Request help with Photog 101

Angelo

Hi folks.
Following are 7 pictures I snapped Sunday morning in and around the Palm Springs area.
I am very unhappy with the results, specifically my exposures are all hot and flat with lots of blow-out
~I'd appreciate any input on how I could have better adjusted my aperture and shutter settings for better results. (This is not a call for PS help)
Some common factors:
~All were shot on my D70 using the kit lens 18-70 mm F/3.5 - 4.5
~All shot RAW; Manual setting; exp Comp. 0 ev; WB Auto; ISO200
~All were shot between 10:30 and 11:00 AM, which probably lends to the problem as it was a very bright, desert hazy day so everything was flat and washed out... truth is most of these images are fairly close to the natural environment.
~With each shot, I adjusted the camera's settings to acheive a "proper exposure" as indicated in the viewfinder meter.
~These images are all right out of the camera with no adjustments other than converting to jpg and compressing to upload to the site.

.

70mm; 1/160 sec - F/14 (focal point: windmills)
.

70mm; 1/640 sec - f/8 (focal point: sign center)
.

56mm; 1/320 sec - f/8 (focal point: inside tunnel)
.

22mm; 1/125 sec - f/20 (focal point: blue cross flowers)
.

18mm; 1/125 sec - f/20 (focal point: center of building)
.

18mm; 1/40 sec - f/20 (focal point: center of window)
.

18mm; 1/100 sec - f/20 (focal point: center beam)

DavidTO

Angelo wrote:

Hi folks.
Following are 7 pictures I snapped Sunday morning in and around the Palm Springs area.
I am very unhappy with the results, specifically my exposures are all hot and flat with lots of blow-out
~I'd appreciate any input on how I could have better adjusted my aperture and shutter settings for better results. (This is not a call for PS help)
Some common factors:
~All were shot on my D70 using the kit lens 18-70 mm F/3.5 - 4.5
~All shot RAW; Manual setting; exp Comp. 0 ev; WB Auto; ISO200
~All were shot between 10:30 and 11:00 AM, which probably lends to the problem as it was a very bright, desert hazy day so everything was flat and washed out... truth is most of these imagesare fairly close to the natural environment.
~With each shot, I adjusted the camera's settings to acheive a "proper exposure" as indicated in the viewfinder meter.
~These images are all right out of the camera with no adjustments other than converting to jpg and compressing to upload to the site.

Few things. First off, if shooting RAW, always shoot just a touch underexposed, so that you don't risk clipping the highlights, and you can easily recover the exposure in processing the RAW file.

Second, why not take more care with processing the RAW files? Aside from the tunnel and the view through the window you look to have good exposures. Those two exposures are overexposed because of the large area of dark and the very bright areas. Your camera exposed for neutral gray , but with such wide latitude, the sensor can't handle it. In that case you need to underexpose more, and possibly expose twice, once for shadows and once for highlights. Even from one camera exposure, you can process out the RAW file twice, once for highlights and the other for shadows and then combine the two with layer masks.

Third, and final, you shot these at what looks to be high noon, a very difficult time to shoot. All of these shots would have been better at dawn or dusk, or thereabouts.

Angelo

DavidTO wrote:

Few things. First off, if shooting RAW, always shoot just a touch underexposed, so that you don't risk clipping the highlights, and you can easily recover the exposure in processing the RAW file.

Second, why not take more care with processing the RAW files? Aside from the tunnel and the view through the window you look to have good exposures. Those two exposures are overexposed because of the large area of dark and the very bright areas. Your camera exposed for neutral gray , but with such wide latitude, the sensor can't handle it. In that case you need to underexpose more, and possibly expose twice, once for shadows and once for highlights. Even from one camera exposure, you can process out the RAW file twice, once for highlights and the other for shadows and then combine the two with layer masks.

Third, and final, you shot these at what looks to be high noon, a very difficult time to shoot. All of these shots would have been better at dawn or dusk, or thereabouts.

Thanks David. I think I'm following your advice properly. I have in the past underexposed images... I guess your suggestions are the digital age's version of adjusting processing in the darkroom?
When you speak of 2 exposures do you mean that I should shift the focal point to 2 different areas? This would be "dynamic" focus?
I was silly to attempt this so close to high noon.

DavidTO

Angelo wrote:

Thanks David. I think I'm following your advice properly. I have in the past underexposed images... I guess your suggestions are the digital age's version of adjusting processing in the darkroom?
When you speak of 2 exposures do you mean that I should shift the focal point to 2 different areas? This would be "dynamic" focus?
I was silly to attempt this so close to high noon.

