White birds
Mar 18, 2024 13:07:16 #
Rgandel
Loc: South Orange, NJ
What is the best way to photograph white birds without blowing out the highlights?
Mar 18, 2024 13:10:35 #
Rgandel wrote:
What is the best way to photograph white birds without blowing out the highlights?
I underexpose, almost 2 stops if the sunlight is strong and the birds are on the ground. If in the sky, then 1 stop is usually sufficient. Do you have a mirrorless? What brand? Maybe you can turn "blinkies" on and see when you are overexposing?
Mar 18, 2024 13:11:44 #
Orphoto
Loc: Oregon
Yes, underexpose. Most likely easy way is exposure compensation. Down 1 stop. Try it and see how it looks. Adjust to taste.
Mar 18, 2024 13:20:39 #
Mar 18, 2024 13:21:40 #
Mar 18, 2024 13:41:56 #
Mar 18, 2024 13:42:36 #
Rgandel wrote:
I have a Canon EOS R7. Good idea to under expose.
Do you want white birds, or grey birds? Do you want a grainy underexposed sky to go with those grey birds?
You should capture in RAW with the exposure settings that stop just 1/3-stop below causing exposure highlights on the birds. Of course, that's going to take some experimentation in the actual light and subjects to confirm, work you should be planning to execute in all situations.
Leverage the modern marvel that is the EOS R7 that enables manual exposure with Exposure Compensation and AUTO ISO. Just pick your shutterspeed and aperture in M, then adjust the EC dial as you experiment with the birds and the exact light. Let the EC level and reviews of the highlight warnings determine exactly the + / - offset position of the meter.
Mar 18, 2024 14:12:50 #
Rgandel wrote:
What is the best way to photograph white birds without blowing out the highlights?
Shoot in raw, reasonably under expose. The magic will happen in raw post-production.
Mar 18, 2024 14:35:03 #
My experience is that Chg_Canon is correct here , Judgement is still required even with great meters.
1/3 stop may not always be enough , but 2/3 almost always does it. I'd say do some testing, set your EC to 1/3 stop increments and if you have time try 1/3, 2/3, & 1 stop EC then evaluate in post. Usually a full stop will be too much. This is also focal length dependent, a wider view may include some unimportant specular highlights , or some darker areas, both of which influence over all exposure, a Telephoto the captures blue sky , white bird & maybe some clouds is a bit more predictable . Of course there are variations to this, but over time you can develop a sense of what works.....especially if you take the time to make a few notes about common situations.
Generally speaking you WANT to be on the 'edge' with exposure (which is the idea behind ETTR)
Good Luck
1/3 stop may not always be enough , but 2/3 almost always does it. I'd say do some testing, set your EC to 1/3 stop increments and if you have time try 1/3, 2/3, & 1 stop EC then evaluate in post. Usually a full stop will be too much. This is also focal length dependent, a wider view may include some unimportant specular highlights , or some darker areas, both of which influence over all exposure, a Telephoto the captures blue sky , white bird & maybe some clouds is a bit more predictable . Of course there are variations to this, but over time you can develop a sense of what works.....especially if you take the time to make a few notes about common situations.
Generally speaking you WANT to be on the 'edge' with exposure (which is the idea behind ETTR)
Good Luck
Mar 18, 2024 14:44:34 #
You can meter anyway you want, but Canon's evaluative metering is the easiest and the most receptive to the ideas above regarding EC and the relative + / - position of the meter vs the 0-mark.
To the idea of ETTR - Exposing to the Right and capturing in RAW, as long as you don't 'blow' the highlights, you can use a combination of your Highlights slider and your Whites slider in post to bring out the RAW details (lower highlights) and maintain the original whites of the bird (increased whites). This post includes a working example:
ETTR in Practice II
To the idea of ETTR - Exposing to the Right and capturing in RAW, as long as you don't 'blow' the highlights, you can use a combination of your Highlights slider and your Whites slider in post to bring out the RAW details (lower highlights) and maintain the original whites of the bird (increased whites). This post includes a working example:
ETTR in Practice II
Mar 18, 2024 15:00:53 #
Rgandel wrote:
What is the best way to photograph white birds without blowing out the highlights?
Are you photographing birds sitting for you or are you trying to photograph birds in flight or doing something?
Mar 18, 2024 16:55:23 #
Mar 18, 2024 16:55:57 #
Mar 18, 2024 16:56:33 #
Mar 18, 2024 16:57:51 #
Rgandel wrote:
Thanks,
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