Help with Intense Sunlight Shots

I get a lot of blown highlights contrasted with dark shadows on daylight sports photography.

Is there some filter or technique that will even out the lighting more? Even if I loose a stop or two it'll be worth it.

This kids soccer shot after a goal seems pretty well exposed for most areas but the blond girl's face has a lot of blown highlights.

Are you shooting in raw? If so, usually there's an option to recover highlights in your Raw processing tool.

I've found shooting in bright sunlight to be very difficult. I actually have come to prefer the rain, which in Washington state isn't a problem since we have plenty of it. A couple of things I do that gives me some OK results:

Pick you spot on the field. I try to get the sun to my back and shoot them coming at me.
I use center weighted average metering.
I've lately taken to using manual mode, 1/1250 shutter, f6.3, and auto ISO. The 7D seems to handle it well.
Center AF point, AI Servo, high speed drive.

Sorry 'bout the delay.

Thanks for the tips. Yes, RAW. Often the highlights are blown (ie: no recovery possible).

Titus - thanks for the tips. I've never used Auto-ISO - usually stick to 100 or 200 for daytime sports since it does seem to allow greater PP recovery and 1/500 to 1/800 seems adequate for 200mm non-IS. Manual mode since bright backgrounds tend to fool the meter on my 7D although it's easy to get over/under exposure if clouds are around.

Hear you on the rainy day.

I was hoping for some magical filter. Oh well.

These shots look too high in contrast to me.
First, I think you should expose so that you don't blow out the important highlights: Need an exposure crutch?

Second, as yoyodunno asked, are you shooting in raw? There's a reason that some of us only do that.
"Horsies" - A CMHA Equestrian Event

No magic filters. I bought one once that claimed to be a contrast reduction filter, but no noticable effect. Was from a reputable shop and a generally ok but basic brand... would hesitate to say no effect as I didn't try that hard to quantify it, but not really useful.

Of course, can try to expose more for the highlights and let your blacks be detailless, but that won't be news.

If you _really_ want to do better you may have to go back to your film camera, find out which brand's got the best DR these days.

Cheers,
Tony

eh... sometimes u just have to decide whats more important to you... the highlights or the darks...

Thanks for the advice. I do shoot full-RAW always. It does help tremendously on PP options.

PhotoGuys - interesting write-up on shooting to the right. Not sure why you would change modes rather than just watch the meter while dialing away in Manual - no metering difference right? I get that it makes more sense to some.

On the camera meter weighing the focus point more; that is very interesting - and new. I'll have to dig throught the Canon manual to get more details. It makes complete sense; I just thought Canon always weighted it's metering to the center.

Excessive contrast - I may have tweaked it up some on those pics to make them pop. Frankly; on the second shot above look the color looks all wrong and that may be a part of the pale skinned look too. I tend to ignore color reference shots for personal shooting. The photos get viewed a couple times then, generally, never again. Not worth the effort except from the hobby-mentality aspect.

Sometimes the photo looks a litte washed out and I'll increase contrast to compensate - that does tend to worsen the sunlight contrast issue. Particularly when shooting into the sun (even with my tele hood). For that reason; I'm thinking I should use a filter to mitigate that so I don't have to tweak contrast in PP. I guess it's a mild flare; but not colored, just a barely noticable milky white light. Removing UV filters has helped that considerably. I never use UV filters anymore.

Does a polarizer filter help on milky washed out look typical of shooting towards the sun?

Do you mean between steps 1 & 2?