Re: My Photos

[Paul Lagasi]

Hi All..
Question is I've gotten lots of comments that my photos look dull, usually these photos are taken on overcast days. Tried various settings but nothing seems to work.
I am using camera in A priority mode, Auto White balance, trying to keep my shutter speed high and f stops low...but I never get the bright photos.
I've included one of these photos below un-Photoshoped, as is out of the camera. This bird was in full but filtered sunlight (light haze in Sky)
Maybe one of you can look at exif file, offer some suggestion, see if anything jumps out at you.
Should I begin trying exposure in manual mode?
Maybe try bracketing?
Or is it all about post processing?
D300 f5.6, 1/1600 iso-400
300 2.8 ed-11 with 1.4 tc
Thank you ... Paul

[Daniel Cadieux]

Paul, the problem causing your not getting "bright" photos here is that according to the exif you are noy using any exposure compensation (at least in this example). The relatively bright scene is fooling your meter to darken the image as close possible to neutral gray (about 18% gray). In AV or TV modes it is crucial to adjust your EC. Histogram is your best friend :-) This particular image looks like should have had about + 2/3 EC. Good news is that if you photograph in RAW this image not lost and 100% fixable (even in jpeg it is not underexposed enough to be a lost cause).

Yes, learning manual would be a great asset. Although AV was perfectly good to use here manual is a great tool to have in your arsenal...especially when you start venturing into flight and/or flash photography.

P.S. Lucky you to have a rather "tame" roughie posing for you!!

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Paul Excellent advice form Daniel and fully agree.

Overcast is good but need to have the proper exposure, just check the histogram and make sure there is data on the last box to the right.

The other things is processing. RAW images don't look their best until you process, this one with just a curves adjustment looks mighty fine. If you need specific help and the image reworked with detail on how it was done posted in the ETL gallery. btw this will come out fine after the PS work but you would be introducing noise form opening up.

[Paul Lagasi]

Ty Alfred and Dan...for advice and help..

By 2/3 ec you mean exposure compensation of .6 for my Nikon? How did you determine this...experience or by adjust exposure with software, seeing where I went wrong?

Dan..there is a Great Grey Owl in Dunrobin..will scout it out and let you know more...
This Roughie let me get out of the car and walk to within 20 yards..go figure
Finally have a great Xmas and New Year

Paul Lagasi

[John Chardine]

Paul- Agree with Daniel and Alfred above. I played with this image in Ps too and you can make it pop with some Curves or levels. With Levels, your histogram had a lot of room above the whites and below the blacks so you can move these in right away. Holding the Alt/Option key while you do this will show you at what point and what colour channel you are clipping. Just ease back so no clipping occurs. An alternative method is to use Curves. The Linear contrast preset in Curves works really well. In flat light there's often a grey/blue tone which can be fixed up with a Saturation adjustment. If all this post-processing is not on, you could always set up your D300 for a Saturation/contrast boost in conditions like this.

[Joerg Rockenberger]

Holding the Alt/Option key while you do this will show you at what point and what colour channel you are clipping.

This is an awesome tip. I had no idea. Big Thanks, JR

[Judd Patterson]

Paul, the others have really provided some great tips on how you can better judge your exposure in the field. Remember to use your histogram on the camera as it will tell you instantly whether the exposure was just right...or too dark/light. Try to push the exposure as far to the right of the graph as possible (lighter tones) without getting too many blinking highlights (these are what you've exposed so heavily they are pure white).

In the example image that you posted, +1 EV over what your camera's meter chose would have been a much better exposure. With digital you are provided instant feedback, so even if you can't look at a scene and judge the exposure (this will come with time and practice), you can at least look at the histogram and correct the next exposure.

[Chris Hansen]

Paul,
I hope you don't mind but I played around with your image to see what i could do with it.
I'm far from the expert here but I upped the exposure and added some contrast. I then added 13 percent saturation. Iinally i sharpened the eye with unsharp mask and added a little contrast to it. I'm sure someone else here could do a better job because they are the ones I have been learning from:p. See what you think.