No, by two exposures I mean two identical compositions with the exposure values (shutter speed and aperture) set differently. In one exposure set for the shadows and in the other set for the highlights. Then blend the two, and you have the best of both worlds. That tunnel shot is impossible to get detail in shadow and highlights with one exposure unless you're using a graduated neutral density filter or processing twice (to the same basic effect as taking two exposures in the first place) in RAW.

erich6

Angelo,

In addition to what's been said already you should also consider shooting with a circular polarizer. The polarizer will act like sunglasses for the camera and enrich colors and reduce the glare a bit. That's the best you can do other than shooting earlier or later in the day when the lighting isn't so harsh.

Erich

wxwax

Ditto on the above advice. Also, what was your metering mode? And did you look at your histograms after each shot?

Dee

Time of day
Hi Angelo,

I don't have a dSLR, but I've learned by reading and experience in bright light like you had to underexpose, as much as 1 EV. Also in light that bright you probably could have used 100 ISO (if the cam has it) and a neutral density filter (or a polarizer -- just to make the sky bluer and and richer). As others have replied already, there was simply too much dynamic range for the cam to handle. In that case you need to set the camera up on a tripod, and make 2 or 3 different exposures. One for bright sand, one for the darkest part of the tunnel, and one inbetween. Then you have to put them all together in Photoshop on different layers and use the layer mask to erase various sections of the layers to get one good composite. It's a lot of work. I don't use RAW that often, so I can't advise you there. With a bit of practice you'll learn how much to vary your exposures for different lighting situations.

My lowly point and shoot has an exposure compensation mode, where I can click the camera shutter once and the camera will take 3 different exposures. Whether or not that would have worked in the bright contrasty areas of the tunnel shot or not, I'm not sure. I don't think it would have. I'm not sure why these photos were important to you, or if you were just checking out the camera, but an earlier or later time of day might have helped, but you'd still have the problem of the lighter sand and the shaded area in the "tunnels."

Overall, the other photos just appear to be overexposed, but your color looks realistic! :

Cheers!

Angelo

DavidTO wrote:

No, by two exposures I mean two identical compositions with the exposure values (shutter speed and aperture) set differently. In one exposure set for the shadows and in the other set for the highlights. Then blend the two, and you have the best of both worlds. That tunnel shot is impossible to get detail in shadow and highlights with one exposure unless you're using a graduated neutral density filter or processing twice (to the same basic effect as taking two exposures in the first place) in RAW.

Yes, I understood that; sorry if I wasn't clear. I'm assuming that would require a tripod to ensure 2 identical shots? How do I know which settings to choose for each value?

Angelo

erich6 wrote:

Angelo,

In addition to what's been said already you should also consider shooting with a circular polarizer. The polarizer will act like sunglasses for the camera and enrich colors and reduce the glare a bit. That's the best you can do other than shooting earlier or later in the day when the lighting isn't so harsh.

Erich

filters and polarizers!!! a can of worms I've not yet opened but I thought about it. What is a "circular" polarizer?

Angelo

wxwax wrote:

Ditto on the above advice. Also, what was your metering mode? And did you look at your histograms after each shot?

A) metering mode?
No, goofy me, I did not. (but not sure I really understand histograms yet)

Angelo

Dee wrote:

Hi Angelo,

I don't have a dSLR, but I've learned by reading and experience in bright light like you had to underexpose, as much as 1 EV. Also in light that bright you probably could have used 100 ISO (if the cam has it) and a neutral density filter (or a polarizer -- just to make the sky bluer and and richer). As others have replied already, there was simply too much dynamic range for the cam to handle. In that case you need to set the camera up on a tripod, and make 2 or 3 different exposures. One for bright sand, one for the darkest part of the tunnel, and one inbetween. Then you have to put them all together in Photoshop on different layers and use the layer mask to erase various sections of the layers to get one good composite. It's a lot of work. I don't use RAW that often, so I can't advise you there. With a bit of practice you'll learn how much to vary your exposures for different lighting situations.

My lowly point and shoot has an exposure compensation mode, where I can click the camera shutter once and the camera will take 3 different exposures. Whether or not that would have worked in the bright contrasty areas of the tunnel shot or not, I'm not sure. I don't think it would have. I'm not sure why these photos were important to you, or if you were just checking out the camera, but an earlier or later time of day might have helped, but you'd still have the problem of the lighter sand and the shaded area in the "tunnels."

