Completely blown out shots

Mr. 0Mr. 0 Registered Users Posts: 1 Beginner grinner
edited June 3, 2010 in Technique
I was at the Indy 500 this past weekend, and shot about 20 sequential shots of the accident in the last lap. In my excitement to get the camera on and up I hit the dial putting it into full manual mode.

The resulting images pretty much all looked like this

4664404209_979e10bbdb.jpg

I can see some shadows of the crowd, as well as vague outlines of the fence poles. Obviously I know I should have paid more attention not switched it out of AV mode that I was set for and shooting in previously.

But for the sake of learning from mistakes, what the heck happened here, and is it even remotely possible to save something like this in Photoshop?

Exif data looks like

Camera:Pentax K-x
Lens:107.5 mm (Max aperture f/4.3)
Exposure:Manual exposure, 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 3200
Flash:Off, Did not fire
Focus:Manual

So maybe too long of an exposure for the bright sun I was shooting in? As noted it's a Pentax K-x using the 55-300mm kit lens with a circular polarizing filter on it.

Comments

  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited June 2, 2010
    Sunny 16 rule for full sunshine is f16 at a shutter speed = 1/ ISO , or f16 at 1/3200 sec for ISO 3200. F5.6 is 3 full stops more light than f16. Your shutter speed of 1/125th is about 4.5 full stops more light than 1/3200, so your total over exposure is at least 7 full stops over exposed. I think your images goose is over cooked.
    If this was shot in RAW, you might try backing the exposure slider way to the left, but I doubt you will salvage much of anything inPhotoshop.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • chrisjohnsonchrisjohnson Registered Users Posts: 772 Major grins
    edited June 3, 2010
    pathfinder wrote: »
    Sunny 16 rule for full sunshine is f16 at a shutter speed = 1/ ISO , or f16 at 1/3200 sec for ISO 3200. F5.6 is 3 full stops more light than f16. Your shutter speed of 1/125th is about 4.5 full stops more light than 1/3200, so your total over exposure is at least 7 full stops over exposed. I think your images goose is over cooked.
    If this was shot in RAW, you might try backing the exposure slider way to the left, but I doubt you will salvage much of anything inPhotoshop.

    Right.

    ISO 3200 is extreme.

    Out of doors I try to use ISO 100. Cloudy days ISO 200. Mid-winter ISO 400. Lock it in.
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