Back grounds are too bright

[Fudgecakes]

Hiya bros. I was just shooting some pictures near ACM when I realised that my subject (dalhousie obelisk) was very dark while the back ground was very bright.

I tried using my flash and bringing down the iso and bringing up the shutter speed but the difference was minimal. Any ideas in how to solve this problem??

 

[Rashkae]

Basics of exposure and dynamic range. Either live with it and just make sure you meter for the obelisk, or use HDR. If your camera is a Sony, you can use the built-in HDR or try DRO +5.

Or shoot at a time when the sun isn't so bright.

 

[Fudgecakes]

Basics of exposure and dynamic range. Either live with it and just make sure you meter for the obelisk, or use HDR. If your camera is a Sony, you can use the built-in HDR or try DRO +5.

Or shoot at a time when the sun isn't so bright.

Icic. Any attachments or other options? Cuz I'm using a nikon

 

[mds80]

Icic. Any attachments or other options? Cuz I'm using a nikon

Nikon also has built in hdr mode

 

[Fudgecakes]

Nikon also has built in hdr mode

Hidden in the menus somewhere?

 

[Rashkae]

Nikon also has built in hdr mode

Nope.

Nikon has active D-lighting, which is not the same as HDR.

@TS: No, there is no attachment that will help. Even if you use a graduated ND filter, you'll only dim one side of the picture.

 

[Fudgecakes]

Nope.

Nikon has active D-lighting, which is not the same as HDR.

@TS: No, there is no attachment that will help. Even if you use a graduated ND filter, you'll only dim one side of the picture.

Icic. Thanks for all your help bros

 

[pbear1973]

Icic. Thanks for all your help bros

You could try switching to spot metering, then focus on the obelisk. Might blow out the sky though. The other way is mount your camera on a tripod and do exposure bracketing, then use PS to do HDR stacking.

 

[Fudgecakes]

You could try switching to spot metering, then focus on the obelisk. Might blow out the sky though. The other way is mount your camera on a tripod and do exposure bracketing, then use PS to do HDR stacking.

What is exposure bracketing? And I'm no good at ps

 

[Rashkae]

What is exposure bracketing? And I'm no good at ps

It means you take one shot where the obelisk is correctly exposed, one more shot for the background, then use the HDR stacking in photoshop to merge them.

In other words, an HDR shot.

 

[Fudgecakes]

It means you take one shot where the obelisk is correctly exposed, one more shot for the background, then use the HDR stacking in photoshop to merge them.

In other words, an HDR shot.

Ohh. Is there any online resource that I can read or watch from to learn the steps?

 

[Rashkae]

Ohh. Is there any online resource that I can read or watch from to learn the steps?

yes, tons. Just google "how to create hdr" (logical, riiiight?). There's quite a lot of resources.

 

[Fudgecakes]

yes, tons. Just google "how to create hdr" (logical, riiiight?). There's quite a lot of resources.

Like duh hahah thanks man ^^

 

[pbear1973]

Like duh hahah thanks man ^^

Digitalrev has a reasonably good HDR how-to. Can look on Youtube.

 

[Prince Photogenic]

It means you take one shot where the obelisk is correctly exposed, one more shot for the background, then use the HDR stacking in photoshop to merge them.

In other words, an HDR shot.

Bro, does that mean if i use the HDR in my A33, i don't have to go through the trouble of take 2 or 3 shots and stack in PP? or is my understanding wrong altogether?

 

[viewwing]

in Camera HDR uses software to under and over expose the picture digitally. IT works most of the times...

But if you really want some control over it you may want to capture 3 seperate phots.

1st Correctly Exposed for the MAIN subject
2nd underexpose by at least 3 steps (meaning if you shoot 1 1/500 you may want to do a 1/200, to capture bright areas)
3rd Overexpose by 3 steps. (to capture dark areas)

Each situation is different... it would be easiler to find the best time to capture the scene if you have time... and if it was a fixed object...

Cheers

 

[pbear1973]

in Camera HDR uses software to under and over expose the picture digitally. IT works most of the times...

But if you really want some control over it you may want to capture 3 seperate phots.

1st Correctly Exposed for the MAIN subject
2nd underexpose by at least 3 steps (meaning if you shoot 1 1/500 you may want to do a 1/200, to capture bright areas)
3rd Overexpose by 3 steps. (to capture dark areas)


Each situation is different... it would be easiler to find the best time to capture the scene if you have time... and if it was a fixed object...

Cheers

Many DSLRs can help you with this. On the D7K you just need to press the BKT button, then use the front and rear dials to choose the # of shots (3 or 5) and the bracketing ev (-0.3, 0, +0.3), then mount on a tripod and take the 3 or 5 shots.

HDR stacking in PS takes maybe 3-5 mouse clicks.

 

[Rashkae]

Bro, does that mean if i use the HDR in my A33, i don't have to go through the trouble of take 2 or 3 shots and stack in PP? or is my understanding wrong altogether?

That is correct. But note that the Sony HDR is "mild" and tries to look as natural as possible. A lot of people seem to prefer the over-cooked HDR look though.

in Camera HDR uses software to under and over expose the picture digitally. IT works most of the times...

Incorrect. The Sony cameras take 2 separate exposures then blend them.

 

[pbear1973]

That is correct. But note that the Sony HDR is "mild" and tries to look as natural as possible. A lot of people seem to prefer the over-cooked HDR look though.

Incorrect. The Sony cameras take 2 separate exposures then blend them.

I guess it won't need tripod if it snaps the 2 shots fast enough? Hard to believe that the shots would be perfectly aligned so any alignment and smoothing algorithm might introduce loss of IQ?

 

[catchlights]

Hiya bros. I was just shooting some pictures near ACM when I realised that my subject (dalhousie obelisk) was very dark while the back ground was very bright.

I tried using my flash and bringing down the iso and bringing up the shutter speed but the difference was minimal. Any ideas in how to solve this problem??

what time of the day you are shoot?

My guess is the time is not right, lighting not right, your subject is back lite, try Google (Google image; keyword: Dalhousie Obelisk) to see how others shoot the same subject at the same angle, I doubt they need to shoot with HDR.