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Photographing White (Wildlife)
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Apr 13, 2019 22:26:08   #
tiphareth51 Loc: Somewhere near North Pole, Alaska
 
Requesting help please! I am having difficulty photographing birds (both large and small) that are primarily white in color. In some areas the white is blown out while other areas seem okay. Is exposure compensation the answer to this problem? What do you pro's recommend? Your suggestions are very appreciated! Samples below. Thank you. Nikon D750 with 200-500, F5.6 lens.


(Download)


(Download)

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Apr 13, 2019 22:38:32   #
alx Loc: NJ
 
Let me suggest "Secrets To Exposure And Metering For Nikon" by UHH member Steve Perry. You can check out all of his e-Books at backcountrygallery.com.

I've bought all of his e-Books and can highly recommend them, as have many others here at UHH.

Fabulous resource for us Nikon owners!

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Apr 13, 2019 23:10:19   #
ahudina Loc: Browns Point, WA
 
alx wrote:
Let me suggest "Secrets To Exposure And Metering For Nikon" by UHH member Steve Perry. You can check out all of his e-Books at backcountrygallery.com.

I've bought all of his e-Books and can highly recommend them, as have many others here at UHH.

Fabulous resource for us Nikon owners!


I echo the comments on Steve Perry’s guides. They are specifically beneficial to Nikon owners, very informative and imho very well presented.

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Apr 13, 2019 23:48:21   #
Patsworld Loc: Idaho
 
Is there any reason why his ebooks wouldn't be beneficial to canon users?

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Apr 14, 2019 00:13:36   #
ahudina Loc: Browns Point, WA
 
Patsworld wrote:
Is there any reason why his ebooks wouldn't be beneficial to canon users?


The two titles I have are “Secrets to the Nikon Autofocus System” and “Secrets to Exposure and Metering for Nikon”. His examples in these books all refer specifically to the Nikon systems and the intricacies of each. General focus and exposure principles transcend any particular camera manufacturer, but his very good specific examples are based upon and presented specifically for Nikon. He may have more generic books available so I would check his website backcountrygallery.com.

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Apr 14, 2019 00:25:57   #
alx Loc: NJ
 
Patsworld wrote:
Is there any reason why his ebooks wouldn't be beneficial to canon users?

Personally, I think anyone could benefit from Steve's works. The concepts are universal and his teaching style is such that it causes the message to stick in your mind (at least mine) for easy recall.

His examples are Nikon specific and highly detailed, so, in that sense, it would depend on your ability to translate menus and commands from Nikon to Canon (or other brand) speak. For some that will be simple, for others it will be an obstacle.

Some minds work well with "concepts", others can only follow an exact "road map". We are all different in how we learn; that's what makes us individuals.

Go to his backcountrygallery.com web site and check out the freely available pieces in his blog. If he "speaks" to you then, by all means, you will benefit from his e-Books.

For us Nikon users, he is an invaluable resource. If it works for you in Canon land, I'm sure he'd be happy to share. He strikes me as that kind of guy.

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Apr 14, 2019 01:25:30   #
tiphareth51 Loc: Somewhere near North Pole, Alaska
 
Yes, I am aware of Steve Perry's e-books as I do own several. They are a terrific source of information and the answer is probably there. Thanks for the suggestions. I did recently download Steve's new e-book but have not had an opportunity to utilize it.

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Apr 14, 2019 01:45:39   #
alx Loc: NJ
 
His latest "Secrets To Exposure And Metering For Nikon" really directly addresses your original question spot on for White (and Black) Wildlife.

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Apr 14, 2019 05:51:57   #
nison777 Loc: illinois u.s.a.
 
No reason at all...
Just translate the information into
"Cannon" language and your good to go..

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Apr 14, 2019 08:44:36   #
SpyderJan Loc: New Smyrna Beach. FL
 
Steve Perry aside, I think exposure compensation is the answer. That said, Steve has an article on "Blinkies" which might help you find the blown out whites better so you can adjust your exposure.

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Apr 14, 2019 09:21:00   #
Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington
 
The two photos posted were shot at the same exposure:
1/4000 sec, f/8, ISO 400, EC -2/3

The difference in outcome is probably in the editing. #2 has only a very tiny area of bright white and even it appears to contain some detail.

If you have time, post an unedited version of the first image to PP Forum. I'm curious what can be done with it

Here is the section:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-116-1.html

.

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Apr 14, 2019 10:24:00   #
gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast
 
Your meter will try to render white as grey and thus underexpose it. Most suggestions say to use exposure compensation at -1.0 or -1.5 to get the white back to being white. The same applies for snow. Be sure to shoot in RAW to give you some more options in post. That’s my two bits.

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Apr 14, 2019 10:56:22   #
Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC
 
elegant solution albeit comes with a rather steep learning curve...
https://www.hdrsoft.com/

I use this frequently when an image's dynamic range is exceeds the abilities of my image sensors...
btw, you must shoot in RAW to gain any significant benefits from this software...
Even then you are still best served by using many of the recommendation noted above...

disclaimer: I am not associated with hdrsoft in anyway...

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Apr 14, 2019 12:07:31   #
Cyberkinesis70 Loc: Northern Colorado
 
alx wrote:
Let me suggest "Secrets To Exposure And Metering For Nikon" by UHH member Steve Perry. You can check out all of his e-Books at backcountrygallery.com.

I've bought all of his e-Books and can highly recommend them, as have many others here at UHH.

Fabulous resource for us Nikon owners!


Steve Perry also has a new video that covers this very situation. It's about using blinkies and histograms. It is covered in his book also, but it is nice to see it in action. It is on backcountrygallery.com. Be sure to bookmark it. There is always good stuff on it, even if you don't use Nikon or take pictures of wild animals.

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Apr 14, 2019 15:42:09   #
CamB Loc: Juneau, Alaska
 
tiphareth51 wrote:
Requesting help please! I am having difficulty photographing birds (both large and small) that are primarily white in color. In some areas the white is blown out while other areas seem okay. Is exposure compensation the answer to this problem? What do you pro's recommend? Your suggestions are very appreciated! Samples below. Thank you. Nikon D750 with 200-500, F5.6 lens.


As soon as you arrive on site, bang off a couple of frames and then check your Histogram. Make adjustments as needed. Often with birds you are shooting with a lot of background showing and if the mater is grabbing information from that it can throw off your subject if it is just a small part of the frame. I shoot lots of Eagles flying against dark woods. I underexposure at least one stop to hold the whites.
...Cam

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