, at 1 EV intervals from that point and see what you like best.

Frankly, with that type of image, it really is very much a case of personal preferences rather than a "correct" exposure.

By all means try an ND Grad filter and also try a 9-exposure HDR. There are, literally, dozens of different approaches to that type of photography - no rights and no wrongs; but a huge range of potentially satisfying options.

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Nick_w (Critique Team)

6

4 Dec 2012 - 9:18 PM

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There are different ways of achieving the results, HDR, manual blends, luminosity masking.

But my advice is get yourself a set of ND Grads (hard to start with- many say soft, but technically Hard are more consistant, except in extreme mountainous scenes), either HiTech if on a budget, or Lee if your serious (my choice).

When shooting into the sun start with 3 stop ND, use multi segment mode, dial in -0.7 ev and see what you get (use F11, and focus 1/3 the way in the scene). Always shoot RAW, check the histogram, check for blinkies. If there are some add another filter say 2 stop. Repeat. If its dark and the histogram is all to the left, increase exposure.

When your confident then move to manual exposure ( I use it 99% of the time when shooting landscapes), then hyperfocal focusing. Maybe even HDR - not my choice anymore for landscapes, or blending. But just learn the basics first

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ade_mcfade

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4 Dec 2012 - 9:44 PM

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Quote: Can one create HDR or is it really an add on?

HDR is more of a technique than something you create

it's a way of combining images of different exposures to increase the dynamic range of data

most do this using auto exposure bracketing - then blending them in whatever software you see fit

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Nick_w (Critique Team)

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4 Dec 2012 - 9:49 PM

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Forget pseudo HDR, really for HDR you need a dedicated programme like Photomatix, the HDR in Photoshop CS5 is OK too.

But for landscapes, learn how to use filters, the discipline of slowing down, thinking what you are doing will only help you. TBH they are easy to use, place the grad on the horizon ( I know someone will say you dont always place it on the horizon, but this is to help someone new to filters) whilst looking through the viewfinder. Honestly you will get the hang of it straight away.

It's the old saying walk before you run.

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