Help! Sky Washed Out

[LukenDC]

While reviewing pics from a recent vacation, I noticed that the sky was washed out in some of them. Some examples are below. Can anyone give me tips for avoiding this problem?

 

[AndrewWG]

In the case of the bottom one, a split graduated neutral density filter would probablt help alot. The top one would probably work with the filter too, but it may look a bit funky with the tree. Not sure what camera you are using though. In most cases they are MUCH easier to find for a DSLR vs a point and shoot.

One thing you can try is to take a meter reading of just the sky and then one of just the foreground and take a happy medium and shoot at that setting. For example, try changing the camera to aperture priority and set the aperture to f8. Then point the camera at the sky. If it comes up with a shutter speed of 1/1000, take note of that. Then point and take a meter reading of the foreground. If it's shutter speed is like 1/400, take note of that too. Then switch to manual and set the aperture to f8 and the shutter speed to 1/600 or 1/800 and the sky should look better. Of course, this will darken the foreground a bit too, so you have to play around to see what setting looks the best to you to get both the sky and foreground to an acceptable level of brightness/darkness. I would also add that it doesn't always work out very well, but it is worth a try.

 

[labattblue]

While reviewing pics from a recent vacation, I noticed that the sky was washed out in some of them. Some examples are below. Can anyone give me tips for avoiding this problem?

We are having the same problem. I just posted something similar earlier this morning.


http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1799390

 

[LukenDC]

I really do not know much about photography. I have a Sony Cyber Shot digital camera that I use only for travel.

Labattblue, some of my pics were fine too. That is what puzzles me about this problem.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

The term "dynamic range" refers, in photography, to the range from the darkest to lightest objects in a scene. Every camera has a limited dynamic range. If you exposed for the sky in those shots, the foreground would look much darker.

There are a few things that can help. First, if your camera can use one, you could try a polarizing filter. These filters can help darken the sky without darkening the rest of the picture. They only work when the sun is to your side (rather than directly in front of or behind you), but they're better than nothing.

You could also try shooting several different shots of the same scene with different exposure levels in the hopes that one has just the right mix between sky and foreground exposure.

Another option is to use a split neutral density filter. These filters are part dark and part clear. You put the dark part over the sky and the clear part over the foreground. They can be a real pain to use, but that's how a lot of landscape shooters deal with the problem.

Another option is to take two or more pictures of the same scene with different exposure levels. You can then blend them together using the sky from one and the foreground from another. This technique is called High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography.

I think the best option is to shoot when the conditions are right. The best times to shoot are early in the day and late in the day. The closer you are to sunrise/sunset, the better the light will be. When shooting in the middle of the day, it's often hard to get the lighting right.

I wish I could give you an easier answer like "turn on the 'blue sky' feature", but it just doesn't work that way.

 

[jann1033]

if you don't have or can't use a cp , if you have an exposure lock on your camera an easy thing to do is point your camera at the sky, lock that exposure then recompose and shoot. it might make your foreground slightly too dark but not so dark you can't fix in pp and nothing you can do but crop out a totally blown out sky which is to much work, yawn, being lazy ish....usually it works unless you have a really dark foreground. in the 2 photos posted the one with the momuments might have needed the exposure upped in the very front right or maybe a little in the palms because you have some detail in the sky, it's just light so you probably would have been fine doing it that way. also i don't know what camera you have but mine i keep set slightly( like one line) underexposed cause if i don't i blow out highlights...try adjusting your settings if you can and see if that helps..

 

[pjacobi]

This is a good example where a dSLR with the right filter can produce a much better image then a P/S camera.

If fact, this is one of the reason that I decided to upgrade to a dSLR.

I continue to use my little P/S camera for non-critical shots.

However, for a once-in-a-lifetime shot, I certainly what to have my dSLR available and all of its toys.


-Paul

 

[fortcampers]

I had the same problem when taking photos of my kids outside for a Christmas card photo. I lady I worked with at the time said I need to spot meter (if I only knew how!) and the best time to photograph posed photos (like family photos, etc) is early in the morning and later in the afternoon. Sometimes when you're on vacation, you can't take the photo when it's the best time, you have to do it when you're there. I think I have some kind of filter on the lens as well. I had on my 18-55mm lens with a skylight filter. Didn't seem to help.

 

[Geoff_M]

I lady I worked with at the time said I need to spot meter (if I only knew how!)

Spot metering will only make the problem of a blown out background worse. The default automated metering for almost all cameras is "center weighted" metering that concentrates heavily on the subject brightness of the center 40% to 60% of the frame. Spot metering drops that area down to 1 or 2% of the area at the dead center of the frame and will ignore the rest of the image. If you have a subject standing against a horizon and put the center of the frame on the chest of your subject, with spot metering the exposure metering will be computed solely off of the chest of your subject. The sky will be likely VERY blown out as a result.

