Ducks and Swans

[superdiver]

So I was killing time cuz I needed to leave my truck running since I had left the lights on and needed the battery to charge. I decided to go to the local lake and look for ducks. The ice was off the water so they were on shore trying to stay warm and hitting passer byers for food.

Obviously the light wasn't the best and there was the snow BG. I had my EC set 1/3 to the right, but I still blew out the snow. How should I have done this?

1.
http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/134832949-L.jpg

2.
http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/134837104-L.jpg

3.
http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/134839102-L.jpg

4.
http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/134851063-L.jpg

Then I looked down the lake a little ways and spotted this swan. Usually there are two and then babys later in the spring, but this time it was alone.
5.
http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/134852233-L.jpg

6.
http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/134852955-L.jpg

7.
It was feeding in the shallows.
http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/134863382-L.jpg

http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/134865351-L.jpg


Any CC would be helpful as I am trying to figure this very white BG thing out...

[philc123]

Nice shots, shame the white's have blown, I'm still a newbie at this but i think you should dial the EC to the left to reduce the brightness.

[superdiver]

Thats what would makes sense in my mind as well, but i remember a thread where it talked about needing to expose to the right quite a ways for light BG's....

[bromm]

Nice shots, ec to the right for bright backgrounds is correct,but works best for bright skys ie. blues grays( which dont blow out as easily as white snow), for the snow you do the same but have to adjust it less to the right or sometimes not depending on the subject. Take a quick sample pic, check your histogram, try another adjust until you hit it. Now in those situations where you have no time to set up...your on your own like the rest of us. :D
Well done, keep at it.

[superdiver]

So, where should the histogram be? When I looked at these the histogram was pretty well from side to side.

I have spent the weekend playing with different ec's and trying to get a feel for how it will affect the final shot, so I dont have to take so many "just in case I have the ec wrong" shots....LOL

Like, what do I do when half of the picture will be light (like snow or bright sky) and the other half dark rain forest?

[KTollig]

Nice shots well done

[superdiver]

Thanks!