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Old July 31st 07, 07:09 PM posted to rec.photo.digital
Gino[_2_]
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Posts: 49
Default How should I have shot this picture so it isn't so washed out?

As Paul said really.

To add, if your camera has a histogram on it, make sure there are no spikes
on the right hand side after taking the photo. If there are, adjust the
exposure compensation down so that it under-exposes the shot and take
another photo.

Although the photo will look darker being under-exposed, at least you can
post process it with image editing software. Once the whites have blown out
(like the bark of the tree), it is very difficult to get any image detail
back.


"Paul Mitchum" wrote in message
...
SHAKY HANDS wrote:

PICTURE HERE
http://www.intergate.com/~tobeornot2b/me/P7290011.JPG

This picture was shot on my Olympus SP-350 using SHQ (Super High Quality)
+ an Automatic setting + Landscape Scene. The shot is just so washed
out,
I really feel I need some guidance on how to shoot it. [..]


Time for you to learn the basics of exposure. :-)

Your camera will try to make everything in the image as close to a
mid-tone as possible. In this picture, though, there's too much contrast
between the darks and the lights, so your camera has to guess what to
do. So for whatever reason it's favoring the shadows and letting the
highlights blow out.

The way to take a better picture of that scene is to wait for less
contrasty light to show up, like maybe in the early morning or the
evening. Or else use a flash, or else learn how to change the exposure
compensation setting on your camera. You could try EV -1 or -1.5 or so,
and that would pull the blowouts down into the realm of maintaining
detail, but also drowning out some of the shadows.

--
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