ssohl Loc: NJ

I always have trouble with this one. dark (shadowed) sculpture against the bright sky. I've tried flash but then there is a flash spot on the statue. Any suggestions? I have a Nikon d7000. Thank you.

jpanar Loc: Reston, VA

Try a translucent flash hood. You can get one for just about any flash. You can also use a couple flashes, one "slaved" to your main flash.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

3 to 5 shot bracket with the exposure and merge the files. It's HDR, but but you don't have to go crazy with the saturation. You can even do this handheld on burst mode (and count the number of exposures depending on which setting you use, 3 or 5).

This is a 5 shot handheld...using the method above...on a statue...
http://douthittfamily.smugmug.com/2013/January-2013-Fairbanks/i-4nVWwkk/0/X2/P1155555-Edit-20130115-X2.jpg

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

#1 -- Use SPOT metering
#2 -- Use a flash, off camera for better modeling
#3 -- Wait for the light on the 'front' of the statue.

That is a very difficult subject to capture correctly without a lot of work and equip.

ssohl Loc: NJ

Thank you. I will try that.

ssohl Loc: NJ

Boy that came out beautifully. Thank you. I'll give it a try.

ssohl Loc: NJ

Thank you. I never thought of a flash hood.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Thanks, it was done without a flash, as I didn't want to get any hotspots on the statue (that and I didn't have one with me). The statue was in full shade and the sun was low in the sky...think fairbanks alaska in early january around 1pm in the afternoon (which put the sun just above the horizon line).

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Here is the reason you have problems with objects that are quite a bit darker or lighter than the background:

The camera's meter is easy to fool.

That's the crux of it.

Here is the cheap way to get a good manual exposure anywhere:

Point your camera towards the palm of your hand and fill the frame with it while it's in the same light as your subject

Read what the auto exposure is telling you, and then set your camera to M and set those settings.

Now, whatever you point your camera in in that light situation, will be properly exposed....it won't matter WHAT COLOR the object is....because proper exposure doesn't depend on the color of an object.

Now...some things to be aware of: you can't fix a HUGE dynamic range by having a proper exposure. If your sky is really bright and your statue is in shade...no amount of metering or monkeying is going to fix that...you must decide what's the important object and meter for that.

As was said...you could also blend bracketed shots too...


This idea of metering off of your hand works in all kinds of "tough" situations; snow, beach, backlight, whatever...

Hopefully this made sense to you and helps.

WAL

These backlight shots seldom work well. Fred Picker said in nature they where never successful. Except for people I think Picker was right.
Picker was a sort of Vermont Ansel Adams who manufactured cameras and darkroom equipment. He also had several photo and technique books published.

saxkiwi Loc: New Zealand

I use HDR normally around 5 exposures. But you'll need to be on a tripod of course and use a shutter release cord or remote. To merge the images you'll need a software like photomatix.

pigpen

This is why HDR is such an important tool for photography. The people that go crazy with it have given it a bad name. Nothing wrong with over-the-top HDR, if that's what you like. Before HDR, I would have: set up an off camera umbrella (or something), focused on the statue, turned focus to "manual", metered for the sky, then re-compose on the statue.

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

Expose for a good exposure on the statue without flash, and let the sky overexpose.

Shoot under overcast conditions, then punch it up in post.

Use large reflectors if possible to light the statue.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Tripod not required, but it does help. Burst mode works surprisingly well.

saxkiwi Loc: New Zealand

Well it is if several of your exposures are beyond hand holding. Id rather get it right in camera rather than photomatix line the shots up for you if they're slightly out