Burnt out highlights that 3-stop nd grad wont cover

[stuart_bellamy]

Hi,

 

I am pretty new to photography after buying a Nikon dslr 6 months ago but am thoroughly enjoying

taking landscapes and seascapes almost as often as i can. I use a D80 and have invested in some lee

filters, a few grads and straight nds. I have trouble, when after choosing a composition and shooting

when i think the light is at its 'best', to me, but the foreground up to the horizon is always too dark for my

taste when using a 0.9 nd to balance the exposure. There are always blown out highlights. I end up

getting my better shots 10 - 30 min after sunset but have to try to recover the detail in the lower part of

the image.

 

What i'm trying to say is that i know i have a lot to learn about light but is there anyone who give a me

some tips or pointers to first, know where to point the camera in relation to the setting sun at what time

in my photo sessions and secondly should i use a combination of nd grads to make them stronger to

block out the harsh light, like a .6 and .9 to make a 5 stop difference?

 

Would appreciate any advice at all. Thanx for listening.

Stuart

 

ps. You can also take a look at some of my photos to see if i'm doing something wrong.

[ShunCheung]

I would shoot from a tripod, which you should do anyway, take multiple shots at different exposures and merge them in PhotoShop. That method is called HDR, high dynamic-range merge.

[stuart_bellamy]

I have tried that in the past but the results dont quite look the same as getting it right in one

well balanced image. I do use tripod though. Thanx anyway and will try hdr again.

[ellis_vener_photography]

Are you sure those aren't specular highlights like reflections from something shiny?

[david_henderson]

I can't understand this- I use slide film with a dynamic range at the very most equal to what's available to you and I carry grads up to 3 stop. This seems to cover the vast majority of cunrise/sunset opportunities with the single exception of the sun itself near the horizon and totally uncovered by cloud or haze. There doesn't seem to be any evidence of your "problem" in the images you display here- which seem well enough exposed to me.

 

If you're photographing sunsets over water I assume you have hard-edged Lee grads? The soft edge will not do you much good since they offer miniscule ND effect where you need the most.

 

If the sun's near the horizon , unobstructed and very bright, there may simply not be a good photograph available to you without excluding that small area from your composition, or waiting until haze or a cloud reduces the intensity of the sun. If you expose for the area close to the sun you will find that everything else in yout photograph becomes severely underexposed. Its unlikely that a stronger grad will help much for this reason.

[stuart_bellamy]

I see now, i think i have been shooting when the sun is too strong and maybe too early. Will

try again this evening and use only the hard grad for the seascapes. Thanx alot!

[stephen_schoof1]

I occasionally have need for something stronger than 3 stops and combine a 3-stop with a 3-stop soft-edged or 1- or 2-stop hard edged filter, depending on the scene. If you're including the sun (or moon) and combining filters in a holder (where there is a gap between them), be careful about reflections that can give you two or three suns.

 

I agree that there are situations where the sun is simply too intense to get a photograph that isn't underexposed elsewhere or artifical looking because of too much filtration.

[erik_loza]

We need to see a sample pic before giving good advice. All speculation as to what the scene actually looks like without that.

[stuart_bellamy]

Sorry dont have any sample pics as I delete them if they aren't good photos. I shoot only on

RAW and only keep the good ones. But my photos are mainly after the sun has set but i want

to get a similar feeling but with that warm evening light before the sunsets.

[tim_huggins]

"I can't understand this- I use slide film with a dynamic range at the very most equal to what's available to you ..."

 

Despite manufacture's claims, there is no comparison between film and digital dynamic range. Film has a logarithmic response as light intensity increases, like human vision. Digital sensors have a linear response across the whole range from black to white. That is why every digital camera blows out highlights.

 

Check out this page

http://www.kenrockwell.com/olympus/trip-35.htm

for an interesting comparison of a cheap scan with cheap film from a cheap camera, against a top of the line Canon DSLR. Scroll down to the shot with the houses in the background. Look at the overcast sky. The Canon blew it out completely. The film picked up the subtle gradation.

 

Below is a shot of breakfast cooking on a recent camping trip. This is from my E-500, exactly as it came out of the camera (just resized for posting). Neither the eggs or the water jug are even actually "white", but they are all blown out and featureless. Even with slide film, you would never get anything close to this level of blow out in this shot.

 

Want beautiful highlights? Try film!<div></div>

[stuart_bellamy]

Wish i could have started on film but already invested so much on my digital setup. Maybe in

a few years time when i'm better and will take a look at a fuji panoramic film camera. Thanx

[colinsouthern]

Stuart,

 

Some "questionable" advice given above, I'm afraid.

 

A few pointers and suggestions.

 

1. Before you take the shot, stick your camera on spot-metering (or the closest that you've got) and meter your shadows, mid-tones, and highlights.

 

If your shadows are more than 2 stops below your mid-tones then you run the risk of them "disappearing" into the darkness. With regards to highlights -v- midtones, you really want to have about a 1 stop difference, so for example, if you have a 6 stop difference and only a 3-Stop GND filter to attenuate the highlights with then it isn't going to work. If you're trying to do this on any sensor that's less than full frame then it get's even harder, and filter placement is even more critical.

 

2. If you're running with the standard Lee starter kit filter holder then you'll have a couple of slots left over - I'd suggest getting a 2 GND filter as well and stack them.

 

3. Make sure that you're using the ones with the sharp transition, not the gradual transition.

 

4. Be sure to depress your DOF preview button to assist you in aligning the filters.

 

5. If you're doing sunset shots then you really need a REVERSE grad ND filter as well

 

6. Take a look at ...

 

http://www.singh-ray.com/grndgrads.html

 

http://www.singh-ray.com/reversegrads.html

 

http://singhray.blogspot.com/

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/491479-REG/LEE_Filters_BOOKINSPRO_Book_Inspiring_Professionals.html

 

Drop me a private eMail if you need more help.

 

Cheers,

 

Colin

[stuart_bellamy]

Thanx again Colin, will send ya some new pics when i get this whole thing right. Thanx

everyone for all the feedback and insight.

Stuart

[thadley]

I also have been having problem with my Nikon D70 with blown highlights re sunset and other landscape images. What I have been working with recently is setting my Nikon on multiple image and auto bracketing. One push of the shutter button takes 3 images at different shutter speeds and the aperture is constant. I have not had success with HDR but I plan to use layering and masks to get the best from the three images. Part of the reason I use the 'multiple image' mode is because If I am in a situation where the clouds are on the move then I want to capture those images in rapid succession to ensure that the three images are almost the same except for the exposure. You can check my sunset folder for some of the work I have been doing.

[stuart_bellamy]

Great! Took a look and very nice stuff and they look pretty good with blending. Will keep

trying! Thanx.