Overall, the other photos just appear to be overexposed, but your color looks realistic! :

Cheers!

Thanks Dee: You echoed something David said about 2 or multiple exposures; what I don't get is how do I do that without moving the camera?

And regarding EV. I can set the aperture and/or shutter speed to underexpose a little OR I can use my Exp Comp button to adjust... what's the difference?

Nick

I like your subject matter, and some of your angles are pretty good. The shot through the burned out window would have been better if you had chosen a different angle and got more of the mountians through it. You will have to invest in a polarizer. It will make a tremendous diffference to the blue sky. And it will soften the light some. You did not say what you were metering on, but it looks like you just sort of aimed at your subject and adjusted the meter. Next time try finding a neutral color and meter on it, and then re-frame your shot and take the picture. Green grass is usually neutral. If not, hold your palm up, meter on it and add one full stop. That will give you a pretty close 18%. After you set the meter in your camera, then re-frame and focus. After that bracket up and down a couple of frames. The great thing about digital is that you don't have to worry about using too much film. When you get into Photoshop, you can try lowering the EV value, and play around with the white balance. Sorry, I do tend to ramble on some.

Angelo wrote:

A) metering mode?
No, goofy me, I did not. (but not sure I really understand histograms yet)

GREAPER

Angelo wrote:

A) metering mode?
No, goofy me, I did not. (but not sure I really understand histograms yet)

Metering mode....

Your D70 has three different ways to meter your composition. Consult your manual for details on setting the different modes.

The first is 3D matrix metering:

This is probably what your camera is set on. It uses complex math to meter several areas (5 on your camera I think) of your images, and average them more or less to determine the correct meter reading. This is perfect for scenes with low contrast and for "grab shots" where you dont have time to check your settings. If you use your camera in program mode, it automatically switches to this mode.


The second is "center weighted":

This mode meters an area in the center of your veiwfinder. This area varies from camera to camera but is usually about 20 percent of the image. There are usually brackets in the veiwfinder which are showing you the area of the center weighted meter. You might use this mode for shots where your subject fills the frame such as portraits.


The last is spot metering:

This metering mode meters an exact (usually about 2 degrees wide) spot in your veiwfinder. On my D100 the "spot" is whatever sensor I have as the active AF sensor. (dont tell anyone, but I focus and recompose so its always set to the center). Your D70 is likely set up the same way. Generally I try to pot my "spot" on something in a scene that I believe to be 18 percent neutral gray. (green grass, red brick etc.) If my meter properly exposes for the neutral grey, the rest will fall where it falls.

I do occasionally use the zone system to determine the correct exposure when I think the tonal range is beyond my cameras latitude. I strongly recommend "The negative" by Ansel Adams for understanding exposure control. Without getting deep into it, this involves using your spot meter to meter the brigtest area, and your darkest area, split the difference and underexpose by 1 stop. This will usually work...

Hope that did more than confuse.

Angelo

Nick wrote:

I like your subject matter, and some of your angles are pretty good. The shot through the burned out window would have been better if you had chosen a different angle and got more of the mountians through it. You will have to invest in a polarizer. It will make a tremendous diffference to the blue sky. And it will soften the light some. You did not say what you were metering on, but it looks like you just sort of aimed at your subject and adjusted the meter. Next time try finding a neutral color and meter on it, and then re-frame your shot and take the picture. Green grass is usually neutral. If not, hold your palm up, meter on it and add one full stop. That will give you a pretty close 18%. After you set the meter in your camera, then re-frame and focus. After that bracket up and down a couple of frames. The great thing about digital is that you don't have to worry about using too much film. When you get into Photoshop, you can try lowering the EV value, and play around with the white balance. Sorry, I do tend to ramble on some.

Nick, it does seem I need to understand more about and own some filters. I do indicate the "focal point" for each picture, which is where I assume the camera was metering the light. I would find a point, focus, meter and then shoot. I'll have to try your other suggestions. Thank you.

GREAPER

By the way, I strongly recommend purchasing a polarizor for every lens you own. There is no filter that is more useful. It can be used to darken skys, reduce reflective glare, make colors pop, and reduce specular highlights.

GREAPER

Angelo wrote:

Thanks Dee: You echoed something David said about 2 or multiple exposures; what I don't get is how do I do that without moving the camera?

