Need advice for exposure

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.

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.

poloman wrote in post #5330378
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.

Here you go....

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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.

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.

poloman wrote in post #5330613
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.

Try this next time & take all your shots at the right setting:
Need an exposure crutch?
More on how the subject affects the exposure in Post # 47

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.

PhotosGuy wrote in post #5332668
Try this next time & take all your shots at the right setting:
Need an exposure crutch?
More on how the subject affects the exposure in Post # 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.

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

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

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.

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...........t​here are no instant solutions. Everyone can take pictures. Can everyone do it well?

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!