How to get blue sky?

[lsisaxon]

i dunno about the angles but i get blue skies in the morning
and without filters

look here for blue sky shots with a P&S camera

http://forum.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=210624

:thumbsup: It's definitely not sunrise nor sunset but the sun does seem about 45 degrees up in the sky. You can roughly trace where the sun is by the shadow casted by the window. So if it's in the morning, I would expect the time to be around 9-10am.

Similarly in the image I posted earlier, the sun was also about 45 degrees up as can be seen from the shadows on the flats. The time was around 4pm in the afternoon.

 

[bigu2fan]

I had a chance to go for an outdoor shoot with a pro recently at around 9-10am. I was using a 350D with 17-40mm f4L and he was using a S3 Pro with nikon mount(don't know what lens). At the same position and composition, the sky on his camera came out much more 'blue' than mine. I was told it is because of the CCD in the S3 Pro, which gives more vibrant colours. Does anybody have any experience with regards to different CCD/CMOS and the colour/contrast it creates? I just got myself a circular polariser and I'm going to try capturing more vibrant colours.

 

[lsisaxon]

I had a chance to go for an outdoor shoot with a pro recently at around 9-10am. I was using a 350D with 17-40mm f4L and he was using a S3 Pro with nikon mount(don't know what lens). At the same position and composition, the sky on his camera came out much more 'blue' than mine. I was told it is because of the CCD in the S3 Pro, which gives more vibrant colours. Does anybody have any experience with regards to different CCD/CMOS and the colour/contrast it creates? I just got myself a circular polariser and I'm going to try capturing more vibrant colours.

It's probably the metering and the exposure. The sensor technology is just a technology. Whether it's CMOS or CCD, how good the colour turns out depends on the calibration of the sensors. Apparently, Fujifilm probably did a better job? :dunno:

 

[Stoned]

I had a chance to go for an outdoor shoot with a pro recently at around 9-10am. I was using a 350D with 17-40mm f4L and he was using a S3 Pro with nikon mount(don't know what lens). At the same position and composition, the sky on his camera came out much more 'blue' than mine. I was told it is because of the CCD in the S3 Pro, which gives more vibrant colours. Does anybody have any experience with regards to different CCD/CMOS and the colour/contrast it creates? I just got myself a circular polariser and I'm going to try capturing more vibrant colours.

It's true to some extent, but if you get the "photography" bit right, you can achieve gorgeous colours using your 350d as well.

For instance, I recently did this with my new 350d. I didn't use any filters either, it's a matter of place and time, seriously. In the day, the morning is often best for blue skies. The other great time is in the evening at dusk.

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=220076

 

[bigu2fan]

Hi Stoned,

I just saw your photo of the explanade. Love it! Yep that is what I'm talking about. Imagine same situation and the pro shot your picture. I shot the same thing but somehow the blue sky is more 'grey'. I would like to create the same vibrant blue as seen in your picture. Any advice on composition? Thank you!

It's true to some extent, but if you get the "photography" bit right, you can achieve gorgeous colours using your 350d as well.

For instance, I recently did this with my new 350d. I didn't use any filters either, it's a matter of place and time, seriously. In the day, the morning is often best for blue skies. The other great time is in the evening at dusk.

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=220076

 

[CreaXion]

It's true to some extent, but if you get the "photography" bit right, you can achieve gorgeous colours using your 350d as well.

For instance, I recently did this with my new 350d. I didn't use any filters either, it's a matter of place and time, seriously. In the day, the morning is often best for blue skies. The other great time is in the evening at dusk.

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=220076

Like the blue and the vibrancy. Did u ps it? Generally Canon's system does not give that type of colours if I am right. Please advise.

 

[faisalee]

Hi Guys,

How about this... :sweat:

Semei MRT track

I always wanted to shoot this... My dream came true when I had my D50 at the right place at the right time :bsmilie:

No ND Filter no Polarizer etc. (But the SUN looks to be like 45 degrees) Just lil bit PPing :bsmilie:

Best Regards.

 

[Stoned]

Hi Stoned,

I just saw your photo of the explanade. Love it! Yep that is what I'm talking about. Imagine same situation and the pro shot your picture. I shot the same thing but somehow the blue sky is more 'grey'. I would like to create the same vibrant blue as seen in your picture. Any advice on composition? Thank you!

That particular blue is created by shooting at the right time. Generally that blue lasts for about between 30s-3min, depending on the day. It occurs after the sun has set, generally around 7-20something pm.