And regarding EV. I can set the aperture and/or shutter speed to underexpose a little OR I can use my Exp Comp button to adjust... what's the difference?

The difference is that using EV will make the adjustment while you are in program, Aperature priority, or shutter priority. making the adjustment yourself only works in manual.

GREAPER

Angelo wrote:

Yes, I understood that; sorry if I wasn't clear. I'm assuming that would require a tripod to ensure 2 identical shots? How do I know which settings to choose for each value?

Typically you would brakets shots in this instance. Without moving the tripod or camera, move your shuter (or aperature) up a stop, and down a stop and make an additional exposure for each. If you did not move the camera or tripod, the exposures should be identicle except for exposure.

pathfinder

Angelo wrote:

Hi folks.
Following are 7 pictures I snapped Sunday morning in and around the Palm Springs area.
I am very unhappy with the results, specifically my exposures are all hot and flat with lots of blow-out
~I'd appreciate any input on how I could have better adjusted my aperture and shutter settings for better results. (This is not a call for PS help)
Some common factors:
~All were shot on my D70 using the kit lens 18-70 mm F/3.5 - 4.5
~All shot RAW; Manual setting; exp Comp. 0 ev; WB Auto; ISO200
~All were shot between 10:30 and 11:00 AM, which probably lends to the problem as it was a very bright, desert hazy day so everything was flat and washed out... truth is most of these images are fairly close to the natural environment.
~With each shot, I adjusted the camera's settings to acheive a "proper exposure" as indicated in the viewfinder meter.
~These images are all right out of the camera with no adjustments other than converting to jpg and compressing to upload to the site.

.

70mm; 1/160 sec - F/14 (focal point: windmills)
.

70mm; 1/640 sec - f/8 (focal point: sign center)
.

56mm; 1/320 sec - f/8 (focal point: inside tunnel)
.

22mm; 1/125 sec - f/20 (focal point: blue cross flowers)
.

18mm; 1/125 sec - f/20 (focal point: center of building)
.

18mm; 1/40 sec - f/20 (focal point: center of window)
.

18mm; 1/100 sec - f/20 (focal point: center beam)

Angleo - you were shooting desert and light gravel in a bright sunlit field - this is really brighter than an 18% grey that your meter is based on, and so some of the images seem overbright and lose color and contrast - but not much color and contrast was there in reality perhaps.

Except for the tunnel and the wall/window, all of these images were basically shot in daylight. The rule for shooting in daylight from 50 years ago with Kodachrome - Sunny16 - is 1/ISO at f16. So--- at ISO 200 we should use f16 - 1/250th. The first shot was at f14 -1/160th about one-half stop or so more than suggested by sunny 16 and looks slightly over exposed.

The second shot was shot at f8 -1/640th, but sunny 16 suggests 1/100th at f8. Again about a stop overexposed in the background, but not so bad for the sign itself.

The third shot was the tunnel - f8 - 1/320th We said above that the expsoure for sunlit areas at ISO 200 at aperature f8 is 1/1000, Hence the sunlit area is overexposed and the shadow area may be underexpsoed slightly.

The fourth shot of the cross seems better captured although the hills in the distance seem overbright - shot at f20 - 1/125. Sunny16 suggests f22-1/125 so we can see that as your exposure approaches the sunny16 rule it begins to look better, but still maybe 1/2 stop too hot. Hmmmm....



The fifth shot, of the outside of the burned house, was shot at f20 at 1/125th - again about a half stop over the recommended f22 - 1/125.


The sixth shot, the wall with the window view of the mountains was shot at f20 - 1/40th sec. Sunny f16 suggests opening abut 2-3 stops for subjects in shade and that would result in a setting of f20 at a shutter speed of about 1/200 in sunlight, and about 1/50 ( 2 stops ) in shade. The wall is about right in exposure, but the distant mountains are overexposed as expected when we expose for the shade of the wall. But this was pretty close.

The last frame, the burned framing, was shot at f20 - 1/100. Sunny f16 would suggest about f20 at 1/200 for the mountains in the background which seem slightly overexposed.

A polarizer might not have helped a great deal - they work best 90 degrees to the axis of the sun, and that means they are not at their best when the sun is very high in the sky. Polarizers are better with the sun closer to the horizon. A polarizer might have reduced the glare from the gravel some. So would have more accurate exposure also.

I think the problem basically was one of overexposure and might have been helped as suggested by other posters with a little - EC of -1/2 or -2/3 EC.