Back to the OP's problem... Another factor may by the use of "matrix" metering on the camera. Matrix metering (Nikon's name for it) divides the frame up into rectangular segments and looks for regions with high contrasts in brightness. For example, if it sees that the top half of the image is a lot brighter than the bottom half, the CPU in the camera says "Ah! The top part must be the sky and the bottom part must be the ground." The camera will assume that the intended subject of your photo is most likely on the ground and will bias the exposure to best render that region of the image... at the expense of the sky.

 

[handicap18]

If you don't have filters then you have to pay attention to where the sun is and what time of day it is. Like fortcampers said, best time of day for the best light is the few hours after sunrise and before sunset.

If its the middle of the day then pay attention to where the sun is. If it is in front of you at all, then you'll get a washed out sky. If you put the sun behind you then you have a much much great chance of getting that nice blue sky as your not looking at the light source.

In the first photo the sun is in front of you to the right so you actually point the camera towards the light source. Even though you not pointing it right at the sun it is in front of you. How to do it different: try a different time of day or position yourself to get as much of the sun as possible more towards your back. If you had been along the water line or even in the water you'd probably get more of the blue.

 

[webshark3]

Small sensor cameras have trouble with dynamic range. In contrast, here's a recent trip with my new Sigma DP1 (large sensor, great dynamic range). I can't wait to turn this puppy loose in Disney. (no filters)

 

[seashoreCM]

1. Use the "exposure compensation", minus makes the overall picture darker and brings more sky details back into the picture. (Plus on the exposure compensation makes the overall picture lighter.)

2. On most point and shoots, if you aim high, putting more sky into the frame, and push the shutter button halfway, then frame the subject and push the button all the way, the camera will take the sky more into consideration and not wash it out as much. The result ends up being the same thing as exposure compensation. This method is for distant scenery since the camera will focus on clouds instead of people 10 to 15 feet away and the latter could be blurry.

If you do both 1 and 2, you can overdo things making subject matter other than the sky too dark.

Digital camera hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/digicam.htm

 

[labattblue]

1. Use the "exposure compensation", minus makes the overall picture darker and brings more sky details back into the picture. (Plus on the exposure compensation makes the overall picture lighter.)

2. On most point and shoots, if you aim high, putting more sky into the frame, and push the shutter button halfway, then frame the subject and push the button all the way, the camera will take the sky more into consideration and not wash it out as much. The result ends up being the same thing as exposure compensation. This method is for distant scenery since the camera will focus on clouds instead of people 10 to 15 feet away and the latter could be blurry.

If you do both 1 and 2, you can overdo things making subject matter other than the sky too dark.

Digital camera hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/digicam.htm

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Tuffcookie]

With my S-5 I shoot in Manual setting and underexpose a bit. Like another poster stated then you get other items in the picture a little darker. The trick is to find a happy medium.

TC

 

[MICKEY88]

a lot of good tips here for preventing the problem, I will go in a different direction and offer a fix, for those times that you end up with these type of pics, any time I see a great sky I will take a few pics, or in a situation like this I will take a few pics of just the sky..

then later if I have a blown out sky, I will go thru my collection of sky shots and find one that will look natural with the pic, and I will plug that sky in...

fixing my blown sky..

 

[Spectro is #1]

if you don't have or can't use a cp , if you have an exposure lock on your camera an easy thing to do is point your camera at the sky, lock that exposure then recompose and shoot. it might make your foreground slightly too dark but not so dark you can't fix in pp and nothing you can do but crop out a totally blown out sky which is to much work, yawn, being lazy ish....usually it works unless you have a really dark foreground. in the 2 photos posted the one with the momuments might have needed the exposure upped in the very front right or maybe a little in the palms because you have some detail in the sky, it's just light so you probably would have been fine doing it that way. also i don't know what camera you have but mine i keep set slightly( like one line) underexposed cause if i don't i blow out highlights...try adjusting your settings if you can and see if that helps..

With a Point and shoot this is the best way to deal with an overexposed sky. The one thing most people ignore is adjusting the white balance. Many point and shoots will do this but have this feature buried in an on screen menu system. Telling the camera what is white gives it a starting point and will help with minor exposure problems.

These are great pictures. A little too much sky in the ruins but man "whata" great view. I love them both.


Fixing it in PSE is not that hard or time consuming if you know how to do it.
At this point it is your only hope of saving these great photos.
Of coures I am assuming that this is not your back yard because if it is I would just re-shoot it.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Another option is to carry a 200'x60' solid blue backdrop along with some 60 poles. You have your friends unfurl it and hold it behind your subject. I carry several with different brightness levels and some with clouds mixed in.

 

[Spectro is #1]

Another option is to carry a 200'x60' solid blue backdrop along with some 60 poles. You have your friends unfurl it and hold it behind your subject. I carry several with different brightness levels and some with clouds mixed in.