how to prevent a blown out sky?

ashm09

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I shoot in manual mode always when I do outdoor shoots. My only problem is that my sky always looks white even when it is as blue as can be! What am I doing wrong? I try to lower the ISO as well as the shutter speed so the picture isn't as dark but it doesn't do much but darken the image and nothing to the sky. Any tips? Also, how do you use photoshop to create a blue cloudy sky?
Thanks!
 
I get blue skies when I close down my ap.
 
The book"Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson would help you greatly.

A sample pic might help see your problem but I'm guessing it's your metering mode and what you are metering your exposure off of.
 
I would try, of course if it is possible, to create two shots - one in manual mode and the other one in any automatic mode e.g. Aperture priority mode. Then you can compare these results and exposure settings as well. Maybe you will find different exposure data in those shots, so you can adjust your manual setup next time....

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What sort of work are you doing? Are these fashion/model, sports, landscapes, or??? There are several ways to deal with the issue. The first and easiest is to use a polarizing filter, but this has limitations on its effectiveness based on time-of-day and shooting angle relative to the sun. You can also use graduated neutral-density filters which will reduce some of the light coming from the sky, and reduce the over-all dynamic range of the scene. You can also shoot for an HDR image, but taking 2-5 images of the scene and blending them into one overall well exposed image with special software.

As for "creating" a cloudy sky in Photoshop? Don't.
 
What did you have your aperture and ISO set? I just made this mistake recently. Had my aperture set too high, should've been lower. Made all the difference in the world. Are you using a UV filter also? I keep mine on there.
 
I shoot in manual mode always when I do outdoor shoots. My only problem is that my sky always looks white even when it is as blue as can be! What am I doing wrong? I try to lower the ISO as well as the shutter speed so the picture isn't as dark but it doesn't do much but darken the image and nothing to the sky. Any tips? Also, how do you use photoshop to create a blue cloudy sky?
Thanks!

White skys indicate overexposure. You need to expose for the sky. Aperture doesn't really matter that much for the color, as long as the exposure is correct. Typically a sllight underexposure will increase the color even more. As mentioned.. a GND or a CPL filter can help. If you have a foreground subject you are exposing for.. then use fill flash, to even out the exposures between the subject and the sky. Please post some shots so we can evaluate the cause!

What did you have your aperture and ISO set? I just made this mistake recently. Had my aperture set too high, should've been lower. Made all the difference in the world. Are you using a UV filter also? I keep mine on there.

UV filters are unecessary.. and not recommended as they can cause flare and artifacts.. and are not needed in digital cameras since they are NOT UV sensitive like film was. And while they do protect the lens from touches, splashes, etc.. they can do more damage if they break!
 
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I shoot in manual mode always when I do outdoor shoots. My only problem is that my sky always looks white even when it is as blue as can be! What am I doing wrong? I try to lower the ISO as well as the shutter speed so the picture isn't as dark but it doesn't do much but darken the image and nothing to the sky. Any tips? Also, how do you use photoshop to create a blue cloudy sky?
Thanks!

It doesn't seem you have a good hold on the three issues of aperture, shutter speed and ISO that make up exposure.
If the aperture is more open (numbers get smaller) more light is admitted for any specific shutter speed,
If the ISO is increased less shutter speed is needed

There are two separate issues you have to contend with here: the exposure of your subject and the exposure of the sky.

The exposure meter in your camera, if it is set to look at the entire frame, will try to make the entire frame even out to a medium grey.
If the sky is bright and the subject is dark, then it may be impossible for one exposure to get a good representation of both because the dynamic range of the scene is greater than your camera sensor can manage.

You need to read about the exposure triangle, dynamic range and the topic of exposure in general - and then come back with questions if you have any.

Lew
 
Graduated neutral density filter.

Graduated neutral density filter.

It goes in front of your lens and makes the sky darker. The darker sky is then close to the same brightness as the land.

By itself - the camera can expose for the sky, or for the land, but not both at the same time.

Understanding how your camera works makes photography a lot simpler.
 
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What are you photographing outdoors? People? Landscape? I would recommend learning how to expose properly so you don't have to waste time in Photoshop. A CPL filter can definitely come in handy. If you're photographing people, YouTube Adorama TV - Using a flash in the sun. I tried embedding it but it didn't work. It's worth the look.
 
I am shooting children and families. I usually have my ISO at 400 with an apeture of 6.3 sometimes I use an apeture of 4 depending on the look I want. Then I meter for the shutter speed. I think sometimes I go over the meter just a tad because it helps brighten up my image in my camera rather then having to do it in photoshop. I just don't like the way photoshop makes the image look when you brighten it up there. Let me see if I can get a picture posted to show you what I mean.
 

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