I have taken the time to run through each exposure and compared them to the sunny 16 rule because it is such an excellent guideline to compare a meter reading to. I was not there shooting with you Angelo, but because of the sunny16 rule, I can predict pretty closely what the correct exposure was in the sunlight. The sun's brightness has not changed in our lifetime, and the Sunny16 rule can be very helpful in sorting out of door exposures.

Here is a table I have previously posted re: Sunny16



The last two images - the wall with the window and the burned framing might have been improved by shooting in Av mode with a basic sunlit exposure and adding just a little Fill Flash to illuminate the foreground. Fill flash can really help sunlit scenes.

I think your experience is pretty common, Angelo. Hopefully this will help explain your results more clearly.

Angelo

GREAPER wrote:

The difference is that using EV will make the adjustment while you are in program, Aperature priority, or shutter priority. making the adjustment yourself only works in manual.

So EV is not necessary in manual mode if I'm setting aperture and shutter?

Angelo

GREAPER wrote:

Typically you would brakets shots in this instance. Without moving the tripod or camera, move your shuter (or aperature) up a stop, and down a stop and make an additional exposure for each. If you did not move the camera or tripod, the exposures should be identicle except for exposure.

gotcha! that makes sense. Thanks

Angelo

pathfinder wrote:

Angleo - you were shooting desert and light gravel in a bright sunlit field - this is really brighter than an 18% grey that your meter is based on, and so some of the images seem overbright and lose color and contrast - but not much color and contrast was there in reality perhaps.

Except for the tunnel and the wall/window, all of these images were basically shot in daylight. The rule for shooting in daylight from 50 years ago with Kodachrome - Sunny16 - is 1/ISO at f16. So--- at ISO 200 we should use f16 - 1/250th. The first shot was at f14 -1/160th about one-half stop or so more than suggested by sunny 16 and looks slightly over exposed.

The second shot was shot at f8 -1/640th, but sunny 16 suggests 1/100th at f8. Again about a stop overexposed in the background, but not so bad for the sign itself.

The third shot was the tunnel - f8 - 1/320th We said above that the expsoure for sunlit areas at ISO 200 at aperature f8 is 1/1000, Hence the sunlit area is overexposed and the shadow area may be underexpsoed slightly.

The fourth shot of the cross seems better captured although the hills in the distance seem overbright - shot at f20 - 1/125. Sunny16 suggests f22-1/125 so we can see that as your exposure approaches the sunny16 rule it begins to look better, but still maybe 1/2 stop too hot. Hmmmm....



The fifth shot, of the outside of the burned house, was shot at f20 at 1/125th - again about a half stop over the recommended f22 - 1/125.


The sixth shot, the wall with the window view of the mountains was shot at f20 - 1/40th sec. Sunny f16 suggests opening abut 2-3 stops for subjects in shade and that would result in a setting of f20 at a shutter speed of about 1/200 in sunlight, and about 1/50 ( 2 stops ) in shade. The wall is about right in exposure, but the distant mountains are overexposed as expected when we expose for the shade of the wall. But this was pretty close.

The last frame, the burned framing, was shot at f20 - 1/100. Sunny f16 would suggest about f20 at 1/200 for the mountains in the background which seem slightly overexposed.

A polarizer might not have helped a great deal - they work best 90 degrees to the axis of the sun, and that means they are not at their best when the sun is very high in the sky. Polarizers are better with the sun closer to the horizon. A polarizer might have reduced the glare from the gravel some. So would have more accurate exposure also.

I think the problem basically was one of overexposure and might have been helped as suggested by other posters with a little - EC of -1/2 or -2/3 EC.

I have taken the time to run through each exposure and compared them to the sunny 16 rule because it is such an excellent guideline to compare a meter reading to. I was not there shooting with you Angelo, but because of the sunny16 rule, I can predict pretty closely what the correct exposure was in the sunlight. The sun's brightness has not changed in our lifetime, and the Sunny16 rule can be very helpful in sorting out of door exposures.

Here is a table I have previously posted re: Sunny16



The last two images - the wall with the window and the burned framing might have been improved by shooting in Av mode with a basic sunlit exposure and adding just a little Fill Flash to illuminate the foreground. Fill flash can really help sunlit scenes.

I think your experience is pretty common, Angelo. Hopefully this will help explain your results more clearly.

wow! thanks for taking so much time... there's a lot of info here to digest. I'll come back after I read it all.

