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White Skies

H

Have Fun

pfm Member
We have had more than our fair share of White Skies over the last few months & I wouldn't be surprised if they continue

Any suggestions how to deal with them in Landscape? They can give stark contrast for outline silouettes but everything else is just murky light

(I'm not a dawn person unlike some here ;) but if that's one answer maybe I'll just stay up to catch it)
 
JemHayward said:
I often shoot landscapes without the sky... or you could add one later via photoshop.
Click to expand...

The add in sky is not my favourite. I'm old fashioned & it puts me off if I learn its been done. I have hard enough time accepting tweaks even though they have always been used.

Without sky .. I'll try that or minimise it
 
Cliff is suggesting you need a graduated ND filter, not an overall ND filter which will just reduce light, not control light in a particular area of the image.

Use different light as an opportunity to try different subjects. White shadowless skies lend themselves to detail shots, concentrate on patterns, shape and form and move away from traditional views. You might find it challenging at first but once you have grasped it you will find it makes you a better photographer. Colours in flat light often is more rewarding than from traditional fluffy white/blue skies too. Try and remove yourself from the emotion of being there, concentrate on the image you see in the viewfinder and imagine it framed as a print on your wall.
 
Have Fun said:
Yes but I have a small compact with a zoom so fitting them is a problem unless there is some internal control ND filter - I've been editing with tints so far.
Click to expand...

as Julian just explained, the ND Grad is designed specifically to tone down skies while retaining detail in the foreground.

The Lee filters system has quite a few adapters for compacts, filter threads and even lenses that shouldn't accept filters at all. Go to their web site and have a look round to see if what you need can be accomodated
 
Thanks
After some reading it looks like grad filters can also be simulated in Photoshop & the like

I downloaded a free trial of Lightroom 4 last week to see if I'd get on with it better than PS but it only works with Windows 7 not XP
 
Have Fun said:
Thanks
After some reading it looks like grad filters can also be simulated in Photoshop & the like

I downloaded a free trial of Lightroom 4 last week to see if I'd get on with it better than PS but it only works with Windows 7 not XP
Click to expand...

bear in mind that once the detail is lost (blown highlights) it can't be recovered. Your F660EXR has a 400% Dynamic Range mode which could be useful in this context and you can also exposure compensate down a stop or two and then recover the lowlight details in lightroom

Alternatively you could try something like this and an ND Grad filter

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RBMZTE/?tag=pinkfishmedia-20
 
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