Can I use a graduated filter for this shot?

Byrhtnoth

Byrhtnoth

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Simon
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I took this shot facing the morning sun and have tried to recover it in Elements 6, but im not happy with it. :shake:

I know you can take multiple shots at different exposures then blend them in Elements.(Not that i know how to :D)

If I had a graduated filter, could I have used it on this shot to balance the exposure?

f/13 1/100 Manual ISO100
BeachHouse.jpg
 
was the original darker, round the house/walkway/wotnot ?
 
I notice the halo effect around the objects in the picture which is a shame but it so close to being a great shot!
 
joxby said:
was the original darker, round the house/walkway/wotnot ?
Click to expand...

Yes the original was darker around the beach house and very light around the sun.

Could upload it if needed.
 
Yes, the camera exposed for the sun making the foreground dark, you could use a grad filter but the nature of the shot means the top of the house would be included in the graduation...unless you could tilt it somehow to just cover the bright bits..
Either way, it would be a tripod job..
 
The thing about an ND or grey grad is that if you aligned it with the horizon it will also darken the building. I'm not familiar with elements 6, but if it has the same layer functions as PS CS then you could try a layer blend, either "lighten" or "screen" mode might bring the shot out.
 
I thought that you could rotate the filter holder and slide the filter up and down for this type of situation :shrug:

Below is the original shot complete with lens flare

BeachHouse02.jpg
 
I think it would be difficult to get a grad to work with this image without it affecting the foreground. This is a classic example where High Dynamic Range processing comes into its own.

Not sure if you can do HDR in Elements 6 or not, but it's a technique worth learning.
 
Chappers said:
Not sure if you can do HDR in Elements 6 or not, but it's a technique worth learning.
Click to expand...

No HDR in elements 6 (not that ive found), just blending of layers.

So, loads of shots at different exposures, blended together in HDR software would be best for this shot :shrug:

Can you process an image in HDR software and it still look natural?
 
hope you dont mind, had a little play, nothing sophisticated just tweaking a bit:

BeachHouse02-wookied1-applied.jpg


BeachHouse02-wookied1-curves.jpg


couldnt quite keep the sky right but it was only a quick fiddle
the house & jetty will come up a bit brighter but at the expense of the sky washing out and getting a strong red halo around the sun
 
Below is the original shot complete with lens flare
Click to expand...

Could someone explain to me what isn't fabulous about that shot as is? :shrug:

Not saying you shouldn't pursue ways to achieve your full vision of the shot of course. :)
 
dazzajl said:
Could someone explain to me what isn't fabulous about that shot as is? :shrug:

Not saying you shouldn't pursue ways to achieve your full vision of the shot of course. :)
Click to expand...

Thats what i thought! it's really good!
 
I think an NDgrad would have been worth a try, it would have prevented the sun from blowing & I'm sure that with a bit of photoshopping the house could have been recovered - much as you've done here.

To be honest it's a great shot anyway

simon
 
Thanks Wookie looks a lot better than mine, and posting the process is a big help :thumbs:

Thanks dazzajl, HanC and simonkit.
I do like the shot myself but this is not how I intended it to look.
I was after low light on the beach house but exposing all the detail in the wood, and a round sun in the sky without the sun blowing the sky out.
I know I could of taken it earlier just as the sun was coming up but I wasnt in that spot at the right time.

I did shoot in manual with a tripod so I could under expose the shot hoping I would'nt blow out the sky, and retain the detail in the beach house.

Ah well it didnt work out to how I wanted it (am I being fussy :thinking:)
but I'll be back with some grad filters (next month when I can afford them :()


Looking back at my processed shot it looks terrible, think I need more practise at that!
 
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