Sleigh Ride Help

[Sacajawea]

New and first time poster. The window for this shot was short and unexpected so I threw the setting to "auto" and clicked. NOW...I wonder, if given time to actually set up the shot, what should I have done differently? It was around 6 p.m and snowing. I used a Nikon D90, ISO 1600, Exposure 1/30 sec., Aperture 4.5, focal length 70 mm, no flash. All and any comments are welcome. Thanks in advance and please forgive me if this does not post correctly...it's my first.

[divejunky]

Hi Sacajawea
Nice photo and quick thinking on your part to catch the shot.
The problem is with snow although it is white, the camera sees it as mid grey, so thats why it turns out grey, to overcome this you need to over expose the shot by about 1 stop to bring it back to white
Or do it in post work with a quick levels adjustment.. as i did here. hope you dont mind me playing a little.

[Sacajawea]

Don't mind at all...thank you.

[Sacajawea]

How'd you do that? Use a program?

[divejunky]

In photoshop elements
1. in levels, used the white eyedropper on the snow to get it white, try selecting different areas till you get what looks right.
2. slight contrast and saturation adjustment
3. used adjust sharpness to sharpen it up just a little.

[Sacajawea]

Guess I'll be getting "elements". Thank you.

[rumatamx]

It's better if you get the shot right on the camera, Auto mode does not allow for exposure compensation. Program mode does, press your +/- button and dial to the mark of +1.

As a FYI, ideal shuter speed for any given focal length is one that exedes the focal length number, you said you shot at 70mm (I presume that it is 70mm on your lens which equals to 105mm in 35mm film format), given this, an ideal shuter speed for that focal length would be 1/125 because the denominator excedes the focal length number, this, to avoid movement blur or trepidation, if you are to shoot at a lower shuter speed, use a tripod, but hey, I know sometimes it is not possible.

Cheers.
Ivan

[divejunky]

No problem Sacajawea.
I'm happy to help anytime.