Park shot - need some help

amoki · Apr 30, 2005

hi all.

I was shooting in my university park when I came across this "scene".

This is what the park looks like with 1/200 shutter with the flowers and the trees and the pond and the blah blah blah...

And this is what the sky looks like, with a different shutter (1250)speed:

This is a near-evening shot, as you can tell from the sky. My problem is how do I "combine" these two shots when I shoot it with my D-rebel. Using the shutter speed in between made the picture worst. I just can't seem to find the right shutter speed to get the best of both shots... It is just near impossible to get both the sky and the near-evening hue of the scene. So anyone with any help? I used a EF-S 18-55mm lense for this two shots.

(The images have been resized, of course.)

LaFoto · May 1, 2005

Ah, good question, Amoki, and I am curious to hear the answer, too. I took a similar photo, also in a park, a couple of weeks ago, one clearly showing the park, one the sky, never any good of both in ONE photo...

So I was wondering whether I should ask "the experts on TPF" for some help... I didn't. Thank YOU for asking. (Some know how to combine pictures in PS...)

emayd · May 1, 2005

This is a sample, what possible to do with it.

Only some sugestions(recomendations) - both pictures should be done from the same point with same focus length and differents not more then 2 apperture steps.

tempra · May 1, 2005

or use a ND grad filter - might be difficult to use without a distinct horizon, but it basically reduces the amount of light coming in from the sky and lets the light in from the foliage etc.

amoki · May 1, 2005

So you mean, I have to control the aperture instead of the shutter?

And is it possible to salvage anything from the photo? I shot it in RAW.

emayd · May 1, 2005

You can use a shutter two. I told only about two steps difference. If it will be more then 2, it will be less realisting. Or you can use 3 pictures. In this case the bracketting will be 4 steps.

In current case two steps is a llimit ( I think), because you have also a sky reflection in the water.