[Merlyn]

Originally Posted by Maverick007

The time you describe are very good for pictures and I went into Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire, England. I have taken some really good shots in the trees and along the river. As dusk arrived and the sun went lower the light was fantastic with deep blue sky tinged with pink clouds.

I started to take pictures with my circular polariser fitted but no matter what apeture or shutter speed was used I had either to much under exposure or a blown out sky. How do you stop the sky from blowing??

Filter: Neutral Density Gradient Filter

It will allow you to balance the exposure between the ground and the sky.
The filter is dark at the top and graduates down to transparent at the bottom. The top of the sky is dark and as the sky approaches the ground it becomes lighter. Gel filters are also a choice. This from the film days. An attachment on the end of the lens holds one or several gel(plastic) filters in an assortment of colors.