snow shots and exposure

lynnma

This is really directed at Andy and all the other experts. Taking shots in the snow yesterday I set my wb to cloudy and upped my ec just over one stop. Took a couple of test shots and both were way over exposed (according to my lcd and histogram) I ended up taking the shots at normal ec. I'm going out again now in bright sun to test some more but I'm confused.. maybe it was because it was a grey light? drab? and the camera felt it did'nt need to compensate for the brightness? thats what I'm thinking.. I'm assuming one can trust the histogram and it's not confused as well...
this should be fairly difficult, bright sun, bright snow, black trees blue sky... hmmmm a challenge no less.:D

Andy

lynnma wrote:

This is really directed at Andy and all the other experts. Taking shots in the snow yesterday I set my wb to cloudy and upped my ec just over one stop. Took a couple of test shots and both were way over exposed (according to my lcd and histogram) I ended up taking the shots at normal ec. I'm going out again now in bright sun to test some more but I'm confused.. maybe it was because it was a grey light? drab? and the camera felt it did'nt need to compensate for the brightness? thats what I'm thinking.. I'm assuming one can trust the histogram and it's not confused as well...
this should be fairly difficult, bright sun, bright snow, black trees blue sky... hmmmm a challenge no less.:D

well, in general, you'll be wanting +1 (sometimes more) ec on a sunny snowy day. if it was grey, then less overexposure is needed. if you are shooting in a shady area, then less than +1 will be needed. if in harsh, bright, midday sun on fresh snow, you might need more than +1

wb - learn manual white balance for your camera (rtfm, dear) and set wb manually against the snow itself ... it's a cinch!

now go shoot and share the love

lynnma

andy wrote:

well, in general, you'll be wanting +1 (sometimes more) ec on a sunny snowy day. if it was grey, then less overexposure is needed. if you are shooting in a shady area, then less than +1 will be needed. if in harsh, bright, midday sun on fresh snow, you might need more than +1

wb - learn manual white balance for your camera (rtfm, dear) and set wb manually against the snow itself ... it's a cinch!

now go shoot and share the love

I shall dear .. If I don't come back I'm stuck in a snow bank in the woods in Harvard Forest.. alone, frozen stiff under a tree with a drebel stuck to my hands..

GREAPER

For you movie buffs,

If you get frozen to a tree, leave a note like Hatchet Jack.

Anyone know it?

ginger_55

In my experience, it helps to remember that the camera is thinking 18% grey and shoot accordingly.

Of course I have never before had to be right on, such a change.

You know with the contrast you may have to use that RAW technique of two exposures, cut and paste. Or, I used to shoot for what I was most interested in, and I let the others go. Or I compromised, the trees a bit under, the "snow" whatever, a bit over. That worked best. Keeping in mind the things that can fool the meter. I love having the LCD now. Then I had to be smarter even than now, but I was not under the pressure.

I have seen your shot and your snow is not 18% grey, but your husband with his darker clothes might have had an influence. Also, I have never liked my snow as light as the books say.

So, I know about 18 % grey. I do not know how to interpret the histogram to my advantage. You told me how to find it, and I can do that. But sometimes a photo is inherently dark, the histogram reflects that when it is in the computer, the same with light. Rarely do I get a great bell curve, and when I do, it is not always a good thing.

How do you use the histogram to your advantage?

ginger

lynnma

ginger_55 wrote:

In my experience, it helps to remember that the camera is thinking 18% grey and shoot accordingly.

Of course I have never before had to be right on, such a change.

You know with the contrast you may have to use that RAW technique of two exposures, cut and paste. Or, I used to shoot for what I was most interested in, and I let the others go. Or I compromised, the trees a bit under, the "snow" whatever, a bit over. That worked best. Keeping in mind the things that can fool the meter. I love having the LCD now. Then I had to be smarter even than now, but I was not under the pressure.

I have seen your shot and your snow is not 18% grey, but your husband with his darker clothes might have had an influence. Also, I have never liked my snow as light as the books say.

So, I know about 18 % grey. I do not know how to interpret the histogram to my advantage. You told me how to find it, and I can do that. But sometimes a photo is inherently dark, the histogram reflects that when it is in the computer, the same with light. Rarely do I get a great bell curve, and when I do, it is not always a good thing.

How do you use the histogram to your advantage?

ginger

I just try to check my histogram after most shots to make sure the graph is basically centered and not way off to the right or left.. I can see if it's way under or over exposed...

This is an experiment from this morning.. until my feet froze in my snoeshoes...:D I was experimenting with light, snow and dark..



this one came out a bit brownish.. had the white balance wrong I think... too impatient to custom set it

ginger_55

Lynn, I really like your snow shots. I like them better than the "green" shots.

ginger

lynnma

ginger_55 wrote:

Lynn, I really like your snow shots. I like them better than the "green" shots.

ginger

Ginger thanks.. I think it's my new lens...50 mm it seems quite crisp I think.. dunno.. still experimenting.

dugmar

GREAPER wrote:

For you movie buffs,

If you get frozen to a tree, leave a note like Hatchet Jack.

