I want a blue sky...HELP

[thatgirlaudi]

went to big sur today...took a few shots...however the sky didnt turn out as blue as i hoped...shot this f5.6, shutter of 125, iso 200, and I had a polarizing filter on. I know this may seem silly but Im curious to know so next time I can achieve better colors. How can I get more blue colors out of my sky?

 

[Dominantly]

Pick one, the sky, or the tree line.

If you want the sky darker, then just underexpose the shot a bit.

 

[Dominantly]

Or you can play with it after you shoot, especially with a raw file...

Here is a 2 minute example.

 

[thatgirlaudi]

Or you can play with it after you shoot, especially with a raw file...

Here is a 2 minute example.

wow that looks awesome!!

 

[bazooka]

Or try HDR. This would be a good candidate I think.

 

[Big Mike]

The wispy clouds and the hazy air aren't helping you here...but as mentioned, your exposure is too high. Underexposing is usually the way to go, when you want deeper, darker colors from the sky.

Did you rotate your polarizer to get the maximum effect?

Even then, a polarizer works best when it's pointed perpendicular to the sun's rays...and hardly at all when parallel to them.

And of course, you can use software to darken and saturate the sky.

 

[Dominantly]

Like mentioned, great scene for HDR.

 

[shanemono4]

sorry off topic, but is this at torrey pines?

 

[Tulsa]

HDR??

 

[Hooker771]

HDR??

Google it, or flickr it. Youll see. Some people like it some dont. Some people use it properly some dont. Its tricky. I dont think ive done one properly yet. But I would like to see this one HDR'd

 

[Tulsa]

very cool, is HDR in photoshop? I use Gimp... its free!

 

[rallysman]

HDR??

Google it, or flickr it. Youll see. Some people like it some dont. Some people use it properly some dont. Its tricky. I dont think ive done one properly yet. But I would like to see this one HDR'd

To add to this, a good HDR isn't obviously "HDR".
Searching will give you examples of what it can do, but the subtle application of HDR should be used as a technique rather than a style.

I am a fan of HDR for photos like what you've posted.
Others are a fan of HDR because they can make it look surreal.

There is nothing wrong with either, but don't confuse the two.

I have examples of both applications if you're interested in seeing them. They're by no means perfect, but rather a basic representation.

 

[milesy]

this may be slightly off topic also......but what the hell is big sur?????? (from the OP)

 

[milesy]

ok dont worry Wikipedia tells me all.....id never heard of it before

 

[aprillove20]

if you want a blue sky,wait for it to come out, but if you cant wait, just edit the photo you've captured in the Photoshop..
Thanks