Wrong lighting?

bumsrmyfriends · Aug 9, 2005

I took some pictures of a park and lake today. I had all the correct settings for sunny outside shots (no flash, the light set to sunny, etc). However, most of the pictures of the lake or trees seem to be really washed out from the sun. Was it just the sun today or did I do something wrong with my camera?
Here's an example:

^That is the original. It appears to be washed out.

^This is the same picture but I took it in PSP8 and auto-enhanced it. The difference is obvious.

Can anyone give me advice about the lighting so I don't make this mistake again?
Thanks.

-Marissa

ferny · Aug 9, 2005

Looks like a simple case of over-exposure to me. You had it on auto? The camera has seen the bright sky, the normal(ish) tree and the dark lake and given you a mixture somewhere in between. Unless you can set the camera to either spot focus or you can set the camera's shutter and/or apperture manually try playing around with the E.V. setting on your camera until it get's into the minus scale. That should work, if it is simply over-exposure.

Big Mike · Aug 9, 2005

What equipment are you using?

It looks like a tricky lighting scene...the sky is bright white, the grass & leaves are mid tones and the water is dark. The camera has to pic something and it looks like the shot was over exposed.

It also may be that some 'stray' light was getting in there...a lens hood might help...or do what I usually do...hold your hand like a sun shade over the lens to block the sun light from hitting it directly.

You might also be able to adjust some other settings in the camera...turn the saturation up for example.

It looks good after some adjustments...is that not good enough? The unaltered shot is probably what a lot of film 'snap shots' would look like if the lab did not to any alterations when they make prints. However, most labs do these auto corrections and people never even know.

I can understand that you want to get it a good as possible right in the camera...but post processing is part of photography...learn to live with it...and even love it.