sky is always white

fromSF · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

ok so i was just wondering how i can get bright blue skys in my photos. Every time i take a photo of my daughter on bright sunny day usually the sky will either look white to grey or if anything just slightly light blue, but im looking for the nice blue sky. sorry for the noob question still learning a lot here

thanks

Karl Johnston · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

A circular polarizer may be just what you're looking for.

Bob_A · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

You may want to get a circular polarizer

I used one for this image:

blackcap · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

The reason is the sky is overexposed due to it being much brighter than your foreground. A CPL will help darken the skies, or you could expose for the sky and use some fill flash to brighten your subject.

tzalman · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

You need to reduce exposure and, as said above, this will cause the foreground to be too dark. You can bring more light to it with a flash or reflector or you can post-process the shot, darkening a too light (but not entirely white) sky and brightening the darker tones. The extent to which this can be done to a jpg is limited, but by shooting in RAW you will be able to do much more.

DStanic · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

As mentioned a circular polarizer can help a great deal

Also it depends what time of day you shoot. If you are shooting at noon when the sun is directly above you then you will get harsh shadows and bright highlights. You may want to try and shoot in the morning or later in the afternoon. Also make sure that the sun is not behind your daughter but facing her so that it lights her up and you don't get an overexposed background.

lukeap69 · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buddha12

ok so i was just wondering how i can get bright blue skys in my photos. Every time i take a photo of my daughter on bright sunny day usually the sky will either look white to grey or if anything just slightly light blue, but im looking for the nice blue sky. sorry for the noob question still learning a lot here

thanks

If you do not have the CPL yet, try shooting with the sun behind you.

gjl711 · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

Quote:

Originally Posted by lukeap69

If you do not have the CPL yet, try shooting with the sun behind you.

Yup, even with a CPL, if your shooting into the light it will blow out the sky. Keeping the sun to your back will help a lot. You can also fix the problem a bit in photoshop assuming that the sky is not totally blown out by using the GND trick. If you really want fix the problem, think of investing in a set of GND filters. It will reduce the exposure of the sky to match the exposure of you subject.

chauncey · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

Or you could do like I do...put all of those filters in a drawer and use the new version of LightRoom.

CAL Imagery · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

Or you can use HDR.

Bob_A · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chauncey

Or you could do like I do...put all of those filters in a drawer and use the new version of LightRoom.

A circ pol is about the only filter that can"t be reproduced by photoshop.

As mentioned above though it's not going to do much for certain situations, but with the sun at the right angle the results can be very good.

dpds68 · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chauncey

Or you could do like I do...put all of those filters in a drawer and use the new version of LightRoom.

Can you post some before and after examples I am also having trouble with this ? ( I have Lightroom 2.0 Now learning how to use it )

mattograph · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

As a side note, CPLs do not make sky blue. They eliminate reflections that mask the blue in the sky. A CPL works on angles of reflections (bobs point re: angles being on target.)

So, a CPL does not guarantee a blue sky, but can help saturate the colors throughout your photo.

Also, if a sky is TOTALLY Blown, no amount of exposure adjustment will bring back the blue.

The common pro solution for this when shooting portraits is lighting via strobe or reflector. (You'd be surprised what you can do with a $5 piece of white artboard.)

chauncey · 11th of April 2009 (Sat)

Check this out

http://www.layersmagazine.com/catego...als/lightroom/

Which I found here

http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q...+2&FORM=MSNH11

acousticvibrations · 17th of July 2009 (Fri)

the AV button on your camera, try going +.75-1 or -.5

and dont forget the WB to set sunlight.

Image # 1 Shooting into the sun direction

Image #2 sun to my back (WB Sunlight, AV +.75)

#1 was taken 15 mins before #2.

hope this helps.

11th of April 2009 (Sat)	#3
Bob_A Cream of the Crop Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 7,371 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: sky is always white You may want to get a circular polarizer I used one for this image: __________________ Bob

11th of April 2009 (Sat)	#4
blackcap Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 415 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: sky is always white The reason is the sky is overexposed due to it being much brighter than your foreground. A CPL will help darken the skies, or you could expose for the sky and use some fill flash to brighten your subject.

