Challenges with extreme highlights and shadows

[LarryD]

Fill flash is a valid technique on the photos shown..

Shutter priority to keep it under the synch speed and spot meter on the highlights; re-compose and take the shot using the flash to bring out the shadows..

Distant objects will still be dark, but these shots are all of the closer rocks and stream..

 

[musicaleCA]

Thing is that scene is so bright you'd probably be forced to go faster than the max sync speed unless you had something like a 8x ND (I really hate the numbering system for ND filters). Which means you'd have to go into high-speed-sync on the flash and consequently lose quite a bit of power. Hence, throwing multiple flashes at it might work. Or very big ones. Nuclear powered.

 

[JerryPH]

Shoot RAW, try a little tone mapping. If you want SOOC, the 2nd one looks good on the uncalibrated monitor where I am presently. I doubt you could do much better considering the extreme dynamic range. If you had the power, you could expose for the highlights and fill the darker areas with flash.

All techniques will get you adequate results within their constraints.

 

[Garbz]

Thing is that scene is so bright...

You'd be surprised at what counts as too bright and quite how much power a little flash unit can put out as this bride making a silly face can demonstrate: