White bits for sky

duncan_g · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 12:13 pm Post subject: White bits for sky

In some of my non-mtb pics, the sky is all whit instead of blue.
Like these for example:

Does any body know how to conquer this problem?

dandantheadminman · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:14 pm Post subject:

i know a few ways to sort it...

1. meter from the sky as opposed to the automatic matrix metering or you metering the land. but, this means you lose brightness and detail on the land bits.

2. take down the eposure a bit

3. sometimes it just the case the sky is crappy and you just have to except that,

BUT to get the great blue skies your see pros getting you use a skylight, or even better, a polarising filter to get that cool blue thing.
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duncan_g · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:31 am Post subject:

Ok, thanks.
I was thinking it might be the exposure but then the land and other features would be to dark.
I have a bluey setting on my camera so ill try that sometime.

Roo · Forum Master Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 442

ND Grads only real way to sort it.

Cokin is cheaper but worse, Lee are more expensive but better.

They are basically bits of glass/plastic that go in front of the lens that go fade from clear to grey and so with the grey section at the top of the picture, it lets in less light so it's the equivalent of using a quicker shutter speed or smaller aperture on the sky only.

Roo · Forum Master Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 442

For example, I held a cokin ND grad in front of my fisheye, you can see the difference either side.

dandantheadminman · Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 9:19 pm Post subject:

:O I heard that grad filters helped but i didn't realise that much!!!

guess im gunna have to get one when my dslr arrives, lol
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Roo · Forum Master Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 442

It's not too simple, obviously sky can be different brightnesses in relation to the ground, so you really need a few of different tones of grey and if you go for the cokin system, you need adapter rings for whatever lense you want to use them on.

dandantheadminman · Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 9:34 pm Post subject:

can you still run a grad filter even if you running a screw-on circ polariser?

or is that a silly idea?

cause i'm getting a circ polariser with my slr in a month and would probs like a grad filter for xmas.
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duncan_g · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 6:52 am Post subject:

Sweet! That is a HUGE difference, would i be able to use one on my nikon 3200?

JRampton · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:24 am Post subject:

I've found that adjusting the white balance helps, my camera has an automatic white balance, you basically set it up by selecting the white balance and then taking a pic of something white (peice of A4 is good) and the camera then knows what white is so adjusts colours to compensate.

Your white balance might be too high or exposure too long.

duncan_g · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 9:10 am Post subject:

Yeah, ill try that too. I know i have that setting.
My mum has a slr and she also has two filters, so im gonna try and hold them infront of my camera lens and see if it makes a differnece

Roo · Forum Master Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 442

dandantheadminman · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 5:05 pm Post subject:

thnx roo
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farm boy · Average User Joined: 03 Aug 2006 Posts: 88

Roo · Forum Master Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 442

I think it might be, It was somehwere near petersfield on the other side of the A3...