Questions about techniques for correctly exposing sky and foreground

[Cuh5]

This is related to my previous thread about saving my images with over exposed skies. But here I want to ask what techniques I could use in the future to stop the problem recurring.

Graduated filters
Would these work where the horizon is not straight, for example photographing buildings with trees and things reaching into the sky?

Take multiple shots at different exposures and merge
This would need a tripod right? I can't imagine it would work for hand held shots?

Correct in Photoshop or Lightroom
Looses detail? I read that in these cases it's better to underexpose because it's better to lighten dark areas than darken over exposed areas?

Take photos at dawn or dusk
I just made this one up. Would it help?

 

[RichardTaylor]

Soft ND grads may help, depending how much things reach into the skies.

Multiple shots will work - however the camera will need to be held relatively steady.
I posible try a high speed burst with while exposure bracketing.

Definately do not over expose as there is no detail in blown highlights.
Shoot RAW.
You may need to apply selective noise reduction for the darker areas.

Light is everything - shooting with the sun more or less behind you may make life a lot easier, however you may not get much modeleing.
See this thread on another forum where a similar qustion was asked.

http://digital-photography-school.c...ion/179223-how-do-you-expose-sky-subject.html

 

[Jayst84]

Don't get too hung up on it. "Well exposed" doesn't necessarily mean everything in the image sits in a nice even 'hill' on your histogram.

Blow the sky, crush the shadows; just try to take interesting photos along the way.

Definately do not over expose as there is no detail in blown highlights.

Just as there is no detail in crushed shadows.

 

[shruggy63]

I was testing a theory along these lines today. I tried exposing to the sky's benefit & obviously getting a fairly dark foreground, then using LR's fill light slider to try to recover the foreground. Bang goes that theory! There's horrible amounts of noise in the darker areas, the contrast & colours are shot & basically it's unrecoverable.
My conclusion, assuming you're shooting a fairly still scene, go with a tripod & exposure bracket, that'll end up giving you the best quality after the processing.
If you can't use a tripod & have to do it with a single RAW have you looked at Nik's Viveza? It's a software image manipulator though & so you know it'll increase noise & artefacts.