What’s Your Preference?

picklingjeff · #1 (**permalink**) 05-24-2009, 11:29 AM

Now that the summer has arrived in China I have started to experience problems with the pollution in my photography. Generally its not so bad in the close ups but anything with the sky in usually results in everything seeming like its a dull wet day when in fact its sunny and 30.

Attempting to brighten up the pictures in photoshop blows the sky out white. I've attached one of my Great Wall shots as an example.

Are there any equipment solutions to lessening the affects of the hazy atmosphere? From a suggestion from a friend, I've tried a U.V. filter but with no marked results. Or is it just going to be about experimenting with photoshop some more?

autofocus · #2 (**permalink**) 05-24-2009, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by picklingjeff

Now that the summer has arrived in China I have started to experience problems with the pollution in my photography. Generally its not so bad in the close ups but anything with the sky in usually results in everything seeming like its a dull wet day when in fact its sunny and 30.

Attempting to brighten up the pictures in photoshop blows the sky out white. I've attached one of my Great Wall shots as an example.

Are there any equipment solutions to lessening the affects of the hazy atmosphere? From a suggestion from a friend, I've tried a U.V. filter but with no marked results. Or is it just going to be about experimenting with photo shop some more?

When you shot this scene, did the sky look blue to you, or did you see what the camera saw? In a photo like this that includes dark foreground along with bright sky, it's not unusual for skies to be blown out. Once your highlights max out and reach 255 on the dynamic range scale, it's pretty hopeless to recover. If you didn't see a blue sky through all the haze with your eyes, you can't expect your camera to see it. If it's an exposure issue, a split neutral density may help, but not likely improve the haze issue

picklingjeff · #3 (**permalink**) 05-25-2009, 12:54 AM

The sky did seem blue, no clouds, just very bright. It made the foreground look dark even though I wasn't shooting into the sun. In the pre-processed shots the sky is still blue, but like I said the foreground is too dark, and when you bring up the greens the sky goes white.

autofocus · #4 (**permalink**) 05-25-2009, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by picklingjeff

The sky did seem blue, no clouds, just very bright. It made the foreground look dark even though I wasn't shooting into the sun. In the pre-processed shots the sky is still blue, but like I said the foreground is too dark, and when you bring up the greens the sky goes white.

Here's a trick if you are using Photoshop...bring up the exposure on the foreground to your satisfaction...this, of course will effect the sky as you noted. Then grab the History brush and set to 100% opacity, now sweep that carefully over the sky area. You will now have the sky just as it was shot before you made your exposure adjustment.

Also remember, anytime you include the sky in your image it will effect the overall exposure as your camera's meter tries to average in all the light it sees...the end result usually being underexposed subjects.

inkista · #5 (**permalink**) 05-25-2009, 02:22 AM

You can use USM with a large radius to increase contrast and reduce the haze without adding to the sharpening.

For the blown-white skies, you could try a circular polarizer filter, a graduated ND filter, or exposure bracketing and HDR processing.

flomaster · #6 (**permalink**) 05-25-2009, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by picklingjeff

The sky did seem blue, no clouds, just very bright. It made the foreground look dark even though I wasn't shooting into the sun. In the pre-processed shots the sky is still blue, but like I said the foreground is too dark, and when you bring up the greens the sky goes white.

then you need to mess around with layers in photoshop

duplicate the background layer, erase the sky and then change the color to make your "Greens" pop.

-=Jason=-

OsmosisStudios · #7 (**permalink**) 05-25-2009, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inkista

You can use USM with a large radius to increase contrast and reduce the haze without adding to the sharpening.

For the blown-white skies, you could try a circular polarizer filter, a graduated ND filter, or exposure bracketing and HDR processing.

I checked that link out: Call me stupid, but I didnt see a change. A slight increase in contrast in the people off in the background on the left, but nothing major.

autofocus · #8 (**permalink**) 05-25-2009, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

I checked that link out: Call me stupid, but I didnt see a change. A slight increase in contrast in the people off in the background on the left, but nothing major.

I also saw no real diiference either??

...and where was the haze? But, curious me will want to try it