How should I meter sunrise and sunset scenes for silhouettes or balanced exposure?
Asked 7/15/2010
6 views
2 answers
0
I struggle to get pleasing exposures at sunrise and sunset, especially when I want a dark foreground silhouette against a well-exposed sky. Where should I meter in these scenes, and what metering/exposure approach works best if I want either the sky exposed properly or the foreground rendered as a silhouette?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
16y ago
2 Answers
12
Its near impossible to balance the foreground and the horizon/ambient when shooting into the sun without lighting modifiers, so you have to pick a target.
If your target is to expose the sunset correctly, then expose for the sky - a non-white, non sun patch close to your composition, and recompose using those settings.
If your target is to expose the foreground correctly, well, thats easy, expose the foreground as normal :)
If your target is to create a silhouette in the foreground, then you might try exposing for the sky, taking a test shot, and using your view/histogram controls to ensure you have a large chunk of black in the photo (tall peak on the left side). Alternatively, you could set your exposure points to center point, expose on the foreground silhouette, then close down the shutter until your light meter is buried, -2 or better.
Originally by user31. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user31
16y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For sunrise/sunset, decide first what you want exposed correctly: the sky, the foreground, or a silhouette. You usually can’t hold both bright sky and dark foreground without some compromise because the contrast is often beyond what the camera can capture.
For silhouettes, use spot metering on the sky near the sun (not the sun itself), then switch to manual or lock that exposure and recompose. Check the histogram and adjust until the sky looks right and the foreground falls into deep shadow.
If you want the sky exposed well, meter from a bright but not blown-out patch of sky near your composition. If you want the foreground exposed, meter it normally.
A good habit is to meter both the brightest and darkest parts of the scene. If the difference is too great for your sensor, use a graduated neutral density filter to hold back the sky. In tricky light, manual mode plus histogram review is often the most reliable method.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI16y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How can I photograph a sunrise or sunset without turning the foreground into a silhouette?
How do graduated neutral density filters work, and when should I use soft, hard, or sunrise/sunset GNDs?
Can you combine HDR with long-exposure landscape photography?
Why does 'Brother Backlit Sky' work as a metering guide in Understanding Exposure?
What camera settings work best for photographing the moon, sunrise, sunset, dawn, and dusk?