rook2c4 wrote:
The EXIF data indicates that you used spot metering. Apparently, you spot metered off the darkest spot in the scene (the very center of the flower), and the camera adjusted exposure accordingly. Spot metering for this is okay, but make sure you choose the spot wisely. Near the edge of the flower, for example.
I agree, this image is massively overexposed because of the Spot metering mode you had set.
You used Aperture Priority auto exposure, setting f/7.1 (good) and ISO 6400 (a little high?)... the camera metered the dark center of the flower, since that's what Spot metering restricted it to doing, then the camera chose a shutter speed (1/13) that it determined would render that dark flower as approx. equiv. to "18% gray". The camera has no idea what it's being pointed at, so all camera metering systems are calibrated to 18% gray (some think it's closer to 15% gray, but that's splitting hairs and doesn't matter). The photographer has to make adjustments when they are photographing anything that's darker or light than average, of the exposure will be incorrect.
A broader metering mode such as Center Weighted or Matrix/Evaluative would have taken much more of the scene into consideration and rendered a more accurate exposure. If the metering mode had included the highlights and leaves surrounding the flower, it would have all averaged out closer to 18% gray, making for a lot less over-exposure.
Alternatively, with Spot metering you could have dialed in a couple stops minus Exposure Compensation. That's used to override auto exposure when what's being metered is darker or lighter than "18% gray".
Because Spot metering is so limited in the area it reads, you need to be a lot more aware of tonalities that are darker or lighter than average, and more careful making adjustments.
Image can be recovered partially... but it's so overexposed that the highlights are completely blown out and unrecoverable. That's not necessarily a bad thing.... "high key" is a photo technique. In This case, some cropping might help. See below for the image after some recovery and a couple crop possibilities.
ski
Loc: West Coast, USA
This is a gem of a capture.... I'd ad a little contrast to pop out the violet, add a little softness and boom you have a masterpiece..
I was in Aperture mode with Auto ISO. The camera measured the light level in the way it does and set the shutter speed. Next try will be in better light and a fixed ISO and smaller f-stop, like 5.6. Don’t know what to do about WB.
JohnSwanda wrote:
How did you arrive at your settings?
The shot was taken 45 minutes before sunset to the east of our garage on a not very sunny day overall. I sense some graininess which could come from the high ISO. I have a lot to learn about controlling through the histogram.
camerapapi wrote:
Your image is overexposed. Only the flower has good exposure, result of using spot metering improperly. Good flower photography in my experience is done in cloudy days or in the shade. Part of your image was sunny and part in shade creating a wide dynamic range that the camera could not cope with. Avoid these extremes for better images.
It is perfectly fine to use the spot meter but its use require careful observation of the subject and in many cases more than one spot reading if the dynamic range is as wide as you have here.
Your image is overexposed. Only the flower has goo... (
show quote)
John_F wrote:
Sony a6300 30 mm macro, f7.1, 1/13 sec, ISO 6400. Taken in shade of garage, cloudy, overcast, around 7:30. At our latitude sun sets about 8:15.
It's pretty badly overexposed. Metering on the flower caused the background to blowout. What I would do is to spot meter off of a gray card in the same light as the flower and set your exposure in Manual mode by the gray card reading and shoot at the lowest ISO you can get away with. Look at the shot and then make any needed exposure changes. The other advantage is you can set your white balance off of the gray card shot in post processing and use it for all the other shots taken in the same lighting conditions.
John_F wrote:
I was in Aperture mode with Auto ISO. The camera measured the light level in the way it does and set the shutter speed. Next try will be in better light and a fixed ISO and smaller f-stop, like 5.6. Don’t know what to do about WB.
Did you know you were in spot metering mode?
If you use Lightroom , I keep my camera set at daylight and adjust LR.
amfoto1 wrote:
I agree, this image is massively overexposed because of the Spot metering mode you had set.
You used Aperture Priority auto exposure, setting f/7.1 (good) and ISO 6400 (a little high?)... the camera metered the dark center of the flower, since that's what Spot metering restricted it to doing, then the camera chose a shutter speed (1/13) that it determined would render that dark flower as approx. equiv. to "18% gray". The camera has no idea what it's being pointed at, so all camera metering systems are calibrated to 18% gray (some think it's closer to 15% gray, but that's splitting hairs and doesn't matter). The photographer has to make adjustments when they are photographing anything that's darker or light than average, of the exposure will be incorrect.
A broader metering mode such as Center Weighted or Matrix/Evaluative would have taken much more of the scene into consideration and rendered a more accurate exposure. If the metering mode had included the highlights and leaves surrounding the flower, it would have all averaged out closer to 18% gray, making for a lot less over-exposure.
Alternatively, with Spot metering you could have dialed in a couple stops minus Exposure Compensation. That's used to override auto exposure when what's being metered is darker or lighter than "18% gray".
Because Spot metering is so limited in the area it reads, you need to be a lot more aware of tonalities that are darker or lighter than average, and more careful making adjustments.
Image can be recovered partially... but it's so overexposed that the highlights are completely blown out and unrecoverable. That's not necessarily a bad thing.... "high key" is a photo technique. In This case, some cropping might help. See below for the image after some recovery and a couple crop possibilities.
I agree, this image is massively overexposed becau... (
show quote)
I think the original is much more interesting than the "recovered" result. And cropping even makes it more banal because it removes the composition, and just leave this rather unbeautiful dark maroon object.
As usual, Paul , wonderful assessments..
It’s because he used spot metering
RPaul3rd
Loc: Arlington VA and Sarasota FL
Nice artful photo however if you want it to look more normal, try a higher shutter speed and an ISO of around 400. If it looks underexposed ... hooray ... you can always lighten it up in post processing. A good rule of thumb is this: an underexposed image will yield more detail when it is lightened. An overexposed image washes out the details. Having said that ... I like what you did. Belongs in an art gallery.
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