Edinburgh + overexposure technical query

[andylepki]

Hi

I recently added to my European city gallery with a few images from

Edinburgh
http://www.lepki.com/edin.htm

Paris
http://www.lepki.com/paris.htm

and have given the overall gallery page a tidy up
http://www.lepki.com/galerija.htm


I also have a technical query; I use an Ixus 330 and I know on certain pictures from Edinburgh the sky was bluer, but using ISO 50, and normal shutter speed, I'm getting the images a bit bleached.
( Especially the picture of the thistle with castle in background, and the large image of the statue seems a bit undefined by shadow ).

Does anybody have any hard and fast tips for this model for taking "object in front of sky (macro/normal)focus" pictures in bright sunlight ?

Any help on either forum or mail would be great

Andy

[phuocle]

Andy,

Turn on your flash - that will help. The technique you're asking about is called filled-in flash for backlit subjects or subjects against a bright background like the sky.

What's happening without the flash is that the camera is setting the exposure for the sky. The sky will then appear blue, but your subject will have shadows or even be silhouetted. Now if you set the subject as the thistle for example, it will have a longer exposure to expose it correctly. The problem now is that your sky will now by blown out, since it's too bright.

If you turn on your flash and expose for the sky, the flash should light up the thistle and the sky would still be correctly exposed. Does this make sense? Play around with it and you'll see what I mean. I'm not sure how good the flash performance is on the IXUS, but for close-ups it should be OK.

[andylepki]

Hey thanks for that,

I'd never really thought of using the flash during the day, and generally never use it anywhere, preferring a steady camera and long exposure for indoor shots.

I'll give this technique a good working over this weekend ( subject : a wedding in an English castle ).

Shall post up any goodies early next week

Thanks again
Andy

[Leighow]

ANDY

On the subject of the larger castle shot.
********************************
I was iat the Edinburgh festival a few years ago. On the north (?) side of the castel there was a fair ground and concert stage. I had my Minolta SR-1 35mm film camera and a 200mm Tameron zoom lens. Soom I had framed a great shot of just the castle standing high on its green hill. I had a great time shielding the camera and dodging trees ! Even so much of the shot had your blemishs.

Same challenge with my G2
**********************
Now I that the best shots are taken at some angle (say crosswise) to the sun. Indeed, the only "non-sunset"
and successful shot into the sun shot that I have taken was taken under a bridge -- with the bridge as my sun shield.

So, for the moment at least, I too am looking for a solution -- if it exists.

HOWIE

[stopbath]

To capture a large shadowed object and the background sky and having both with correct exposures, use a tripod, and two exposures and digitally edit the two shots together.

Since a flash (well, a potatoe masher Metz may, but hey, who has that kicking around in their back pocket?) can't cover a building, expose one shot for the building, another for the sky. Use a tripod so that both shots line up exactly.

The same technique can be used to attain a dual focal plane shot (close and far subjects both in focus even though the lens can't handle that great of a depth of field.)

[andylepki]

very interesting tip...

shall try that one out; thanks!