What happened?

[CW Jones]

So I am not really a super beginner, I know my way around my camera, But this I would consider a beginner mistake (which I am unsure how to fix). Today I was out shooting at a memorial and this was one of the images....

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4402182135_7a285d64bd_b.jpg

I love the picture... just not with the sky all blown out the way it is. The day was overcast, very overcast however you could still make out a little detail in the cloud cover. It was a bout 4pm or so (east coast) shot with the 50mm.

Here is the Exif for the shot...

Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100th)
Aperture: 4.0
Focal Length: 50mm
ISO Speed: 400

I am not sure if the sky is even fixable in this situation or not.... My only thought would be a polarizer which I have for my other lens just not this one. Any ideas for future shoots?

Thanks!
-Collin

[Aggie]

was this digital or film? Digital people can give you advise on taking the pic. With film slip on a filter either a yellow, or orange filter. That will bring out the detail of the sky. What is happening is the foreground is much darker. You obviously focused on the statue. By doing this with center weighted focusing the dark foreground was what the sensors adjusted to. No matter that there were clouds or not it was a huge difference of light verses dark Don't worry that you did something wrong. It takes experience of dealing with meters, filters and different lighting conditions. I didn't understand the zone system until Gordon Hutchings explained the cow patty version of it. I also got the blonde's fool proof light meter.

[Fox Paw]

I don't know much, but I suspect you had too great a dynamic range to capture well in one shot. Like Aggie, I suspect your meter adjusted for the dark foreground, which would very likely blow out the sky.

Anyway, you could try a couple of things if you're shooting digitally. One is to expose for the sky and see if you have enough detail left in the shadows. The other is to take two shots, one exposed for the sky and one for the statuary, and combine them.

Or you could accept the photo as is. I like it and I don't know that detail in the sky is particularly important here. My bigger qualm is the blurred rocks (or whatever they are at the bottom). If you could find a position where you got rid of those, I think it would help.

[CW Jones]

Ya the picture is digital and I wasn't even thinking going HDR.... hmmm or a form of HDR I guess. I had the meter set all differently and I still couldn't get it. I think the overcast white sky kinda hurt it as well.

The rocks at the bottom... ya I know haha I didn't want them there either but the statue is so tall and way up top, I couldn't get this angle without those rocks. I will go back probably Saturday or Sunday of this week, maybe some nicer BLUE skys! haha

Thanks both of you! I appreciate it!

[KMann]

CW, there are so many ways to tackle the burnt out sky with the statue. The hard lines of the statue are a blessing. If you use photoshop you just need to select the statue, put it on it's own layer and underexpose the sky for detail. Or grab some other sky with lighting that works with the shadows on the statue and drop it in. I would try a sunset and warm up the statue myself, sunset being somewhat melancholy.

I don't think anyone would get picky about the sky not being "authentic" if the composition worked.

[CW Jones]

ooo I like that Idea, I think I will give it a shot sometime tomorrow when I get out of class! Thanks!