Photos washed out

[rms59]

I need some help/advice. Many of my snapshot photos are starting to come out washed out like the one attached. I started noticing it the last few months where the whites seem way overexposed and it happens with both lenses in my hardware list. I'm stuck for answers but it used to take much better photos than it does now. All lenses are clean.



The exif shows:

No flash
ISO-100
1/250
F8
WB=Auto
Shutter Priority

The camera is five years old and has taken thousands of shots. This is the camera and lenses. Any ideas welcome.

Canon Digital Rebel XT
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens
Canon 430EX Speedlite Flash
Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM

 

[o hey tyler]

According to this, you shot the image at 2:00ish in the afternoon. That is your major issue. There's a large gap in exposure between the brightest whites like on the edge of the pool, and the shadows like on the kids face. If you had a reflector, or fill flash, the photo wouldn't have been as washed out, but you would have needed to use a different shutter speed/aperture combo unless you put the flash in high speed sync mode.

I would have shot f/11 1/200s w/fill flash.

 

[xjoewhitex]

I actually would think just the oposite the dark edge on the photo fills such a small fraction of what anything else does in the frame so I wouldn't think that would bring up the rest of the exposure. My guess would be, since you are shooting in auto and its been overexposing alot, I would check into your exposure comp to make sure it wasn't accidently adjusted over thats really all I can think of that would explain your problem. And, the white balance seems to be a bit off, unless your color management has also been tampered with. Id start there and report back.

 

[480sparky]

The histogram, as well as some pixel peeping, shows the exposure is where it should be. You've simply imaged a scene that exceeds the dynamic range your camera is capable of recording.

 

[Ysarex]

Although it pains me do it, I'm going to have to back up Sparky on this one. This is a threshold test of the photo you posted:



Where you see white is where you're photo has clipped the exposure. If this had been a Raw capture I'd say you nailed the exposure. In fact if it had been a Raw capture it would be possible to process it through without the clipping. As it is the clipping is minor and can be attributed to precisely to what Sparky identified -- scene contrast overload -- with one qualification. Your camera could have handled this contrast range (Raw) but your camera's JPEG engine couldn't.

Joe

 

[480sparky]

Although it pains me do it, I'm going to have to back up Sparky on this one. This is a threshold test of the photo you posted:

View attachment 12306

Where you see white is where you're photo has clipped the exposure. If this had been a Raw capture I'd say you nailed the exposure. In fact if it had been a Raw capture it would be possible to process it through without the clipping. As it is the clipping is minor and can be attributed to precisely to what Sparky identified -- scene contrast overload -- with one qualification. Your camera could have handled this contrast range (Raw) but your camera's JPEG engine couldn't.

Joe

And this goes directly to the raw v. jpeg argument. I would like to see a response to this issue by those in the 'get it right in the camera and use the in-camera jpeg processor and not "cheat" by shooting raw and "saving" the photo by processing the image in your computer later" camp.

 

[cgipson1]

It is not your camera.. it is how you shot the photo, and the lighting that existed at the time. You have a Flash... use it! It would prevent this type of issue if properly used for fill....

 

[rms59]

Wow. Thanks for all the good responses. Although all my settings look good I went ahead and reset the camera back to factory defaults and am waiting for the weather to clear to try some family shots again. I normaly shoot in shutter priority mode (TV) setting keeping the speed at around 1/200 and letting the aperature float.

I never used the RAW format but will practice a little with it to see what it does. I'm going to try fill flash too but what bugs me is that I never had this problem before and I haven't changed my methods. This camera always took perfect shots but only lately began doing this.

I'll get back in a few days.

Dick

 

[480sparky]

Wow. Thanks for all the good responses. Although all my settings look good I went ahead and reset the camera back to factory defaults and am waiting for the weather to clear to try some family shots again. I normaly shoot in shutter priority mode (TV) setting keeping the speed at around 1/200 and letting the aperature float.

I never used the RAW format but will practice a little with it to see what it does. I'm going to try fill flash too but what bugs me is that I never had this problem before and I haven't changed my methods. This camera always took perfect shots but only lately began doing this.

I'll get back in a few days.

Dick

"Shooting raw" shouldn't change how you do anything in the field. But it will radically change your PP flow.

 

[unpopular]

I disagree. If I were shooting JPEG i'd want to minimize PP, if I shoot RAW I'd want to maximize data retention.

 

[480sparky]

I disagree. If I were shooting JPEG i'd want to minimize PP, if I shoot RAW I'd want to maximize data retention.

To what do you disagree with?

 

[unpopular]

How I shoot in the field. If I am shooting raw I would want to over expose without clipping, in JPEG I'd want to "get it right in camera". Whether I am retaining maximum detail or minimizing post would affect how I meter and compensate.