Best of many but I'm still not happy with the results

[supraman215]

Everytime I go out shooting somewhere I think this time I'll get it right, I come back and look at my photos and see something wrong with each one that I didn't see while I was taking them. Why is this? Just lack of experience or am I missing something?

In this case the sky was awful, I knew it was awful but there was nothing I could seem to do about it. No matter how I dialed the exposure no more color came out of the sky. This was shot around 7pm.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Get the book "Understanding Exposure".

Digicams can't capture the broad dynamic range of that scene. Google HDR Photography.

 

[AdrianC]

I think a polarizing filter could have helped.

 

[Dominantly]

I know exactly what you are talking about, and I can say that with time and experience, you'll come back with more keepers then trashers.

For this scene, you have the sky which is much brighter then your subject. So if you properly expose the sky, you get a dark car and tree line, if you had exposed for the car, you would have had a blown out sky. You seemed to have settle in between with this shot.
One way to pull this shot off is to take multiple shots at different exposures. Your D90 will bracket a set of shots so that you end up with varying exposures (sky, subject, between) and then can later use them in PS to combine them and get that perfect looking exposure, you camera just cant capture. Gradient filters will also work, as will some good off camera lighting. Lots of ways to get the job done, just gotta pick your path.

 

[Flash Harry]

One little pop from a flash would have sorted this. H

 

[Christie Photo]

Did you try making this a long, narrow image... cropping down to remove the entire sky? I think it becomes much more interesting.

-Pete

 

[benlonghair]

Get the book "Understanding Exposure".

Google HDR Photography.

Yes. Get that book. I can not stress that enough.

Also, this scene would have been good for HDR, but it would have been even better for a graduated neutral density filter. Maybe three stops? Two? You'd have to meter, but this is exactly the type of scene they're made for.

 

[Forest Power Ranger]

Maybe use a GND filter for the sky?

 

[TiCoyote]

You could also have placed a reflector to your right to fill in some light on the car. I don't mind the sky, but the background is very dark, and it doesn't offset the car enough. I like how the colors in the sky reflect off the hood of the car and therefore set up a symmetry in terms of color. Maybe a closer, lower shot would work.

 

[Idahophoto]

Its hard to do anything with sky. Polarizers help but there is only so much you can do short of adding a different one in Photoshop. I do this a fair amount as we usually have boring sky here in Idaho so when we do get something cool I takes some shots of it. Looking at your pic you can just crop it out.

 

[kundalini]

In this case the sky was awful, I knew it was awful but there was nothing I could seem to do about it.

Oh I disagree. Another time, another place, another use of the settings, another tool. There are plenty of options. It's your choice to make do.

Your photo is underexposed. Flash Harry had the right idea. Or use a longer exposure with your apeture stopped down a bit.

 

[supraman215]

Thanks everyone for your helpful responses!

Get the book "Understanding Exposure".

Digicams can't capture the broad dynamic range of that scene. Google HDR Photography.

Yeah i did think about HDR. I didn't save all the shots but I had about 4 different exposure settings for this shot. I gotta stop deleting files.

I think a polarizing filter could have helped.

Yeah i had one. I tried to get the best setting with it maybe I need to play with it a little more.

I know exactly what you are talking about, and I can say that with time and experience, you'll come back with more keepers then trashers.

Well this is reassuring. I was hoping this was the case.

One little pop from a flash would have sorted this. H

I agree I should have at least tried it. It wasn't as dark out as it looked I am not sure my flash would have over powered it but I could have tried.

In this case the sky was awful, I knew it was awful but there was nothing I could seem to do about it.

Oh I disagree. Another time, another place, another use of the settings, another tool. There are plenty of options. It's your choice to make do.

Your photo is underexposed. Flash Harry had the right idea. Or use a longer exposure with your apeture stopped down a bit.

Great pic of your car. This is a valid point, and different day would have been an option.

Did you try making this a long, narrow image... cropping down to remove the entire sky? I think it becomes much more interesting.

-Pete

i did make it longer and narrower than it started out as. I guess I could take it further. Thanks!

 

[TiCoyote]

What about this edit:

 

[TiCoyote]

Or this?

 

[LCARSx32]

The sky looks fine to me :

Sorry. I just can't stop myself. I need help.