Why has my bright sunshine turned to fog?

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loclnor

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Name
Lorraine
Edit My Images
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This was a bright sunny day and the hills in the background, and everything else for that matter, was clearly visible. It would be much appreciated if someone can please tell me where I went wrong?

 
im new to this but it looks to me like the iso is abit too high,what settings did you use?
 
Simple one :)

The sky is overexposed or "blown" It means that it is too bright for the camera to record both the foreground and the sky.

Your sensor has what is called a dynamic range of about 5 stops. Your eyes have approx 13. So your camera has some limitations :)

How to fix it? Thankfully it's not too difficult. 2 basic fixes. One is a filter called a grad (graduated) so it darkens the sky and it can all be recorded in one image. The other way is to take several images at different exposures and blend them in photoshop.
 
Thank you Ali, I can't remember if I had my polarising filter on at the time or not, would that have made a difference?
and am I correct in thinking that it would have been better if I had taken my meter reading from the sky and not the boats or would that not have made any difference?:)
 
A polariser may have darkened the sky a little but then it may have done the same to the water. It helps saturate the colour of a sky and cut down reflections. They work at angles to the sun too. :)

As for metering, it would not have helped much to be honest. If you got the sky right, the foreground would have been dark. The dynamic range is simply too great for the camera to be able to record it. So you either use a filter to bring the light bit down into the dynamic range, or you record at either end of the range and put the two images together later. (Take one for the sky and one for the foreground)
 
Great info - thanks for all your help looks like I'm off to buy a graduated filter then!!:)
 
boats_a_lake_.jpg


Tweaked levels in Photoshop!
 
Alot better - but still not that bright sunny day - I think the filter is the way to go!

Thanks everyone. :wave:
 
Looking at the EXIF, I see that you have the EV (Exposure compensation) set to +1, which would explain the over exposure. Also you were in manual mode, so you must have chosen the settings and not let the camera work them out.

I would choose (A)perture priority mode and set the aperture to about f/8 and set the EV to 0 or even -0.3 for this kind of shot. You can do some recovery in PP, more if you shoot in RAW, but it helps if you get it right, or at least close, in camera to start with
 
jomike said:
Looking at the EXIF, .....................
Click to expand...

just an aside

Mike...how do you access the EXIF data details on a submitted image ?

detailed "how-to" please .... not a "use XYZ" as I have tried that....:thumbs:
 
loclnor said:
Alot better - but still not that bright sunny day - I think the filter is the way to go!....Thanks everyone. :wave:
Click to expand...

what camera do you have ?

my Nikon D40 is set to EV -0.3 all the time and colours seem better
 
Yardbent said:
just an aside

Mike...how do you access the EXIF data details on a submitted image ?

detailed "how-to" please .... not a "use XYZ" as I have tried that....:thumbs:
Click to expand...

Hi John,

Any of the free to use exif programmes will do. Install then all you do is right click on the pic and you will see something like this:

Camera Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model: NIKON D3000
Image Date: 2010:04:09 11:29:51
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 55.0mm (35mm equivalent: 82mm)
Exposure Time: 0.0080 s (1/125)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focus Distance: Infinite
ISO equiv: 100
Exposure Bias: 1.00
White Balance: Manual
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual

Not sure about the D3000 but certainly my experience of the D300 upwards is you are better off dialling in a bit of negative bias. I have my D700 and D3X are set on -0.7 for most of the time.

Coupled to this I reckon the ND Grad would have solved the problem. However I also am unable to see any shadows so difficult to tell where the sun is.

Oh and don't forget the volcanic dust if it was around! Found my pictures last weekend all a bit drab because of it. This weekend I will be trying to make use of any dust left to add some mood.

Regards

Chris
 
Yardbent said:
just an aside

Mike...how do you access the EXIF data details on a submitted image ?

detailed "how-to" please .... not a "use XYZ" as I have tried that....:thumbs:
Click to expand...

Quite simple, there are various free apps available to do this, the one I use is KUSO Exif viewer.
Download and install it. After installation you will then have an option, when you right click on a picture, to "Open with KUSO Exif viewer" (for Windows IE and Firefox).
 
Yardbent said:
just an aside

Mike...how do you access the EXIF data details on a submitted image ?

detailed "how-to" please .... not a "use XYZ" as I have tried that....:thumbs:
Click to expand...

What OS are you using firstly!
 
jomike said:
Quite simple, there are various free apps available to do this, the one I use is KUSO Exif viewer.).
Click to expand...

EXACTLY.......
I have KUSO EXIF Viewer already.....:thumbs:
right-click one of my images = dropdown list = Open with KUSO = ALL OK !

right-click on image posted WITHIN the forum - dropdown list does not include KUSO option...............:shrug:

Window Vista Premium and Firefox 3.6.3
 
jomike said:
Looking at the EXIF, I see that you have the EV (Exposure compensation) set to +1, which would explain the over exposure. Also you were in manual mode, so you must have chosen the settings and not let the camera work them out.
Click to expand...

Isn't Exposure Compensation redundant in manual mode? Meaning that basically he just over-exposed the shot.
 
Yardbent said:
EXACTLY.......
I have KUSO EXIF Viewer already.....:thumbs:
right-click one of my images = dropdown list = Open with KUSO = ALL OK !

right-click on image posted WITHIN the forum - dropdown list does not include KUSO option...............:shrug:

Window Vista Premium and Firefox 3.6.3
Click to expand...

Hi John,

I use Opanda and sometimes I cannot see info on images, but think that is more to do with the way they have been loaded onto the forum. However, if you cannot see this one, then it must obviously be something to do with Kuso or it's settings.

