Landscape advice required

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HellsBells

HellsBells

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I'm in the States right now and taking some photos of Canyons and stuff. I'm struggling particularly with landscapes when there is a contrast between the brighter background/sunlit areas and closer things like trees that are darker. Obviously I can't use a fill in flash. Any advice?
 


HellsBells said:
I'm in the States right now and taking some photos of Canyons and stuff. I'm struggling particularly with landscapes when there is a contrast between the brighter background/sunlit areas and closer things like trees that are darker. Obviously I can't use a fill in flash. Any advice?
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I'm presuming a few things here... That either your sky is being blown out, e.g. just looks white, or that your foreground (trees) is very dark and you feel there is no detail there. Also presuming that you don't have a set of neural density filters with you.

Basically the dynamic range of the scene is greater than your camera can handle. Or in normal person non geek speak, the scene is too bright and dark at the same time so your camera has to make a compromise and either reduce some highlights or lose some shadow detail.

My favoured solution would be to use a ND filter over the sky. That would darken it down and lighten up the foreground. However, assuming you don't have. There's a few things you can do;

  • Turn your back to the sun. Leaving the sun out of shot should help to control the highlights of the sky. Plus, the sun will be lighting up the foreground that you are looking at.
  • You could try your cameras multiple exposure mode, or HDR. The camera will usually take 3 photos and process them together meaning it keeps the highlights and lowlights. You'll absolutely need to use a tripod though.
  • Make sure you're not including too much sky. Pop it on the top third (see rule of thirds). This should help to ensure that the highlights don't take up too much of the scene.
  • Depending on your shooting format, e.g. RAW, remember that you can sometimes retrieve some detail in post processing. So if you only over expose by a little you can possible save it. Also, you could always expose for the sky, making sure it's not over exposed, then brighten the foreground in post production.

Hope that helps, isn't too technical and I haven't spoken to you like a dummy. :lol:

Oh, btw if you continue to struggle, there's always some bugger with a big old camera, ask them for some advice. Obviously men will think you're flirting with them but remember, he's a photographer so you're probably the first woman he's spoken to in years. Good luck.
 
Thanks Steed!

I don't have ND filters but I do have a polarising filter. I've found I can really blue the sky out but it still leaves say, the light canyon walls to brights against the dark trees in my foreground. I'm shooting in Raw so I'll try and do summat with it when I get home but I was wondering if I was missing something. I tried exposure comp but it doesn't really help much.
 
HellsBells said:
Thanks Steed!

I don't have ND filters but I do have a polarising filter. I've found I can really blue the sky out but it still leaves say, the light canyon walls to brights against the dark trees in my foreground. I'm shooting in Raw so I'll try and do summat with it when I get home but I was wondering if I was missing something. I tried exposure comp but it doesn't really help much.
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One of the reason why we tend to shoot in golden hour after dawn or before dusk, the light is less harsh

That type of landscape can be very awkward in bright sunlight

It's time to fuck the family off and see these things at the best times :cool:
 
HellsBells said:
Havent managed to get time to get any photos off the card yet. Hopefully at the weekend!

Canada was f*cking immense mind. The Icefield Parkway was just stunning. Seen most like it.
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We keeping thinking of going to Canada. If wor lad didn't have family there we'd have probably been by now :lol:
 
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