GREAPER

Angelo wrote:

So EV is not necessary in manual mode if I'm setting aperture and shutter?

Nope, It doesn't do anything in manual...

pathfinder

GREAPER wrote:

Nope, It doesn't do anything in manual...

Right, Manual is manual only. What you set, is what you get!

Angelo

GREAPER wrote:

Metering mode....

Your D70 has three different ways to meter your composition. Consult your manual for details on setting the different modes.

The first is 3D matrix metering:

This is probably what your camera is set on. It uses complex math to meter several areas (5 on your camera I think) of your images, and average them more or less to determine the correct meter reading. This is perfect for scenes with low contrast and for "grab shots" where you dont have time to check your settings. If you use your camera in program mode, it automatically switches to this mode.


The second is "center weighted":

This mode meters an area in the center of your veiwfinder. This area varies from camera to camera but is usually about 20 percent of the image. There are usually brackets in the veiwfinder which are showing you the area of the center weighted meter. You might use this mode for shots where your subject fills the frame such as portraits.


The last is spot metering:

This metering mode meters an exact (usually about 2 degrees wide) spot in your veiwfinder. On my D100 the "spot" is whatever sensor I have as the active AF sensor. (dont tell anyone, but I focus and recompose so its always set to the center). Your D70 is likely set up the same way. Generally I try to pot my "spot" on something in a scene that I believe to be 18 percent neutral gray. (green grass, red brick etc.) If my meter properly exposes for the neutral grey, the rest will fall where it falls.

I do occasionally use the zone system to determine the correct exposure when I think the tonal range is beyond my cameras latitude. I strongly recommend "The negative" by Ansel Adams for understanding exposure control. Without getting deep into it, this involves using your spot meter to meter the brigtest area, and your darkest area, split the difference and underexpose by 1 stop. This will usually work...

Hope that did more than confuse.

I think I've been using the matrix mode but not certain. I've read the instructions and watched the video regarding this but haven't been able to apply changes as I think I should. I'll have to practice much more.

Angelo

pathfinder wrote:

Angleo - you were shooting desert and light gravel in a bright sunlit field - this is really brighter than an 18% grey that your meter is based on, and so some of the images seem overbright and lose color and contrast - but not much color and contrast was there in reality perhaps.

Except for the tunnel and the wall/window, all of these images were basically shot in daylight. The rule for shooting in daylight from 50 years ago with Kodachrome - Sunny16 - is 1/ISO at f16. So--- at ISO 200 we should use f16 - 1/250th. The first shot was at f14 -1/160th about one-half stop or so more than suggested by sunny 16 and looks slightly over exposed.

The second shot was shot at f8 -1/640th, but sunny 16 suggests 1/100th at f8. Again about a stop overexposed in the background, but not so bad for the sign itself.

The third shot was the tunnel - f8 - 1/320th We said above that the expsoure for sunlit areas at ISO 200 at aperature f8 is 1/1000, Hence the sunlit area is overexposed and the shadow area may be underexpsoed slightly.

The fourth shot of the cross seems better captured although the hills in the distance seem overbright - shot at f20 - 1/125. Sunny16 suggests f22-1/125 so we can see that as your exposure approaches the sunny16 rule it begins to look better, but still maybe 1/2 stop too hot. Hmmmm....



The fifth shot, of the outside of the burned house, was shot at f20 at 1/125th - again about a half stop over the recommended f22 - 1/125.


The sixth shot, the wall with the window view of the mountains was shot at f20 - 1/40th sec. Sunny f16 suggests opening abut 2-3 stops for subjects in shade and that would result in a setting of f20 at a shutter speed of about 1/200 in sunlight, and about 1/50 ( 2 stops ) in shade. The wall is about right in exposure, but the distant mountains are overexposed as expected when we expose for the shade of the wall. But this was pretty close.

The last frame, the burned framing, was shot at f20 - 1/100. Sunny f16 would suggest about f20 at 1/200 for the mountains in the background which seem slightly overexposed.

A polarizer might not have helped a great deal - they work best 90 degrees to the axis of the sun, and that means they are not at their best when the sun is very high in the sky. Polarizers are better with the sun closer to the horizon. A polarizer might have reduced the glare from the gravel some. So would have more accurate exposure also.

I think the problem basically was one of overexposure and might have been helped as suggested by other posters with a little - EC of -1/2 or -2/3 EC.

