Proper Exposure... Sky/Subject in 1 shot??

I know about HDR and using grad filters to properly balance foreground/sky exposures in landscape stuff but how would I properly expose both in a single shot for something like an outdoor portrait? Would I meter for the sky and then use a fill flash to light the subject?? Or would doing so render the foreground around/behind the subject too dark?? I've recently seen a bunch of wedding/engagement shots with properly exposed people/foreground and completely blown sky and it got me wondering how to do it right.

Any advice would be great. Thanks

You go it.
To do it right meter for the sky and light subject with flash.

Meter for sky and use fill flash. Or meter the sky +1ev and shoot away.

Not the best example but it shows what can be done:

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Great, thanks guys.

^^ I'm guessing the above pic was with flash?? On a bracket or just with a diffuser on??

how do u guys meter for the sky and then light the subject with flash? i dont understand the concept...can someone please explain to me as i will be doing some outside protraits soon too

Put your camera in Manual. Have your Flash ready. Then just get a meter reading by pointing at the sky (not the sun!), and as suggested above, maybe add +1 EV. when you press the shutter, the flash should expose the subject and leave the sky correctly exposed ... ala Jason's shot above. Review the picture in your LCD and adjust the EV as you need to : either up the EV or drop it down... Hope that helps.

i tried doing exactly that, but the background is still bright...do i have to do the pre flash exposure first?

Then you need to step down a bit - 1 (or 2, or 3) EV ... Just take some pics at various exposures WITHOUT THE MAIN SUBJECT in the shot .. and chimp it (e.g., check your histogram) ... Once you get the proper background/sky, then you have the settings to be able to ad your subject with Flash.

Tagging this thread so I can read some more of these wonderful tips.

Does anyone find themselves using a ND filter for shots such as the one posted above?

When I'm using fill flash, my fastest sync speed is 1/500. At that speed and ISO 200 (lowest ISO on my body), I can't open up my aperture as wide as I'd like while maintaining a proper exposure.

I figure that if I had a 2 or 3 stop ND filter, I'd be able to shoot 1/500 or slower while keeping my lens wide open.

Tim

Perhaps it's me, but the photo posted above looks as if it was shot in a studio against a scenic backdrop paper.

The lighting on the couple looks too 'clean' compared to the lighting in the background, and gives it a false look.

I know it was posted for demonstration purposes only, but thought it worth commenting on.

Sorarse wrote in post #5412407
Perhaps it's me, but the photo posted above looks as if it was shot in a studio against a scenic backdrop paper.

The lighting on the couple looks too 'clean' compared to the lighting in the background, and gives it a false look.

I know it was posted for demonstration purposes only, but thought it worth commenting on.

That's exactly what struck me about it. Have you tried Planet Neil for tips, he's pretty comprehensive?

Sorarse wrote in post #5412407
Perhaps it's me, but the photo posted above looks as if it was shot in a studio against a scenic backdrop paper.

The lighting on the couple looks too 'clean' compared to the lighting in the background, and gives it a false look.

I know it was posted for demonstration purposes only, but thought it worth commenting on.

i think its because the bg is slightly underexposed and the couple are so bright
maybe it would have been better in this case to slightly overexpose the bg to give a sense of distance to the shot (light colours recede, darks advance)

Anke wrote in post #5412424
That's exactly what struck me about it. Have you tried Planet Neil for tips, he's pretty comprehensive?

Anke........Thanks very much for the Planet Neil Link. Extremely good info there.

It doesn't look quite real, but the basic idea is right anyway. You can use similar techniques to underexpose and get a really dramatic sky, then light the subject with the flash.