nas5000 Loc: Miami

Do you know the " SUNNY 16 RULE"?
ISO 100
1/125
f16.
works every time.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Just to be clear; these settings are a "relationship" and not THE settings. In other words you don't HAVE to set your camera to f/16, it's the relationship between the settings that's the rule.

ISO 100
f/8
1/500

Is the exact same thing as the f/16 settings.


At the very least this is a great sanity check.

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

Hi,
I am having a problem here. I am viewing your images on a calibrated screen and to me your #1 before image is not that much over exposed . . maybe a 1/4 stop at most, but your edited version is far too dark.
On the second image you have blown out roof and clouds, so are about 3/4 of a stop over exposed . . . again your edited version is way too dark. The camera only has so much latitude (the ability to record information from bright to dark) and cannot record both extremes. You have to decide which is the most important and expose for that. In this case you darkened the sky and roof, but made what I feel is the most important part of your image too dark. There are ways of capturing both with HDR shooting and software . . . but that would not be an option for someone who hesitates at shooting in Manual. I am wondering if your images being "over exposed" is a result of your monitor. If you are using an LCD flat monitor, they do have a tendency to be far too contrasty for photography and highlights can appear to be blown out (over exposed) Maybe try adjusting it by lowering your contrast and brightness on the monitor. Just a thought.

I can understand not wanting to take the time to learn Manual settings in that circumstance . . . but to learn it is going to take some time. I'd suggest laying time away now to learn so that the next time you have that situation you are ready.

There is an excellent thread on the forum here to make learning Manual shooting very easy. There are three lessons so far with exercises, and the results people are having is amazing! Check it out.
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-44193-1.html

This is a link to lesson #3 . . start with #1 for best results.

Good luck and keep on shootin'

Bob

birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania

You seem to be having the typical problems that people who only shoot auto have when the camera is faced with difficult lighting situations. The mountains and the rocks in the first photo are dark and the light meter is trying to render then as a middle gray so it overexposes the photo to compensate. The second one of the barn does not seem so much to be so overexposed as a problem with a high dynamic range scene. Some of that can be adjusted in LR to bring the highlights down and the darks up a little to balance things out.

If you want to be able to take great photos, you will need to take the big step and learn to shoot manually. Weddingguy suggeston to check out MWAC's recent training posts is a great one. Do it! You'll never look back!

nas5000 Loc: Miami

Yes. but for sanity's sake KISS.
Not smart enough to go around calculating in my head 1 stop to the right = 1f stop less or shutter speed + and lens size etc, i just keep it simple for my low iq.

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

Artists (including photographers) call the hour after after sunrise and the hour before twilight "The Golden Hours" best for landscapes.

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

You might consider a polarizing filter and or Graduated neutral density filters.

birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania

post withdrawn

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

Great idea.

Meives Loc: FORT LAUDERDALE

[quote=Dgusty3]Here is your data for the "before" red moutain shot.

Dgusty3 Loc: Illinois

I'm not sure what a screw type polarizer filter is, I do have polarizing filter but unfortunately didn't have it on the lens that i took most of my photos with.

peggyjom Loc: Pacific Northwest

Some times I just get tired of hearing about the golden hour. Yes we know it is there, two times a day. My world pretty much revolves around work and living! Which is activities I can take pictures during. Hiking, site seeing, bird watching wildlife watching..... I do it all day long not just as dawn and dusk.
Okay my peace is said.
I do agree though try to stay away from the landscape mode you are post processing you can add your desired color then.

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

But the angle of the sun is hard to duplicate, eh?

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

Yours probably is it screws onto the filter thread at the front of the camera. For a digital or auto-focus camera you need to have a CPL (Circular Polarizer).

Dgusty3 Loc: Illinois

Thanks Bob so much for your comments! I do agree I think that the second photo i posted was a little dark, and as for the screen on my laptop, it drives me crazy because depending on the angle of my screen photos seem to be overexposed, then you move the screen and its underexposed, or maybe my laptop screen isnt set correctly. I did lower the brightness on my screen a bit too.