need some help on exposure

[sai_kiran]

when i took the pic, i tried to compose it in such a way that the valleys lead us into the pic. but the main prob that i feel is getting the exposure right. The sky generally doesn't feel quite right. i was wondering in such a scenario, where do you ppl lock the exposure and what kind of compensation do you guys use.





secondly this was shot at ISO 400. on second thoughts i am wondering if i should have used ISO 100. Since i was in AE mode, the shutter speed would have been adjusted accordingly. Leaving all other parameters constant, does it make a difference between shooting in ISO 100 & ISO 400?


Shot details:
18 mm, 1/500, f/8, ISO 400, +2/3eV

[OsmosisStudios]

You've got +2/3 EV, which is one of the reasons it's over exposed. Depending on how your camera handles exposure compensation it may be upping the ISO instead of shortening the shutterspeed.

I shoot manual for this reason: no need to fiddle with exposure comp: you do it yourself!

[sai_kiran]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

You've got +2/3 EV, which is one of the reasons it's over exposed. Depending on how your camera handles exposure compensation it may be upping the ISO instead of shortening the shutterspeed.

I shoot manual for this reason:

I used +2/3 because the grass was getting under exposed. Particularly the areas with clouds over them. The ISO setting was in manual mode.

shooting in manual mode, i always find myself fiddling with different shutter speeds, ending up taking many snaps for each valid ones. how do u find the correct exposure for each scene while using manual?

[Benji]

After seeing how often the in camera meter lied to me (about 99.999% of the time) I bought a hand held meter, and for the last 25 years of using it it has never lied to me even once, and they are REAL simple to use. Set the ISO the same as the camera, aim the dome at the light source press the button and set what it says into the camera. If you want a faster or slower shutter speed simply turn the dial and as the shutter speed changes so does the aperture setting. The only mistake I have ever made is forgetting to set what the meter says into the camera.

Benji

[OsmosisStudios]

Exposure compensation doesn't adjust just for one section: having one section of the image be underexpose cant be fixed using EVComp. What you've done is made the entire scene brighter by 2/3 of a stop.

I find the correct exposure in much the same way you describe, although I use the meter in my camera (that is also in ALL cameras) as a guide. I also know that my camera's meter tends to be about 1/3 of a stop over what I would like, so I start with an exposure right around the middle and work from there.

WHat you would have needed in this case is a graduated ND filter to cover the sky or to shoot two pictures and piece them together in post, though with a scene like that you;d be hard pressed

Originally Posted by Benji

After seeing how often the in camera meter lied to me (about 99.999% of the time) I bought a hand held meter, and for the last 25 years of using it it has never lied to me even once, and they are REAL simple to use. Set the ISO the same as the camera, aim the dome at the light source press the button and set what it says into the camera. If you want a faster or slower shutter speed simply turn the dial and as the shutter speed changes so does the aperture setting. The only mistake I have ever made is forgetting to set what the meter says into the camera.

Benji

Your light meter didn't LIE to you: it told you what it saw. Whether it was accurate is a matter of several factors. Most meters arent 100% accurate either. As I've said, my meter is usually about 1/3 of a stop too bright, so I just raise my shutterspeed 1/3 of a stop or stop down 1/3 of a stop. Nothing serious.

[teaking]

If you get chance to take the shot again try two exposures like the above poster mentioned one for the grass and one for the sky and see what it looks like when there merged, its similar to HDR and may just help you. Good luck

[Aegea]

You could try some post processing that might help - reduce the brightness, and try adding a graduated filter to bring out the sky better.

[kencaleno]

If you can't re-take the shot,here's a way to fix it:

Add adjustment layer-levels;
adjust sliders to get sky as you want it;
lasso bottom section;
Apply shadow/highlight at default setting

[CaptainNH]

The bright skies in Aus are always testing our exposures. Where I can, I always try to fix the problem with a ND grad filter, but, sometimes, even that can't help. In that case, I'll blend differently exposed shots in PP. It's certainly easier to use the filter though.