Anyone know it?

Jeremiah Johnson

"Man, that Hatchet Jack was a wild one. He was living with a female panther in a cave up there in the Mussel Shell. She never did get used to him."

wxwax

GREAPER wrote:

For you movie buffs,

If you get frozen to a tree, leave a note like Hatchet Jack.

Anyone know it?

I found the quote, but I'm not comfortable copying it. Lynn, this means you'll have to kill a bear with your camera before you die, I think.

Quote

TristanP

I'm glad it's not that cold here yet. I like the light in that first pic.

wxwax

I like this one very much, Lynn.



Here, you're struggling with two problems: How to make the snow look natural, and extreme dynamic range. Two exposures from a tripod might be the best solution.

I tried shooting ice hockey a week ago, and I got the exposure right, but the auto white balance was off. Can be tricky work.

lynnma

wxwax wrote:

I like this one very much, Lynn.



Here, you're struggling with two problems: How to make the snow look natural, and extreme dynamic range. Two exposures from a tripod might be the best solution.

I tried shooting ice hockey a week ago, and I got the exposure right, but the auto white balance was off. Can be tricky work.

yeah I agree.. so eager to get out there.. wrong boots, wrong gloves, snowshoes kept falling off cos hands too cold to strap 'em tight.. and on and on ... excuses excuses

lynnma

Continueing to rtfm (as Andy so sweetly puts it) I'm wondering what my Parameter settings should be for my Drebel. It's set on Parameter 1 at present and the small print says "sRGB will be set as the color space for parameters other than Adobe RGB so methinks I should set it at RGB??? yes?? anyone??

And yes I am going to set my custom wb to the snow today.. how exciting is this!!!!

Steve Cavigliano

lynnma wrote:

Continueing to rtfm (as Andy so sweetly puts it) I'm wondering what my Parameter settings should be for my Drebel. It's set on Parameter 1 at present and the small print says "sRGB will be set as the color space for parameters other than Adobe RGB so methinks I should set it at RGB??? yes?? anyone??

And yes I am going to set my custom wb to the snow today.. how exciting is this!!!!

Lynn,
You'll want sRGB color space. Which, judging by what you wrote, is the default for Parameter 1.

Hey, good luck with the manual wb (and the gloves, the clothes, your snowshoes, etc :lol ) Geeze, and I moan and groan about a little bit of rain.....lol It misted on Andy and I yesterday and we packed up and went home I feel like sucha wuss


Steve

lynnma

Steve Cavigliano wrote:

Lynn,
You'll want sRGB color space. Which, judging by what you wrote, is the default for Parameter 1.

Hey, good luck with the manual wb (and the gloves, the clothes, your snowshoes, etc :lol ) Geeze, and I moan and groan about a little bit of rain.....lol It misted on Andy and I yesterday and we packed up and went home I feel like sucha wuss


Steve

I should think so!!!! the worst I ever did was sleep in a tent half way up Mount Washington in New Hampshire in 30degrees below... hmmm getting up in the night was not fun.. and getting all the frozen tarps, clothes, sleeping bagsssss etc back into the pack was impossible.. not my best experiment..

having my camp shredded by a 600 lb black bear for two hours was more fun:lol

Ann McRae

lynnma wrote:

I should think so!!!! the worst I ever did was sleep in a tent half way up Mount Washington in New Hampshire in 30degrees below... hmmm getting up in the night was not fun.. and getting all the frozen tarps, clothes, sleeping bagsssss etc back into the pack was impossible.. not my best experiment..

having my camp shredded by a 600 lb black bear for two hours was more fun:lol

OMG!!!!!!


btw - who makes these smilies?????

ian408

wxwax wrote:

I tried shooting ice hockey a week ago, and I got the exposure right, but the auto white balance was off. Can be tricky work.

Something you're also up against is the changing cycles of some arena
lighting (not all rinks). So even if you did white balance, it's possible you
caught the light in a warm or cool cycle during the shot.

In general, I think you're better off using a custom white balance in this
situation. Whether it's an 18% gray card, an expo disk or the coffee filter
trick.

Ian

ian408

lynnma wrote:

having my camp shredded by a 600 lb black bear for two hours was more fun:lol

Several years ago at Sequoia and Kings Canyon, I was getting my wilderness
permit and the rangers were explaining that under any circumstance a bear
was in or near the camp, we were to beat the pots and throw rocks. For the
week we were out, we saw few bears. But on the last night, sure enough.
One in camp (didn't help that someone was FEEDING it!!!) just before bed
time. Throwing rocks actually worked pretty well. Especially with a couple
of direct hits :yikes .

Ian