Chris

[Julie Kenward]

Paul, one other thing no one has mentioned is the white balance issue. If it's an overcast day and you're leaving it on auto white balance this can also be part of the gray/blue cast. Try choosing the shade white balance and take a quick photo of anything...take a look in your monitor and see if that more closely represents what colors you are seeing in real life. If not, choose another WB setting until you find the one that looks most like what you see.

Auto WB can work in many cases but trying out other options and getting it as right as you can 'in camera' can go a long way in getting rid of that gray dull look. The compensation everyone is talking about is the most crucial but this can certainly help as well.

If you've never really tried the other white balances then go outside, take an image on auto, then flip through each one, taking another identical image. I think you'll be surprised at how much difference there is from one end of the spectrum to the other!

[Maxis Gamez]

Great advice by others. In cloudy days, my exposure is always set at +1 to start with and depending on how cloudy the day is, I go higher!

[Roger Clark]

If you've never really tried the other white balances then go outside, take an image on auto, then flip through each one, taking another identical image. I think you'll be surprised at how much difference there is from one end of the spectrum to the other!

Or simply take one raw image, then in the raw converter select each white balance (sunny, shade, cloudy, etc) and see the differences.

Personally, I never use auto white balance. I set to the conditions prevalent, and usually in raw conversion need only minor tweaks from my in the field choice.

For the original question, I agree with others. I first do a levels and then do curves..

Roger

[Richard Stern]

This is what I did with your image in Lightroom - took me about 1/2 minute. 1). Slid the histogram to the right, as far as it would go without blowing out any highlights. 2). Lightened the R. hand end of the tone curve very slightly. 3). Made the WB very slightly more shady than auto. Didn't use Photoshop at all, and didn't adjust any sharpness, color or anything else.

Incidentally, I wish I could get that close, and that sharp a picture, of a Rough-leg!

Comments welcome,

Richard

[Don Lacy]

Paul, I played around with this in PS using curves and layers to set the white and black points plus the midtones. I then used an S curve to add contrast on another layer. Then I got a little fancy and used layer mask with curves to lighten the eye and tail feathers. To finish it off I used a color balance layer to warm it a little ran noise reduction on the BG only and sharpen it with smart sharpen. This is pretty much my normal routine accept I do must of it in ACR during Raw conversion. So I guess the answer to your Question is both, it would have taken less post processing with a better exposed image but even with a properly exposed image you need to process it to bring out its best.

[Paul Lagasi]

Thank you all for your comment and tips......Paul Lagasi
Have a great Holiday season

[Alfred Forns]

Paul exp compensation is based on the subject tones and light. After a while it is easy to predict and come within one 1/3 Keep working with the histogram !!

[Dave Leroy]

Paul, FWIW if you have not already, I suggest you buy both The Art of Bird Photography I and II. I have looked at and read several photo books, but by far these have been the most practical and concise with tons of instructions and things to do.

Nice photo.
Dave

[Desmond Chan]

Should I begin trying exposure in manual mode?

The difference between using manual mode and auto mode is that in the former, the camera do the settings for you and in the later, you yourself do the adjustments, i.e., you press one button set the aperture, then you turn press perhaps another button to set the shutter speed. After that, you may have to press a third button to set the ISO. While in aperture priority mode, for example, you set the aperture and the camera does the rest. Manual mode is not some magic mode that can give you better exposure; it's just another way to do the same thing. Still, both the auto mode and the manual mode require you the photographer knows what to do if exposure compensation is needed. When that is needed, then in auto mode, you press a button to adjust the + or - of some values. And in the manual mode, you actually adjust the aperture, the shutter speed, and/or the ISO yourself.

Maybe try bracketing?

When in doubt, I think bracketing is good.

Or is it all about post processing?

Post processing could help after you press the shutter button.

One thing about checking histogram, I think one should keep in mind that sometimes it may show something is clipped but that doesn't mean the subject matter is wrongly exposed.