Is there a way to make this work or do I have to compromise?!

[jacqg]

I took a shot before this, which was the ground was bright while the sky was bright super bright that the streaks of the sky cannot be seen. :| Do I have to buy a filter(forgot what it's called but it's half dark and half clear) to save the streaks from the sky and get the ground to be bright or do I just have to compromise if I don't have the filter? I don't think flash is possible since the subject is somewhat far, dunno...?

Also, this was taken without photoshop at all :] just used lightroom to change the white balance to tungsten but that's about it. Lol idk I'm quite happy with this picture.

 

[Rekd]

You might try a lower angle so the person is more contained in the sky. That might help make it stand out more. Otherwise you could use post process the lower half to make it lighter.

 

[jacqg]

oh right I meant a graduated cylinder.

@Rekd, yeah I understand what you mean. Someone was also telling me, she was an art major, that I should've done 2/3 sky 1/3 ground to emphasize the sky as my subject.

Oh alright, so you don't think there's any other way to do this without post-processing?

 

[Rekd]

Like I said, post processing it will make it stand out more. Don't be afraid of post processing. Getting a good shot without post processing is fine, but it's not taboo if you do.

Zooming in a bit I notice that's a wall. At first I thought it was water. In that case, move it to the beach and do it again, taking your art major's advice about putting more sky into it.

It will be a great shot when you nail it, keep at it! You might consider having her jump while directly between you and the setting sun. But definitely put more sky into it if you can.

 

[jacqg]

You're right. Post processing is great and it sure does make other shots very natural looking. But the real problem is, I don't really know how to do it yet or how to start to learn it yet for that matter.

Thanks for your wise words! I shall go to the beach when I can -__-. My sister just totaled my car lol.

 

[ANDS!]

No. Your eyes are light years beyond what your camera will be able to capture. There is really nothing you could have done without a flash, to compensate for that incredibly bright and rich sky, and your subjects on the ground.

As to the crazy blue overcast - thats something you can fix in Lightroom or Photoshop (pick yer poison).

 

[Derrel]

Your best bet would be to have shot the photo in RAW mode with about 2 f/stops' worth of overexposure on the highlights, and "pulled back" the highlights at the computer, thus darkening the highlights at the post-production stage. post. That would have given you a significantly more-detailed shadow area.

Some d-slr cameras can do very substantial highlight recovery from overexposed shots, while other cameras are not so good, with somewhat more limited highlight "headroom" as it is called.

A camera with a really,really wide dynamic range, like the Fuji S3 Pro or Fuji S5 Pro, Nikon D3x, or the old Kodak full frame models 14n or Kodak SLR/n or SLR/c would be five examples of cameras that offer the photographer a tremendous amount of dynamic range; the Kodaks had incredible ability to pull-back grossly overexposed highlights,and the Kodak cameras themselves are now selling in the low hundreds of dollars range.

A subject like the one you have is not suitable for HDR images,and fill-flash would only illuminate parts of the foreground, and not the entire lower, dark parts of the whole scene. A graduated neutral density filter could have been used to modify the photo, but the effect would not have been quite the same as approaching this with the idea of exposing more generously and then pulling back the sky's highlights.

 

[jacqg]

@Ands, alright interesting, thanks for actually answering my question lol.

The overcast, as I've said, I have no idea how to start learning photoshop or lightroom. ._. I only use lightroom to change contrast, shadows, etc, white balance n such. Unless you can recommend a way to learn it?

@peekay, yeah HDR I'll probably do that when I've done my first successful HDR because all the ones I've been doing are just horrible lol not post worthy yet. *sigh* I wish the D60 has the multiple exposure mode thing -.-.

 

[spudgunr]

Open the photo in IRFANVIEW (free on the web) and do an auto adjust colors. It looks like it basically decreases the contrast and slightly increases the brightness.

The best way is to use an external flash to help the lighting some. Barring that, set your camera up on a sturdy tripod and try to get a set of pictures you can do HDR with. HDR is often regarded as bad, but this is the type of thing it can be useful. Just try to not make it look nuclear ;-)

 

[jacqg]

thanks spud I'm gonna try irfanview!