Need advice for exposure

[beepclick]

This shot seems hazy and rather weak in terms of color/saturation. I didn't have time to take multiple shots with different settings.

Any suggestions on how to improve this exposure would be welcome.

thanks.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/vectorcafe/SHOREBIRD.jpg

The histo
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/vectorcafe/SHOREBIRD-HISTO.jpg

And the exif:
Camera Model Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi
Shooting Date/Time 4/14/2008 6:00:25 PM
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/250
Av( Aperture Value ) 6.3
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 200
Lens EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Focal Length 300.0 mm
Image Size 3888x2592
Image Quality Fine
Flash Off
White Balance Mode Daylight
AF Mode AI Focus AF
Picture Style User Defined 3(Standard)
Sharpness 3
Contrast 0
Saturation 0
Color tone 0
Color Space sRGB
Noise Reduction Auto


I think I read that the histogram is supposed to be weighted to the right side, with the middle to the left side about half as high up on the charts.

[poloman]

It is underexposed.
I would lighten it and give it a going over in levels and curves.
Boost saturation to taste.
See if a high pass sharpen helps or creates too much noise.
If you enable image editing, I will give it a quick shot. :)
It is a really neat image.

[beepclick]

It is underexposed.
I would lighten it and give it a going over in levels and curves.
Boost saturation to taste.
See if a high pass sharpen helps or creates too much noise.
If you enable image editing, I will give it a quick shot. :)
It is a really neat image.

That would be great. Let me see if I can turn Image Edit on.\

OK, poloman, Image Edit turned on.

[poloman]

Here you go....

[beepclick]

That looks much better. If you have time, what tools did you use for that?
I tried sliding the Levels controls a little in photoshop but it just seemed to get more overexposed.

thanks a lot, poloman.

[poloman]

In levels, slide the right slider until it is just under the right hand side of the histogram. Move the center slider to 1.08.
Adjust saturation a little to the right.
Make a duplicate layer...Choose filter, high pass. Set the control in the box for 2.7. Set the layer designation to hard light. Adjust the opacity to 48%.
Flatten layers.
Dodge a bit around the eye to make it show up.
That's it...hope it helps. :)

[beepclick]

In levels, slide the right slider until it is just under the right hand side of the histogram. Move the center slider to 1.08.
Adjust saturation a little to the right.
Make a duplicate layer...Choose filter, high pass. Set the control in the box for 2.7. Set the layer designation to hard light. Adjust the opacity to 48%.
Flatten layers.
Dodge a bit around the eye to make it show up.
That's it...hope it helps. :)

Good stuff. I hadn't heard of using hard light setting for high pass, mostly overlay or soft light. Not up to speed on the dodge tool, but can look it up.
I didn't know to use the center slider in Levels, either.

Much appreciated.

[PhotosGuy]

I didn't have time to take multiple shots with different settings. Try this next time & take all your shots at the right setting:
Need an exposure crutch? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89123)
More on how the subject affects the exposure in Post # 47 (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=5191658&postcount=47)

[poloman]

The dodge tool looks like a small dark magnifying glass on the tool bar. Set opacity to about 15% and use a soft edged brush. This will lighten whatever you brush it across. This is very helpful for use on pupils, eyelids and teeth.
High pass with hard light will give you the sharpest result. Use the other settings (overlay or soft light) for a softer look.
Glad I could help. :)

[beepclick]

Try this next time & take all your shots at the right setting:
Need an exposure crutch? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89123)
More on how the subject affects the exposure in Post # 47 (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=5191658&postcount=47)

Man, that's a little confusing (and I'm not that dumb - Mensa member).

I went out on the balcony with the xti, in M mode, and adjusted shutter speed until the needle was centered - so that's something new learned today (thanks, PhotosGuy).

If I meter off the palm of my hand as suggested in one of your links, does that exposure setting stay set for multiple shots, or do I meter off my hand for every shot?

I need to study the exposure links you provided, the Sunny-16 and all that stuff. Time is limited here on vacation, will have to wait until I return.

[beepclick]

ok, I took a shot of the pool. first image. then i tried to meter of my hand, the 70-300 wouldn't lock, so I metered off the stone walkway in the shade, 2nd image. then I held the shutter halfway to meter off the stone walkway (2nd image) and moved the camera to focus on the pool. the exposure light on the far right was blinking and I couldn't take the shot.

So how do I meter off the stone walkway and then make a picture of the pool if the camera won't do it?

here's the pool
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/vectorcafe/POOL.jpg
pool exif
Camera Model Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi
Shooting Date/Time 4/15/2008 10:45:14 AM
Shooting Mode Manual Exposure
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/320
Av( Aperture Value ) 8.0
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
ISO Speed 100
Lens EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Focal Length 70.0 mm
Image Size 3888x2592
Image Quality Fine
Flash Off
White Balance Mode Daylight

the walkway
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/vectorcafe/WALK.jpg
walkway exif
Camera Model Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi
Shooting Date/Time 4/15/2008 10:46:09 AM
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/320
Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 100
Lens EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Focal Length 70.0 mm
Image Size 3888x2592
Image Quality Fine
Flash Off
White Balance Mode Daylight

So, after I took the shot of the walkway, resulting in the exif right above, and then focused on the walkway again to meter and swung the viewfinder up to the pool area, the camera, which was prepared to expose the shady walkway, was telling me that exposure was not acceptable for the pool (telling me by the exposurelight on the far right in the viewfinder blinking)?

