How can I expose both a sunset sky and a foreground subject without using flash?
Asked 5/4/2017
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2 answers
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I want to photograph people or street scenes with a colorful sunset in the background. If I expose for the subject, the sky turns white; if I expose for the sky, the subject becomes very dark or a silhouette. Is it possible to capture both in one image without flash, especially for street photography?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
6
You are up against the dynamic range - the difference between brightest highlights with visible detail and darkest shadows with visible detail.
No camera currently available can cover as big a range as human eye. That is a fact you have to work around.
There are a few good options. You can:
- pull the brightness of the sky with a ND grad filter (not really an option with street)
- increase the brightness of foreground with a flash or a reflector
- level the difference in postprocess. This means HDR in digital and dodging & burning in film
- consider dynamic range as a factor when purchasing your next camera. It is extensively debated in reviews.
- learn to live with it and turn it into artistic advantage. This is up to you, but many street shooter chose this one, and it is the one I recommend.
Originally by user62463. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user62463
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes, but the main limitation is dynamic range: the sunset sky is much brighter than the subject, and cameras usually can’t record both perfectly in a single exposure.
Your options are:
- use a graduated neutral density filter to darken the sky while exposing for the subject; this works best when the horizon is fairly simple
- brighten the subject with reflected or existing light, such as white walls, glass, street lights, neon, or other nearby light sources
- blend the tonal range in post-processing; digitally this can mean HDR-style recovery, or local dodging and burning
- accept the silhouette look and use it creatively, which is common in street photography
Without flash, you generally need to reduce the contrast between sky and subject, use a grad ND filter, or rely on post-processing. In many street situations, the most practical approach is to embrace the silhouette or look for scenes where ambient or reflected light lifts the subject enough to balance the sunset.
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AI9y ago
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