Help with taking this shot

Magic3rds

Magic3rds

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Name
Jez
Edit My Images
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I'd love to know how I can improve on this shot. We went for a walk the other evening and the suns rays were beaming down on the hills.

How can I improve the sky and still get all the rays coming through?


Tandle Hill Country Park by ViewFinderPhotography, on Flickr

Exposure Program Aperture-priority AE
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/1000)
Aperture f/11.0
Focal Length 35 mm
ISO Speed 200

Jez
 
The shot does look a little hazey, you could of tried with a tripod and done something along the HDR lines? Try putting this shot into Photoshop or a similar program and check your white balance settings
 
Here is a very quick and rough edit in lightroom using the small jpg from here.

I think with the RAW file you could make something from this shot. Ideally you'd want an ND grad on the camera to balance the sky and foreground.


5798254388_5a3774448e_z by TCR4x4, on Flickr
 
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My attempt -

untitled.jpg


I agree with Tom about the RAW. The limiting factor in the picture is the very bright part of the sky.
 
Excellent. Thanks guys, I'll give it a go. For future shots like that, what would be best settings to do this?

If I had an ND Filter again which would be best for this type of shot?

Jez
 
An ND grad might help a little.
 
raw is really required for these lighting conditions. you did fairly well but a bit of processing is required to get the best out of this shot. it's really nice by the way!

also i think you underexposed it a little. and i would have shot this so the big sun ball was cropped off the top.
 
Magic3rds said:
Excellent. Thanks guys, I'll give it a go. For future shots like that, what would be best settings to do this?

If I had an ND Filter again which would be best for this type of shot?

Jez
Click to expand...

A "soft" ND grad would be the best type of filter for this. Soft meaning that the graduation is over a greater distance than a "hard" ND grad.
 
Some photos of the sky come out much better in B/W and often overlooked. for example.

monosky2.jpg

monosky1.jpg

Realspeed
 
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As per what some of the other guys have said; an ND Filter would help expose your shot better.

Use a tripod as well, and try for a HDR shot - 3-5 shots using your camera's AEB Function (auto exposure bracketing) - it will take shots under & over exposed. Then just merge these using a photoshop or Photomatix.

* Also i noticed you had ISO 200, try going lower, 50-100 - this will help.

Hope that helps,

Mike
 
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Thanks guys for the help and advice :) I'll look at ordering some ND Filters an give it another go. The park isn't too far from home so makes it easier for going back and looking for a similar shot

I'll also give this picture a go in Lightroom and see what the result is :)

Jez
 
sparkoss said:
..also i think you underexposed it a little. and i would have shot this so the big sun ball was cropped off the top.
Click to expand...

Underexposing is good though if you shoot in Raw. You can pull back details from under exposed shadows, but not from overexposed highlights
 
Byker28i said:
Underexposing is good though if you shoot in Raw. You can pull back details from under exposed shadows, but not from overexposed highlights
Click to expand...

I took this in RAW how what can I do to pull the exposure back?
 
Byker28i said:
Underexposing is good though if you shoot in Raw. You can pull back details from under exposed shadows, but not from overexposed highlights
Click to expand...

you can recover a bit of the highlights, but not a great deal. But equally, if you raise the exposure too much in PP then I find my shots get very grainy
 
I would say the third one is yhe best. You have managed to keep the dramatic sky and pull the land out quick nicely.
 
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