[beepclick]

OK, tried the "Sunny 16" method in M mode.
Not too bad, except I didn't realize I was in Manual Focus mode, so all out of focus. But it appears the 1/ISO shutter @ f/16 might be a good approach for a beginner like myself.

exif same for all 3
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/vectorcafe/pool-16.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/vectorcafe/sunny-16-two.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/vectorcafe/sunny-6-three.jpg

--Before someone shouts out "very out of focus" I was in manual focus mode (by accident)

[beepclick]

Ok. Thought I would take the same image in Full Auto mode to see what the camera decided. The Digic II narrowed the aperture, increased the shutter and ISO, for a result pretty similar to the Sunny-16 result in M mode.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/vectorcafe/pool-Auto-mode.jpg

Camera Model Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi
Shooting Date/Time 4/15/2008 11:20:04 AM
Shooting Mode Auto
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/500
Av( Aperture Value ) 14.0
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 250
Lens EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Focal Length 70.0 mm
Image Size 3888x2592
Image Quality Fine
Flash Off
White Balance Mode Auto
AF Mode AI Focus AF
Picture Style Standard



So, for me for the next couple days here in sunny Florida, do I gain anything by using M mode or Full Auto if the results are similar?

[poloman]

You will have trouble with the camera's metering when you are shooting a subject that is very white or very black. The camera wants to see everything as 18% gray so it will underexpose a white subject and overexpose a black one. You can compensate for this by using + or - exposure compensation. Shooting in manual will give you the most consistent performance as long as the light is consistent. If your subject is backlit you will want to use + exposure compensation to brighten the subject enough to be clear. The palm of the hand trick is a way of simulating an 18% gray card and setting the exposure based on the light hitting your hand. When you use this method, you will want to get the light hitting your hand as it would the subject. Experiment...........there are no instant solutions. Everyone can take pictures. Can everyone do it well?

[Cody21]

Let me throw my 2 cents in here : I actually liked your 1st pool shot better than the 2nd one. It just has more color balance to it - the 2nd one looking like your meter got fooled and didnt expose it properly. However, you're on vacation - so whether you wish to spend time experimenting and learning in lieu off just 'vacationing' is what you're up against. Mabe you should just stick to FULL AUTO for the "must have" memories? Then spend some time going ALL MANUAL ? For all MANUAL, you should be "chimping" (checking your histogram) after your shot -- just to see if things are to far LEFT or RIGHT (you want the exposure mostly towards the right - just don't hug it too tight.)

But in general, my experience has been that FULL AUTO gets very undesirable results if/when the meter assumes incorrectly; resulting in UNDER/OVER exposed images. Which metering mode you have set will ALSO have an effect on this. And lastly, if you shoot in RAW mode, you'll have much more flexibility to "adjust" the images in PP when you get them home.

I went RAW and won't look back ... YMMV

Have fun!

[beepclick]

I do shoot RAW+Jpeg, but my software doesn't work on this laptop - says Ineed a monitor resolution of at least 1024x 6xx (can't remember) even though my screen is 1280x720. So I uninstalled DPP, thinking I could re-install from Canon web site - wrong. So I'm without DPP for the vacation.

Lost track of time hanging out here - must get to the airport to pick up my nephew and sister.

I'd like to take a moment, though, to say "Thank You" to all the very generous POTN members here who have responded to my requests for help.

No doubt, with the database available here, there is not a question left to ask that hasn't already been answered, yet time and again, newcomers such as myself ask the same questions over and over, and the members here are the kind of people that, rather than say "try search, you lazy so-and-so", say "welcome to POTN, let me help you with your problem" - for that I am most grateful.

Perhaps someday, in the distant future, I can repay the kindness and answer a beginners question.

[tdodd]

Another variant on your first shot. Adjustments were made in Lightroom, firstly by hitting "Auto Tone", and then adjusting a couple of sliders manually after that. It took maybe a minute or less. Even with the adjustments I have not pushed the histogram all the way to the right for the highlights, as that didn't really seem necessary. I'm sure with time, inclination and the original file to play with, there may be better options but this was the quick fix. You can see the adjustments on the right hand panel.

[PhotosGuy]

If I meter off the palm of my hand as suggested in one of your links, does that exposure setting stay set for multiple shots, or do I meter off my hand for every shot? If the light doesn't change, metering once will do it.

If you have clouds coming over, then meter for that exposure too, at a higher ISO, because you're using a f-stop & shutter speed you need, right? Remember the setting.
I can change ISO in about 2 seconds without taking the camera from my eye. It's really not that hard & if I'm 1/2 stop off sometimes, it's still better than using EC with Tv or Av, & RAW takes up the slack.
Did you look at how the subject affects the exposure in
Post # 47 (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=5191658&postcount=47)

[beepclick]

Yes, I looked at it yesterday and again today. I see the 'metered' parameters, which I think you're saying the camera is doing based on what you meter off of, change in the different shots of the field.

I will have to spend more time on Post #47 before I can see what/why settings are changing, and determine the difference between changes you are making and changes the camera is making on it's own.

All those exposure links you provided earlier will be valuable - when I have more time to study them.

The 50-500mm Sigma arrives today, and I've pretty much decided I bit off more than I can chew with that lens - too little margin for error and lots of work/skill to get full benefit of it. At least I will open the package and see what it feels like before I send it back. I got carried away with the bird shots the other day and wanted to be able to get the real 'close in' shots.