How can I get both the background (sky) and the foreground strong?

[fishiboii]

I've had a week of doing landscape photography, and I've come up with the same problem on many occasions. For instance if I was to take a photo of a field with trees in the horizon, I can only either get rich colours on the field or of the sky, never both. I've been playing about with everything to get what I want but no dice. I've heard of a polarising filter? Is this relevent?

 

[tirediron]

A polarizing filter is definitely relevant, but possibly even more relevant are graduated neutral density filters (G-ND) which have a dark, colour neutral band which will prevent some of the light from the brighter sky from reaching the sensor and reduce the dynamic range of the image, providing better overall colours. I often use a polarizing filter and G-NDs together.

 

[Jarrod268]

This is how it's done...
Photography: Graduated ND filter, landscape - YouTube

 

[fishiboii]

Yes this is what I'm after. Nice, I'll have a shop around. Cheers!

 

[Ron Evers]

I have never used a combination of filters but this is an example of a CPL on a 50mm lens.

 

[LightSpeed]

I have never used a combination of filters but this is an example of a CPL on a 50mm lens.

I like it!

 

[Compaq]

I might as well throw it out there: you can also take several exposures and blend together, either with masks, HDR software or both

 

[TampaSVT]

HDR will make the clouds scream...

 

[bazooka]

... if you overcook it.

 

[DiskoJoe]

I usually just shot to get the highlights I want in the sky and with edit to add more fill light if needed. A ND filter would also do the trick and be useful in lots of situations. HDR is also an option but, yes, make sure not to overcook it.

 

[fishiboii]

I might as well throw it out there: you can also take several exposures and blend together, either with masks, HDR software or both

Yeah I have tried this, it's quite hard with nature shots though, I had a go with some of my shots, but a lot have fine detail on the horizon like trees and stuff so it just looks like an obvious edit, unless it's done right. Still practicing though

 

[Christapher81]

I use a polarzer.

 

[fishiboii]

I've heard a lot do. I may just get myself a graduated ND filter and a polarizer and play about with them, I'll just get myself some cheap ones.