I have taken the time to run through each exposure and compared them to the sunny 16 rule because it is such an excellent guideline to compare a meter reading to. I was not there shooting with you Angelo, but because of the sunny16 rule, I can predict pretty closely what the correct exposure was in the sunlight. The sun's brightness has not changed in our lifetime, and the Sunny16 rule can be very helpful in sorting out of door exposures.

Here is a table I have previously posted re: Sunny16



The last two images - the wall with the window and the burned framing might have been improved by shooting in Av mode with a basic sunlit exposure and adding just a little Fill Flash to illuminate the foreground. Fill flash can really help sunlit scenes.

I think your experience is pretty common, Angelo. Hopefully this will help explain your results more clearly.

I've read your response a couple of times. I really appreciate the time you took to help with great advice. I need to memorize some of this and practice much more.
I never thought to use my flash... I have to get used to the idea of using a flash in bright daylight... it just never occurs to me at the right time!

Angelo

Thanks EVERYONE for some really great advice. I will use all of the tips as I continue to practice.

Someone suggested (and I couldn't find who but I think it was David) to try adjusting for EV in post. I found the way to do that and played with several of these shots with some success, so thank you very much.

Angelo

pathfinder wrote:

Here is a table I have previously posted re: Sunny16

I've printed your table for easy reference. Thanks again.

pathfinder

Angelo wrote:

I've printed your table for easy reference. Thanks again.

Your welcome Angelo. Just google "sunny 16" and all sorts of stuff pops up about estimating exposure and the use of lightmeters.:):

Mongrel

Hi Angelo...
You were up against some very tough lighting conditions there

One thing I didn't see anyone mention that may be of help is using the exposure bracketing feature of your camera. I don't have a Nikon, but the specs on the D70 say that it does have a 2 or 3 frame +\- 2 stop bracketing mode. I'm also not sure how it works if you are shooting RAW.

My (admittedly lacking ) understanding of this is that you can set your camera to take either 2 or three shots in succession and each shot will be at a slightly different exposure (plus or minus up to 2 full stops). In other words, it will 'automatically' shoot one frame at what the meter says is 'correct', another shot underexposed (by the amount you set it at), and one shot overexposed (also by the amount you set it). I'm a little foggy on this, but I think on my Canon's I can set it to shoot 2 frames UNDER exposed OR 2 frames OVER exposed as well. So if you are up against a very bright situation like you were in, you could actually take one frame at the meter setting, and two frames underexposed by say -1/3 and -1/2 a stop.

Perhaps we can both get a better understanding of how this works if someone else chimes in

It would save you from having to dial in the settings for every frame. NOT that that isn't the 'proper' way to learn, but auto-bracketing would save you some time and thinking...

I would definately try that area again under different conditions.

Take care,

Mongrel

erich6

Angelo,

Polarization is a characteristic of light. If you think back to your high school physics classes (I know, probably something most of us would not want to do) light behaves like a wave and this wave moves up and down in various directions. When there's a preferred direction we say the light is "polarized". What a polarizer does is absorb light in all but a particular direction. That way, if you are getting a lot of glare the filter will block it and only let through the light that is moving in a particular direction.

There are linear and circular polarizers. Linear polarizers are as I described above. The problem with these is that they can mess with the camera's metering system because you are now blocking light that the metering system expects to see. On the other hand, a circular polarizer "scrambles" the light up again so that it looks unpolarized to the metering system (i.e., it is moving in all directions again).

You can read a tutorial that's very practical and not too technical at the following link: http://luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/polarizers.shtml.

Cheers,

Erich :

Angelo

erich6 wrote:

Angelo,

Polarization is a characteristic of light. If you think back to your high school physics classes (I know, probably something most of us would not want to do) light behaves like a wave and this wave moves up and down in various directions. When there's a preferred direction we say the light is "polarized". What a polarizer does is absorb light in all but a particular direction. That way, if you are getting a lot of glare the filter will block it and only let through the light that is moving in a particular direction.

There are linear and circular polarizers. Linear polarizers are as I described above. The problem with these is that they can mess with the camera's metering system because you are now blocking light that the metering system expects to see. On the other hand, a circular polarizer "scrambles" the light up again so that it looks unpolarized to the metering system (i.e., it is moving in all directions again).

You can read a tutorial that's very practical and not too technical at the following link: http://luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/polarizers.shtml.

Cheers,

Erich :

Erich - very well explained and very helpful. Thank you so much!