Like the blue and the vibrancy. Did u ps it? Generally Canon's system does not give that type of colours if I am right. Please advise.

Of course I psed it. If you don't process your shots you'll never get anything done properly, doesn't matter what system you use. All the Fuji/Nikon/Minolta/Pentax users I know also process their shots to increase contrast and saturation. Plus I shoot RAW as well so if I don't process I'm gonna come out with crap.

For this particular one I tweaked the blue channel under curves to strengthen the blues, simple curves contrast and saturation enhancement, sharpening. I do similar adjustments to all my shots, I used one of my actions for this one.

This one is another older example. This one required processing of about 5s(curves+sharpening). Generally you get richer blues in the evening.

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=212424

 

[lsisaxon]

That particular blue is created by shooting at the right time. Generally that blue lasts for about between 30s-3min, depending on the day. It occurs after the sun has set, generally around 7-20something pm.



Of course I psed it. If you don't process your shots you'll never get anything done properly, doesn't matter what system you use. All the Fuji/Nikon/Minolta/Pentax users I know also process their shots to increase contrast and saturation. Plus I shoot RAW as well so if I don't process I'm gonna come out with crap.

For this particular one I tweaked the blue channel under curves to strengthen the blues, simple curves contrast and saturation enhancement, sharpening. I do similar adjustments to all my shots, I used one of my actions for this one.

This one is another older example. This one required processing of about 5s(curves+sharpening). Generally you get richer blues in the evening.

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=212424

In that case, your blue sky is because of twilight and not polarization. Yes, you can get very nice blue sky just immediately after the sunset.

Nikon D70s 1.3s f/3.5 ISO200 resized only no other PP done.

 

[lsisaxon]

Hi Guys,

How about this... :sweat:

http://static.flickr.com/97/237705727_41565903ec.jpg
Semei MRT track

I always wanted to shoot this... My dream came true when I had my D50 at the right place at the right time :bsmilie:

No ND Filter no Polarizer etc. (But the SUN looks to be like 45 degrees) Just lil bit PPing :bsmilie:

Best Regards.

Another good example of a 45 degree sun shot. :thumbsup:

 

[Azure]

If you don't process your shots you'll never get anything done properly, doesn't matter what system you use. All the Fuji/Nikon/Minolta/Pentax users I know also process their shots to increase contrast and saturation. Plus I shoot RAW as well so if I don't process I'm gonna come out with crap.

Stoned, not all of mine go through post-process. I personally do pp work shots and selected personal shots. And I'd personally find shooting RAW just so to get past the crap shows how much further you've yet to go. Granted, RAW does give you more room to work with, especially in case you shoot crappily. But it should not mean that you shouldn't get your exposures right. If that is the case, you'd be making your expensive baby a Cannot-graphing toy, pun intended.

Blue skies can be obtained by a mix of careful thinking/planning and executing your shot. Some who'd mentioned the hours of the day, have given an example of what can help. Others may have suggested filters to enhance the depth of blue. Yet some may suggest that you tweak exposure/meter/etc. It lies in your mastery of shooting.

To bigu2fan - the wonderful sensor in the S3/S2 Pros can help give better, bluer skies. But it does not guarantee. I know of a S3 Pro user who spent 90% of his time with his S3 and got near-whites most of the time. Why? Because he got something wrong. Think about it, what could he have done wrongly. It was only after months of misses that he got the sky colours right. So there, the sensor does NOT determine.

To CreaXion - you want blue skies, well, everyone has given (some sensible, some less so, IMO) a lot of comments and ideas. Try them out. Shoot more. Learn. And more blue skies for you.

Out-of-camera blues, 6pm

Out-of-camera, but the sky was actually grey-cast, I used the sensor's tricks to get this, no pp, 8+am.

 

[CreaXion]

Stoned, not all of mine go through post-process. I personally do pp work shots and selected personal shots. And I'd personally find shooting RAW just so to get past the crap shows how much further you've yet to go. Granted, RAW does give you more room to work with, especially in case you shoot crappily. But it should not mean that you shouldn't get your exposures right. If that is the case, you'd be making your expensive baby a Cannot-graphing toy, pun intended.

Blue skies can be obtained by a mix of careful thinking/planning and executing your shot. Some who'd mentioned the hours of the day, have given an example of what can help. Others may have suggested filters to enhance the depth of blue. Yet some may suggest that you tweak exposure/meter/etc. It lies in your mastery of shooting.

