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Category: New Answers

Photography Question 

Sarah McMurtrie 		 

Overexposed Reds


 
  Why?
Why?
f/45, 1/20, 300 mm

Sarah McMurtrie

  
 
When in Holland recently I took a number of photos of fields of tulips. Unfortunately the vast amounts of bright red seem to have given my D70 a bit too much to think about. Is this a problem with the camera? the conditions? Any ideas? Also, any ideas on how to fix it in imaging software?
Thanks


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May 14, 2005

 

Bob Cammarata 		  It looks like a result of varying degrees of sunlight hitting the scene.
The left side is in bright sunshine and the rest of the field is shaded.
In this scenario if you metered the middle (shaded) portion, the brighter areas would be over-exposed.

You can solve this dilemma compositionally by framing only a shaded portion,...or only a sunlit portion of the field of tulips. The in-camera meter on your D70 should choose an exposure setting which will yield true red.

If the conditions don't warrant this, switch to manual and get a reading off both light extremes and set your exposure somewhere in the middle.
Your highlights will over-expose at about the same ratio that the shadows will darken. The result will be a bit more balanced,...the way your eyes and brain perceived it.


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May 14, 2005

 

Sarah McMurtrie 		  Hi Bob,

Thanks for your response!

Cloud cover could have been the cause - the field was very open and it was a mostly sunny day ... but there were a few clouds in the sky.

I'll definitely try out your suggestions in the future though.

Thanks


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May 15, 2005

 

Bunny Snow 		  Could this be a case for a two grad filter, if one side of the scene is brighter than the other?

Thanks.

Bunny


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August 23, 2005

 
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