How to make shots like these look better?

[Starskream666]

I know this isn't a great shot, i'm just using it as an example. But how come whenever i take like... a faraway shot of landscape like this it looks so bland and sort of looks like its been taken on a phone and not vibrant. Also the sky always comes out white!


DSC_1452 by Skateboard C 91, on Flickr

 

[cnutco]

Because this is a snapshot! Is does not matter which camera you took this with... your D80 or your coolpix.

You need to learn Composition.

As far as for the sky... go back when the light is not so harsh.

 

[Starskream666]

Could you elaborate a bit on that? sorry, im new.

 

[DDGphotos]

What time of DAy was the shot taken?

and was it a cloudy day? where was the SUN ( in relationship to you -behind, above, left side)

 

[Dao]

White sky issue:

First you need to understand a term called Dynamic Range.
Here are couple articles that talks about it.

Understanding Dynamic Range in Digital Photography
High dynamic range imaging - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


The dynamic range of the scene (the photo you took) is quite high. In other words, the scene had very bright spot and very dark spot. It is so high that your camera sensor cannot cover the entire range. So if it cover the bright sky, the trees will be very dark or even black (lost of details). If you cover the tree, then the sky will be so bright or just white (lost of details).


So how to solve the problem?
There are few ways you can try. The easy way is take the photo at a different time. Early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the sky is not too bright. Or, use a Graduated neutral density filter. Or, Bracket the shots, tone mapped or combine them during post processing.

 

[Kbarredo]

Well first off read about composition. Rule of thirds and so on. The problem I see here is that I don't know what to look at. All I see is one big cluster. What is your main subject. Also what the other guy meant was take the picture during the time if day when the light is a little softer and the sky isn't so blown out. You know what the golden hours are?

 

[cnutco]

What they said!

 

[joealcantar]

Believed you missed the shot. You needed to get closer or needed to use a telephoto lens to bring in the ducks as the primary subjects. Looks like they were in good light etc. and you could have framed them nicely, and the sky would not have come into play then.
-
Shoot well, Joe

 

[DreamerEagle]

The composition is the problem.... You can also edit your photo whit some software after the time of shoot you can use photoshop or lightroom...

 

[clanthar]

You knew this wasn't a great composition -- you said so, it's an example photo.

You have a litany of technical problems here:

1. Dao is absolutely right about the dynamic range -- biggest problem. The lighting for this shot was prohibitive. His suggestion to come back at a different time is the correct solution. When the sky is overcast the light is actually very soft -- low contrast -- however an overcast sky is a light source and in a landscape it's basically a backlight. Your camera can't handle the range then between the sky and foreground. As far as exposure goes one or the other has to give or, as is often the case, the camera botches both.

2. Because the light is so soft you actually have weak contrast in the foreground midtones. This is a paradoxical situation when considered with the overall contrast range of the photo with the sky included.

3. I'm going to assume here: Your camera was set to auto white balance. This photo is massively off color: blue. Auto white balance doesn't work. Period. Learn to use the camera's WB presets.

4. Your photo does not have an embedded ICC profile. Whatever software you used to process it stripped out the ICC profile. This is unrelated to your lighting troubles, but it's a potential further complication.

Here's a quick adjustment of your photo as a further example. I removed a LOT of blue (maybe overboard). I dropped in the fake sky. I raised the midtone contrast and I burned down that strip at the bottom: As you said it's not a great photo, but this is probably more along the lines of what you thought you saw.

Joe

 

[Village Idiot]

And that's why you don't shoot under harsh mid day sun unless you have enough artificial light to make the entire area look like night. You could always get a strobe head and several packs that support up to 9600w/s of light.

 

[gsgary]

I know this isn't a great shot, i'm just using it as an example. But how come whenever i take like... a faraway shot of landscape like this it looks so bland and sort of looks like its been taken on a phone and not vibrant. Also the sky always comes out white!


DSC_1452 by Skateboard C 91, on Flickr

Take a trip to North Yorkshire where there is some beautiful countryside

 

[Gaerek]

Well first off read about composition. Rule of thirds and so on. The problem I see here is that I don't know what to look at. All I see is one big cluster. What is your main subject. Also what the other guy meant was take the picture during the time if day when the light is a little softer and the sky isn't so blown out. You know what the golden hours are?

Just to clarify, part of the problem with the shot is that the light is too soft. The issue is more about the angle of the light and it's intensity. Shooting at or around sunrise/sunset provides for pleasant, warm light that's not as bright as midday light. That alone could have dramatically changed this shot.

 

[KmH]

How to make shots like these look better?

It's unavoidable, but fairly easy to accomplish.

Learn how to do photography.

I recommend you start by becoming familiar with your camera's controls, features, and functions by reading, and re-reading the user's manual. Pay particular attention to the metering modes and focusing modes you have avilable to use.

Also visit these digital photography tutorials since they will help you understand what you are reading about in your camera user's manual; Digital Photography Tutorials

You'll also want to undertake a study of visual image composition. Here is a brief start: Guidelines for Better Photographic Composition.