Help!!! Night shot giving me issues.

[deletedpenguin]

Hey all. Here's a shot I took last night of the San Diego skyline. I'm getting a lot of posterizing in the sky above the city, even in the RAW file in Lightroom before saved for the web and can't figure out what's going on. It seems to be inherent in how I took the picture, but I can't understand what I did wrong. Here's the shot:

http://www.theswedersens.net/stefan/posterizing.jpg

And the EXIF data:

# Exposure Time (1 / Shutter Speed) = 20/1 second = 20.00000 second
# Lens F-Number/F-Stop = 63/10 = F6.30
# Exposure Program = manual control (1)
# ISO Speed Ratings = 100
# Exif Version = 0221
# Original Date/Time = 2007:09:14 19:47:46
# Digitization Date/Time = 2007:09:14 19:47:46
# Shutter Speed Value (APEX) = -4321928/1000000
Shutter Speed (Exposure Time) = 1/0.05 second
# Aperture Value (APEX) = 5310704/1000000
Aperture = F6.30
# Exposure Bias (EV) = 0/3 = 0.00
# Max Aperture Value (APEX) = 296875/100000 = 2.97
Max Aperture = F2.80
# Metering Mode = pattern / multi-segment (5)
# Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
# Focal Length = 48/1 mm = 48.00 mm
# Colour Space = sRGB (1)


It was overexposed about 1/2 a stop and I adjusted it in Lightroom, but the posterizing was occuring even before adjusting the exposure within the RAW file. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

[chabooky386]

Seems to be a lil too far back imo. Try taking the picture a lil more centered next time. And use the space on the right a lil more effetively as well. Just try more it won't hurt

[deletedpenguin]

Ya, it may be a little ways back, but the posterizing is what I'm most concerned about at this point. Just can't figure it out.

[mkuriger]

what is posterizing? that photo looks pretty clear to me.

[charger912]

This is just my opinion, but I would try cropping about 1/3 of the water. It just seems like too much at the bottom for me. Other than that I think it turned out really well.