Avoiding "washed out" look

[Kimbalina81]

Hi!

A quick question for the pros (and maybe even the not-so-pros) out there. Often times when I have taken pictures of people or outdoorsy photos in the past, especially when it is cloudy, I end up with colors that are not very vibrant or rich, and the entire scene is very washed out. Any tips or suggestions?

Thanks!

K

 

[480sparky38 37]

Sounds like you just need to up the saturation in post.

You may want to pay attention to your white balance in the field as well.

Having an example or two to look at would help a lot.

 

[usayit]

Post examples .. that would help a lot.


Are you sure it isn't veil flare?

 

[MLeeK]

Boost blacks in raw processing until your colors come back into range.

 

[Pugs]

Outdoors and cloudy tend to lead me away from veiling flare, but it is still definitely possible. If you're shooting RAW, every raw image requires post-processing. If you're shooting .jpg, pay attention to white-balance, and any camera post-processing picture control options like "Vivid" or "Standard" or "Neutral" (in Nikon language).

Speaking of Nikon language... what gear are you shooting with? Example pics would help a great deal in diagnosing what could be going on.

 

[Derrel]

You always need to set "the black point" when working in low-contrast lighting. In the original instructions for Nikon Capture, setting the black piiunt was the VERY FIRST step Nikon instructed users to perform when optimizing a file using Nikon Capture 1.0 and 1.2. Dating myself, I know....but the black point is critical when printing, or preparing files for newsprint, or for the web...you need to define the black point, and work from there.

 

[Vtec44]

You can also try a ND or polarizer filter.

 

[Kimbalina81]

Thanks everyone. I haven't actually taken the pictures yet- I'm just drawing from past experience. For those of you who are curious, I'm working with a Canon Rebel xsi.

K

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

I assume by washed out, you simply mean dull and dreary ( like a cloudy day generally is )You can use some flash to make colors pop. This also allows you to underexpose the background which can help to make the sky look better. You can also adjust your white balance as well as "expose to the right" slightly to avoid underexposing. If it is not cloudy and you are getting washed out photos with low contrast, it could be from shooting into the light, it could be from crappy filters or a multitude of other things. Even in good sunny weather though, fill flash is still useful.

 

[skieur]

Hi!

A quick question for the pros (and maybe even the not-so-pros) out there. Often times when I have taken pictures of people or outdoorsy photos in the past, especially when it is cloudy, I end up with colors that are not very vibrant or rich, and the entire scene is very washed out. Any tips or suggestions?

Thanks!

K

I have used a number of solutions. On different cameras you can warm up the white balance by degrees or by choices such as VIVID. A polarizer helps and if you really want to get sophisticated there is a gold polarizer.

If you are likely to do a lot of this type of shooting then I would pick up Nik Software Filters. Their sunshine filter is excellent for making a cloudy into a sunny day.

skieur