Regards

Chris
 
grotty said:
Isn't Exposure Compensation redundant in manual mode? Meaning that basically he just over-exposed the shot.
Click to expand...


Not sure that is correct without checking my camera, but would have thought it worked just the same in manual.

Regards

Chris
 
Yardbent said:
EXACTLY.......
I have KUSO EXIF Viewer already.....:thumbs:
right-click one of my images = dropdown list = Open with KUSO = ALL OK !

right-click on image posted WITHIN the forum - dropdown list does not include KUSO option...............:shrug:

Window Vista Premium and Firefox 3.6.3
Click to expand...

I use Kuso with IE8, maybe it has issues with Firefox, although it claims to be compatible.
Maybe just try another viewer (eg Opanda).

G2EWS said:
Hi John,

I use Opanda and sometimes I cannot see info on images, but think that is more to do with the way they have been loaded onto the forum. However, if you cannot see this one, then it must obviously be something to do with Kuso or it's settings.

Regards

Chris
Click to expand...

Not all images posted have the Exif, some apps or hosting sites strip the Exif. Flickr, for example, only shows Exif in the original size uploaded, not the smaller sizes.
 
grotty said:
Isn't Exposure Compensation redundant in manual mode? Meaning that basically he just over-exposed the shot.
Click to expand...

Not if he was using the exposure indicator in the viewfinder in manual mode to set the exposure,when it indicates correct exposure with +1.0 EV dialled in it will over expose.
Although I suspect he did not mean to be in manual mode in the first place. I have bumped the dial into M a few times by accident and then wondered why my exposures were all over the shop :D
 
Pretty sure on the 50D exposure compensation doesn't work in manual, only shutter/aperture priority and programme.
 
grotty said:
Pretty sure on the 50D exposure compensation doesn't work in manual, only shutter/aperture priority and programme.
Click to expand...

I just tried it on my D90 and it does work in manual as well, so I assume it will be the same for all Nikons?

To test, I adjusted the settings in manual to zero the indicator, then dialled in an EV of +1.0. Without moving the camera, the exposure indicator now showed over exposure.

Edit: Just tried it on my D50, and you cannot adjust EV in manual mode with only one command dial. Adjusting EV in another mode and then going to manual does not seem to affect the exposure, so to answer my own question, it does not seem that EV settings influence exposure in manual mode for Nikon bodies with only one command dial.
 
Eek, sorry for some reason I had it in my head he was using an EOS 50D.
 
loclnor said:
This was a bright sunny day and the hills in the background, and everything else for that matter, was clearly visible. It would be much appreciated if someone can please tell me where I went wrong?

Click to expand...

Doesn't look like a bright sunny day to me at all. It's overcast and dull, the sun diffused by clouds. Then it's shot over water which has added haze, assited by the longish focal length and a bit of over exposure.

Basically just dull light, haze, and a bit of over exposure. You can pump up the contrast and colour a bit in post processing, maybe add a grad to darken the sky, but it looks dull because it is dull!
 
Hi guys

Thanks for all the comments, I think you are right, Richard, I have just looked at the other photos I took that day and they are a bit hazy. I remember having problems with the light though because it was very bright even though the sun was behind clouds. I've only been using a dslr for two months though and I'm really trying to get the hang of manual - can't see the point of having one otherwise. Obviously I've not got it right yet.
I did just try out the exp comp though and it will stay in the same setting (except for the preset modes) regardless of which setting I am using, Manual, Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority until I change it manually, so perhaps I did bump it over into manual by mistake.
By the way fellas 'he' is a 'she'. :)

Lorraine
 
loclnor said:
Hi guys

Thanks for all the comments, I think you are right, Richard, I have just looked at the other photos I took that day and they are a bit hazy. I remember having problems with the light though because it was very bright even though the sun was behind clouds. I've only been using a dslr for two months though and I'm really trying to get the hang of manual - can't see the point of having one otherwise. Obviously I've not got it right yet.
I did just try out the exp comp though and it will stay in the same setting (except for the preset modes) regardless of which setting I am using, Manual, Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority until I change it manually, so perhaps I did bump it over into manual by mistake.
By the way fellas 'he' is a 'she'. :)

Lorraine
Click to expand...

Just looking at it again, I think another major factor is that there's just no colour in the scene.

BTW Lorraine, I don't use manual much - it certainly has nothing to do with getting good pictures, or selecting the right exposure. I think of manual more as a way of locking the exposure settings, which is sometimes very useful, but correct exposure is correct exposure, and it makes no difference what camera mode or metering method you use to get there - it's just a preferred way of working.
 
Thank you Richard - I think you're right about the colour. I must admit to giving a sigh of relief when you said that manual is not a compulsory 'must have'. I've taken some lovely shots, just not very many in manual! :)
 
loclnor said:
Great info - thanks for all your help looks like I'm off to buy a graduated filter then!!:)
Click to expand...

Lorraine.......

i started off using Program Auto to see what the camera adjusted as I altered either Aperture or Shutter speed,.... now moved to Aperture priority and let the camera adjust the speed

anyway ....is your lens a 52mm filter thread ??
I have been advertising a 52mm graduated ND filter here and there - no offers
it's off eBay - unknown manufacturer [and possible poor quality ]
BUT if you would like to try the effect of a Grad ND in darkening skies - it's yours FOC....just PM me your postal address...:thumbs:

if you like the effect of a GRAD ND - then have a look at the Cokin P series filter holders and filters
 
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