What’s Your Preference?

hairygorillaz · #1 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 11:10 AM

Can someone please help me? I am unable to get a good contrast between the dark statue, and the white clock tower. Much as I tried, i could only get a underexposed photo or a over exposed photo. Any tips?

ELAY · #2 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 01:28 PM

If you are talking about post-processing then you are probably going to have use two or three different layers, one exposed for the clock tower, one for the eagle, and maybe one for the sky. You could either take three different photographs at different exposures, or "make" different exposures using Photoshop or whatever, and then use layering and masking to create a photo that would be "exposed" differently for different areas. There are a number of tutorials around on this kind of work, usually with titles like "Exposure Blending". Depending on how you approached it, it could be a little fiddly around the eagle's feathers for sure.

If you are asking about reshooting, the only thing I can think of is to try to hit the spot in a lighting situation where the sun is catching the clocktower but not the eagle -- maybe early or late? or maybe there is another structure nearby that throws some shadow on the eagle at a certain time?

EL

Digidave · #3 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 01:51 PM

Personally, I underexpose & then deal with it in post-production. Your first shot is the way to go. You just need to bring up your shadows a bit & you would have a fine shot. Once you have blown out highlights like your second shot, it is very difficult if not impossible to recover. And, as always, practice, practice, practice.

Luc Rioux · #4 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 02:06 PM

Try using the spot metering mode in your camera and focus on the eagle.

Tiberius · #5 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 02:07 PM

Another option is to expose for the background (giving you and under-exposed subject), then use your flash to give the subject some brightness. Fill flash basically. A digital SLR is the best for this, as usually the inbuilt flash is adjustable to give you some control over the image) and you can also use an external flash, which will give you even more control over the intensity of the flash, and it will also let you bounce the flash of even get it off camera to get some modelling.