Hokkaido

I took this picture at Biei, almost sunset time. It looks noisy after uploaded

to photo.net but looks better in its original size, but still, the sky is over

exposed while the green field is underexposed. What should I do if I meet

up with situations again (when I couldn't wait for another 5-15 minutes for

the sunset)?

Thanks for all your comments and critiques.

Graduated ND filters are fantastic for shooting scenes where you need more light attenuation on part of the frame.  Unfortunately if you buy just the treaded type that screw onto the end of your lens, you're stuck with the graduation line in center frame.  Polarizers can help create more contrast in sky scenes.  Otherwise you have the option to post process photos.  There are many things that can be done; from exposure blends, HDR, or simply making small adjustments to just one photo.  I know you say you feel the green field is under-exposed.  I happen to like it just the way you shot it.  For the available light I feel you did quite well.

For next time I might suggest to set up on a tripod and experiment with longer exposures.  This image was shot at 1/320 shutter speed, more than fast enough for this scene.  Happy shooting!!    

Lacey  

This post processing was done in CS4 utilizing blend and screen layer blending modes to create a darker, more contrasty sky; and slightly lighten the foreground.  Not sure if this is the idea you were going for, but I thought I would give it a shot.  If it is, email me and I can send you a great link for step by step instructions on how to achieve this look.

Lacey