Murky/Hazy Landscape shots with Nikon D200

[spitfire72]

I have done this shoot twice in the mountains and both times had an issue with haze. Not normal haze, but all over the image haze. I normally shoot people and products, so landscape is not my regular gig, but my cellphone could take better looking photos than these! I'm spending ages in post on every image just to get a decent looking scene. And many must be thrown out because they just aren't sharp after all that fiddling. What am I doing wrong? I tried a polarizing filter but that only made things worse. I adjusted the exposure during the shoot to compensate as the previews were concerning me, but that didn't help. I often feel the photos I shoot with this camera are just not as crisp as they should be even after sharpening. But this shoot was extreme. Any suggestions? Thank you!

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Have you ever been able to get a crisp, landscape with this camera and lens combination? What was different about that capture compared to this one?

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Also did you get a raw+JPEG? If the JPEG is sharp yet the raw hazy, it's down to how your raw developer loads/renders the image.

[KmH]

You need a Skylight filter of the right size for the front of your lens:

B + W 77mm Skylight 1A Coated Multi Coated (2C) Glass Filter (KR1.5)

Using a 400 mm telephoto lens isn't helping any.

[spitfire72]

The second image shown after extensive processing.  I showed these two images to demonstrate the degree of processing I have to do to get a semi-normal looking image.  AS far as jpg + raw, I think I captured just raw but I will check.  When you say "raw developer" is that my Aperture program or the Nikon processor?  Maybe I have some default setting that needs to be altered. I have a skylight filter on another lens I was using. Still had haze.

[Derrel]

If the EXIF information is correct,you are photographing a distant landscape with a focal length of 400mm--at what I would estimate is a distance of around one mile...uh...dude...the amount of HAZE in the air during the "clear-weather months" in country like that is considerable...just the pollen from grasses alone is enough to cause haze... then there are other types of airborne particulate matter besides pollen....agriculturally-caused particulate matter can be considerable in farming country...and so on...

There is actually a proper photographic definition for this. It is called "aerial perspective". And yes, I am being totally serious...this is called "aerial perspective".

[KmH]

I have a skylight filter on another lens I was using. Still had haze.

No doubt. Because you're using a telephoto lens, which means your 400 mm photos will almost aways show some haze.

There is a lot of air between your camera and your subjects. all that aitr can hold dust, smoke, any other small particulate matter.

I'd bet the air looked hazy to your naked eye too. Sunlight is reflecting off all those small particles of whatever it is in the air. Filters can't make the particals invisible.

[Big Mike]

Yup, looks like environmental haze to me too.

[spitfire72]

Thanks for the suggestions and comments. SO! If you were headed to a high altitude to take vistas, what would you arm yourself with? Nothing but a wide angle lens with a skylight filter? I'm going for a re-shoot and want to do it right. It's also really hard to see any previews on my camera outside!

[Garbz]

Use the histogram on your camera to judge the tone of the image you have taken. If it's thin and not spread out then the scene has lots of similar brightness elements. If there's some at either ends then there's contrast in the scene.

[Mike_E]

I think you would be pleasantly surprised if you tried a Circular Polarizer.

Read this while remembering that haze is reflected light.. Polarizers

[Big Mike]

The best thing to do, would be to avoid shooting in hazy conditions. Easier said than done...but that's the truth of it.

As mentioned, by shooting with a long telephoto lens and shooting from far away, you are shooting through more air, and thus more haze. If you get closer to your scene, it would help.
Also, in many cases, there is less haze in the morning. Afternoon 'heat' haze is fairly common...especially in the later summer months.
Seasonal factors should also be considered. For example, pollen in the air will give you haze, so try to avoid times when the plants are at their peek pollination times.
Forrest fires, even many miles away, can add a lot of haze to the air.
Air pollution is an obvious one. Hard to avoid that in some locations though.

This is one reason I love shooting in the winter up here in Canada. It may be freezing cold, but the air is very clean & crisp.

[skieur]

I would shoot almost straight down from a balloon at lower altitudes during the late afternoon. Balloons can be rented at a lot of rural airports.

skieur

[Futurelight]

the clearest sky is the morning after a night of rain. All atmospheric dust is washed out of the sky and the business of the day hasn't created any more yet. The circular polarizer will do all the rest. Good luck :-)