To bigu2fan - the wonderful sensor in the S3/S2 Pros can help give better, bluer skies. But it does not guarantee. I know of a S3 Pro user who spent 90% of his time with his S3 and got near-whites most of the time. Why? Because he got something wrong. Think about it, what could he have done wrongly. It was only after months of misses that he got the sky colours right. So there, the sensor does NOT determine.

To CreaXion - you want blue skies, well, everyone has given (some sensible, some less so, IMO) a lot of comments and ideas. Try them out. Shoot more. Learn. And more blue skies for you.

Out-of-camera blues, 6pm

Out-of-camera, but the sky was actually grey-cast, I used the sensor's tricks to get this, no pp, 8+am.

Thanks for all the information given. I agree fully that the timing and filters are extremely impt. No doubt, they are one of the most impt key factor in getting blue sky.

However, in my honest opinion and I do not wish to start a flame war, Nikon cameras tend to get nicer blues than Canon's camera. The colours are stronger. Interestingly, it does not show much on the screen but on prints, Nikon's camera perform better outdoors than Canon's outdoor. You get stronger colours. In order to get stronger colours on Canon's, u need to PS to get the colours. For those who use both systems before like me, u will notice the difference. Image from Nikon is more crisp.

 

[lsisaxon]

Thanks for all the information given. I agree fully that the timing and filters are extremely impt. No doubt, they are one of the most impt key factor in getting blue sky.

However, in my honest opinion and I do not wish to start a flame war, Nikon cameras tend to get nicer blues than Canon's camera. The colours are stronger. Interestingly, it does not show much on the screen but on prints, Nikon's camera perform better outdoors than Canon's outdoor. You get stronger colours. In order to get stronger colours on Canon's, u need to PS to get the colours. For those who use both systems before like me, u will notice the difference. Image from Nikon is more crisp.

Not trying to invite flames, I'm an advocate of Nikon system. This is purely my opinion.

Actually, I find Canon lenses give a better blue and more colour during film days, but not sharp enough for my liking. Unfortunately, when it comes to digital, the curves for Canon's sensors are not to my liking either. Most people who use Canon seems to need to do a lot of PP which I try not to do. I'm glad Nikon got their act pretty well and is getting better.

However, I must admit that I have obtained more saturated blues with Canon Powershot cameras also, so timing is more important than anything else. The camera is just a tool. Learn it well and it will serve you well.

 

[CreaXion]

Not trying to invite flames, I'm an advocate of Nikon system. This is purely my opinion.

Actually, I find Canon lenses give a better blue and more colour during film days, but not sharp enough for my liking. Unfortunately, when it comes to digital, the curves for Canon's sensors are not to my liking either. Most people who use Canon seems to need to do a lot of PP which I try not to do. I'm glad Nikon got their act pretty well and is getting better.

However, I must admit that I have obtained more saturated blues with Canon Powershot cameras also, so timing is more important than anything else. The camera is just a tool. Learn it well and it will serve you well.

I belong to the old school of thought. Generally, I try not to PS. I leave the PP part by adjusting the camera's settings. If the camera's settings is adjusted properly, when sent to the lab, the developer will have less trouble getting the blues.

 

[Azure]

CreaXion. Those 2 sample pics were shot on Fujifilm S3 Pros. I won't go into what N or C can and cannot do.

 

[CreaXion]

CreaXion. Those 2 sample pics were shot on Fujifilm S3 Pros. I won't go into what N or C can and cannot do.

Well. S3 Pros has one additional colour channel which I believe is Magenta. Hence the colour is definitely much better than C or N without PP. No doubt abt it. The Skin colour for that cam is definitely much better also.

 

[lsisaxon]

I belong to the old school of thought. Generally, I try not to PS. I leave the PP part by adjusting the camera's settings. If the camera's settings is adjusted properly, when sent to the lab, the developer will have less trouble getting the blues.

I share the same thoughts. I like everything as it is out of the camera.

 

[Henessy]

Hi, may I know what does 45 degree mean?
1)45 degree of the sun from the back of the camera?
2)45 degree of the sun from the front of the camera?
3)45 degree of the sun from the left of camera?
4)45 degree of the sun from the right of camera?

Thanks

 

[faisalee]

Hi, may I know what does 45 degree mean?
1)45 degree of the sun from the back of the camera?
2)45 degree of the sun from the front of the camera?
3)45 degree of the sun from the left of camera?
4)45 degree of the sun from the right of camera?

Thanks

Not in front for sure... Behind your head best, left or right good

 

[CreaXion]

My sensor had just hit a stubborn speck yesterday. Does anyone know how much it cost to clean the sensor and where the heck is NSC?