11th of April 2009 (Sat)	#5
tzalman Fatal attraction. Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Gesher Haziv, Israel Posts: 10,817 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: sky is always white You need to reduce exposure and, as said above, this will cause the foreground to be too dark. You can bring more light to it with a flash or reflector or you can post-process the shot, darkening a too light (but not entirely white) sky and brightening the darker tones. The extent to which this can be done to a jpg is limited, but by shooting in RAW you will be able to do much more. __________________ Elie / אלי "If you presume to love something, you must love the process of it much more than you love the finished product." John Irving, 5/2012. "In theory there is no difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is." Yogi Berra Site

11th of April 2009 (Sat)	#6
DStanic Cream of the Crop Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 6,117 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: sky is always white As mentioned a circular polarizer can help a great deal Also it depends what time of day you shoot. If you are shooting at noon when the sun is directly above you then you will get harsh shadows and bright highlights. You may want to try and shoot in the morning or later in the afternoon. Also make sure that the sun is not behind your daughter but facing her so that it lights her up and you don't get an overexposed background. __________________ 5D, 30D, Powershot S100 Sigma 24-60 f/2.8-SOLD.. Sigma 50mm f/1.4 . Canon 85mm f/1.8 http://dstanic.zenfolio.com twitter.com/DStanicPhoto

11th of April 2009 (Sat)	#9
chauncey Cream of the Crop Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: MI/CO Posts: 7,683 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: sky is always white Or you could do like I do...put all of those filters in a drawer and use the new version of LightRoom. __________________ The things you do for yourself die with you, the things you do for others live forever. A man's worth should be judged, not when he basks in the sun, but how he faces the storm. Gear...Ds Mk III, 16-35 f/2.8, 24-105 f/4.0, 70-200 f/4 and f/2.8, 300 f/2.8, and assorted other stuff.

11th of April 2009 (Sat)	#1
fromSF Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: BAY AREA Posts: 381 IMAGE EDITING OK	sky is always white ok so i was just wondering how i can get bright blue skys in my photos. Every time i take a photo of my daughter on bright sunny day usually the sky will either look white to grey or if anything just slightly light blue, but im looking for the nice blue sky. sorry for the noob question still learning a lot here thanks __________________ canon 7D \| ef18-55mm \| ef75-300mm \| canon 24-70 f2.8L \| Canon 85mm 1.8 \| Tokina 11-16 2.8mm \| canon 430ex \| 1x AB800 www.rklisephotography.com www.flickr.com/rklisesf www.rklisesf.tumblr.com

11th of April 2009 (Sat)	#2
Karl Johnston Rare exception that I didn't say anything stupid" Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Canadian Arctic Posts: 9,020	Re: sky is always white A circular polarizer may be just what you're looking for. __________________ Adventure The Canadian Arctic With Me Canadian Features Editor of Let's Be Wild Adventure Magazine

11th of April 2009 (Sat)	#10
CAL Imagery Goldmember Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: O-H Posts: 3,289	Re: sky is always white Or you can use HDR. __________________ Christian Facebook Fan Page! Website Blog D800 + Zeiss = I'm going to Southeast Asia!

11th of April 2009 (Sat)	#13
mattograph "God bless the new meds" Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,569 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: sky is always white As a side note, CPLs do not make sky blue. They eliminate reflections that mask the blue in the sky. A CPL works on angles of reflections (bobs point re: angles being on target.) So, a CPL does not guarantee a blue sky, but can help saturate the colors throughout your photo. Also, if a sky is TOTALLY Blown, no amount of exposure adjustment will bring back the blue. The common pro solution for this when shooting portraits is lighting via strobe or reflector. (You'd be surprised what you can do with a $5 piece of white artboard.) __________________ This space for rent.

11th of April 2009 (Sat)	#14
chauncey Cream of the Crop Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: MI/CO Posts: 7,683 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: sky is always white Check this out http://www.layersmagazine.com/catego...als/lightroom/ Which I found here http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q...+2&FORM=MSNH11 __________________ The things you do for yourself die with you, the things you do for others live forever. A man's worth should be judged, not when he basks in the sun, but how he faces the storm. Gear...Ds Mk III, 16-35 f/2.8, 24-105 f/4.0, 70-200 f/4 and f/2.8, 300 f/2.8, and assorted other stuff.

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