Sunsets and clouds

[paullylama]

I have a Canon Rebel t2i with the EFS 18-55 mm lens and the EF 70-300 mm f 4-5.6 IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens. I have been taking pictures all over. I would like to ask my first question of this forum, and please tell me if I should post this somewhere else. I was at work photographing a sunset. I was really trying to get the highlights around the edge of the clods to stand out. I was originally in Av mode @ about f30. I bracketed my exposure. Unfortunately, the photographs that really showed the details in the clouds were the ones that were slightly underexposed. I tried in Tv move and used longer exposures with the same result. Any hints on how to get a properly exposed cloud with highlights with the proper exposure.

 

[KmH]

I can't hear you! Could you please speak a little louder.

How to Use Proper Forum Etiquette | eHow.com

#4........ "standard case" plus using bold is also tantamount to shouting, just like using all caps is.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/215332/forum_posting_etiquette.html?cat=15

"Use normal punctuation and grammar"

It's hard to say without seeing some examples but it's likely the dynamic range was just to great to get both in one shot.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...forum-functions-pictoral-guide-using-tpf.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_range

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/dynamic-range.htm

 

[photographydude]

A photo would help.

It is very hard to get a good photo when the dynamic range of light varies from highlight and shadow so that is why you are having some problems... but the good news is that it can be done!

Which lens were you using? Also why did you stop down so much? f/30 is rather far and images quality tends to degrade towards that small an aperture.

Depending on where the highlights were in the photo (again we would need to see it) You might use a Graduated ND filter to cover the bright parts to prevent the highlights from getting blown out.

You can also try to make an HDR since you bracketed your exposures. Just make sure that your brackets cover the entire dynamic range or you will find holes or spots when you merge into an HDR.

 

[Garbz]

Av and Tv are automatic modes. Unless you're hitting some kind of limit there should be no difference in exposure if you use Av vs Tv. The only major difference that you would get is if you used M and set both aperture and shutter, or if you used a different exposure compensation.

It sounds to me like you're shooting into the light. This is an impossible situation for many cameras. Either the image will be too dark or you'll lose details in the highlights. HDR photography often helps where you take two or more shots at different exposures and then use a method called tonemapping to compress the dynamic range of the image.

A quick google will lead you to a program called Photomatix which is worth having a play with.