What Happened?

[cprice72]

What happened to my photos? Went to the park today and when I got home and downloaded the pics they look terrible - totally blown out and colors were all jacked up. They looked great in the LCD while I was taking them, though I know that is not always a good indication. But I never thought they would look like this when I started viewing them on my PC. All photos were taken in RAW format. I have been shooting in RAW over the last month or so but have never had results like this. Any help would be appreciated.





First photo:
Camera: Nikon D3000
Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 48 mm
Focal Length: 49.0 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: +1/3 EV
Flash: No Flash

Second photo:
Camera: Nikon D3000
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 40 mm
Focal Length: 41.2 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: +1/3 EV
Flash: No Flash

[sk66]

All I can tell from the Exif is the +1/3 ev. Nikons generally do better with -1/3 to -2/3 EV.
Perhaps spot metering helped cause the serious blowout?

[cprice72]

After I posted the data I noticed that but didn't know if that setting would have had that much of an effect on the shots. I mean they are really bad and there are some worst than those.

[sk66]

Well, it's probably not JUST the +1/3 EV but it's a big part I would guess.

One thing I've started to do is a settings reset every time I turn on my camera. I then change 2 things (i.e. switch to RAW) and I'm back to the beginning. I've ruined too many shots by forgetting to "undo" some changes I made for a specific situation last shoot.

[BCampbell]

I don't think +1/3EV would make such a drastic difference.

Check your metering mode, you may have changed it accidentally or purposefully and it may be part of the problem.

How are you shooting? Are you focusing and then recomposing?

[OsmosisStudios]

+1/3EV isnt enough to do this.

It was sunny, and so the LCD was likely hit with the sun as well. That makes it VERY hard to judge. Generally, if Im outdoors, I find myself a place thats in the shade to review my images. If I cant, i'll manually bracket (take one, change exposure, take another, change exposure). this way Im sure to get one that's almost or spot on.

[cprice72]

Well went out today and reset all the shooting options. Today was a cloudy day for the most part. Results were better, but still not as sharp as the pictures that I have taken in the past. Shots with with apertures of f/8 and above have a large DOF and the backgrounds are blurred terribly.

I just recently placed a UV filter on my lens - would this effect it in this way?

[sk66]

Originally Posted by cprice72

Well went out today and reset all the shooting options. Today was a cloudy day for the most part. Results were better, but still not as sharp as the pictures that I have taken in the past. Shots with with apertures of f/8 and above have a large DOF and the backgrounds are blurred terribly.

I just recently placed a UV filter on my lens - would this effect it in this way?

Yes, it can. Unusual but possible.

[inkista]

Looking at the full EXIF on Flickr, I note that you may have turned bracketing on.

Exposure Bracket Value: +162113114

Usually this is 0 if the bracketing is off. My guess is that you accidentally left bracketing on. As everyone else is saying +1/3EV isn't enough to cause that much overexposure.

I'm also seeing:
WB_ RBLevels: 1.8515625 1.34765625 1 1

Which suggests some form of white balancing in-camera.

Really doubt a UV filter would've cause a huge amount of overexposure across the entire frame--it's more likely to cause you a localized flare or simple haze.

[cprice72]

Originally Posted by inkista

Looking at the full EXIF on Flickr, I note that you may have turned bracketing on.

Exposure Bracket Value: +162113114

Usually this is 0 if the bracketing is off. My guess is that you accidentally left bracketing on. As everyone else is saying +1/3EV isn't enough to cause that much overexposure.

I'm also seeing:
WB_ RBLevels: 1.8515625 1.34765625 1 1

Which suggests some form of white balancing in-camera.

Really doubt a UV filter would've cause a huge amount of overexposure across the entire frame--it's more likely to cause you a localized flare or simple haze.

Inksta - thanks for the reply. My Nikon D3000 doesn't have an auto-bracketing feature. Was that the type of bracketing you were talking about or something else. After looking over the EXIF data again it looks as if the white balance was set to sunny - but it seems if that is the case they shots would have been more underexposed. I don't know. Some of my shots today turned out okay. I will chalked the bad ones today up as just being an amateur. Next time I am going to shoot a couple of shots in Auto and some pre-programmed settings and in JPEG format just to see if it is just my settings and try without the UV filter.

Thanks for all the replys and help.