How do I expose correctly for subjects against a bright sky?
Asked 5/7/2015
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I’m new to photography and can shoot in manual, but I struggle with outdoor scenes where the subject is set against a bright sky. For example, when photographing hot air balloons, I metered on the subject but still ended up with underexposed images until I slowed the shutter speed after a few test shots. Is there a reliable technique for getting exposure right faster in these situations? Does it mainly come down to experience, or are there metering methods or tools that help when the sky is much brighter than the subject?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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Generally it should be possible to nail the exposure on the first try, the old analog masters did it, too. When you're metering a small, far away object, the metered area will be much larger than the object and you get a lot of sky metered, consequently.
I like the concept of Ansel Adams' Zone System for this:
You have to use spot metering for this, if you camera provides this function with a narrow enough spot.
Or, you can meter against the sky, remembering that the sky could need to come out a lot brighter than neutral in the image, depending on the weather. A deep blue sky is actually close to neutral, for a white sky dial in some +EV exposure compensation.
If your subjects are in shadow (you are shooting the balloons against the light), you'll need to overexpose, too, probably ~ +2EV to lift the sky to zone VII (still detailed).
The trick to the zone system is to meter against something and then adjust +-EV to lift/lower that subject to the desired zone. Neutral grey is V, zone II is barely discernable dark, zone VIII is nearly pure white.
Originally by user32110. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user32110
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—this is a common high-contrast exposure problem, and with practice you can often get very close on the first shot.
The main issue is metering: if the subject is small and far away, your meter may include a lot of bright sky, which can cause underexposure of the subject. A few useful approaches:
- Use spot metering if your camera has it, and meter as precisely as possible from the subject or a neutral-toned area.
- If you meter from the sky, remember the sky is not always “neutral.” A deep blue sky may meter close to neutral, but a pale or white sky often needs positive exposure compensation to stay bright.
- If the subject is backlit or in shadow against the sky, you’ll usually need to add exposure compared with what the meter suggests.
- Review your result and adjust—experience helps you recognize how much compensation a scene needs.
- A circular polarizing filter can darken blue skies and enrich color, which may make exposure easier and improve contrast, though it won’t solve every backlit situation.
So there’s no magic trick, but better metering technique plus a little exposure compensation will usually get you there much faster.
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