Why can’t my camera capture detail in both a dark subject and a bright sky?
Asked 7/4/2015
3 views
2 answers
0
When I photograph a very dark subject, like a black cat, against a bright summer sky, I usually have to choose between two bad results: either the cat has visible fur detail but the sky turns nearly white, or the sky looks blue with cloud detail but the cat becomes a silhouette. My eyes can see both at once. Is this an inherent camera limitation caused by dynamic range, or is it mostly a problem with a cheaper digital camera? What can I do to capture both the dark foreground and bright background better?
Originally by user41006. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user41006
11y ago
2 Answers
8
The problem you are experiencing is the lack of dynamic range (the ability to represent different levels of brightness) in you photo.
The first step to increase the dynamic range is to set the camera to capture RAW files. The Raw format saves all of the captured image data from the sensor and this comes with the benefit of increased dynamic range. This RAW file can later be converted to a JPEG file using a RAW converter (a program that can read these files) and you can decide to brighten the dark fur and darken the sky in that RAW converter.
The second problem you have to overcome is the inherit limitation to dynamic range of the sensor itself in the camera. Modern sensors have a dynamic range of 12-bit to 14-bit and that symply won't let you take a photograph of a very dynamic scene (both very bright and very dark) without loosing information in the shadows/highlights.
You can increase the information available by bracketing several shots and combining them for a greater dynamic range. This technique is usually referred to as HDR and involves taking multiple photographs at different exposures (both under, balanced and overexposed) and later combining them into a single photo. In this combined photo the overexposed image will provide information about the details in the shadows and the underexposed image the details in the highlights.
There is a last and perhaps a bit old fashion way of dealing with the problem and it's called graduated filters. Graduated filters are neutral density filters that transition info a clear filter and they can be used to cover up very bright areas to decrease the dynamic range of the scene in order to fit it all in the dynamic range of the sensor.
There are really no particular camera to recommend. Modern cameras all have great dynamic range and in the event it's not enough either be happy with the result, bracket shots or use a filter.
Originally by user21986. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user21986
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This is mainly a dynamic range problem: the scene contains a wider brightness range than the camera can comfortably record in a single JPEG.
What helps:
- Shoot RAW, not just JPEG. RAW keeps more sensor data, giving you more room to recover shadow detail in the cat and protect highlights in the sky during editing.
- Expose carefully to avoid clipping the sky, then lift the shadows in RAW processing.
- Add light to the cat with fill flash, sunlight, or another light source. Reducing the brightness difference is often the easiest fix.
- If one exposure still can’t hold both, bracket exposures and combine them with HDR software.
Better cameras often have greater dynamic range, so newer mid-range models may handle this kind of scene better, but no camera sees exactly like your eye/brain combination. Also, displays and prints have limited dynamic range too, so some tone compression in editing is usually needed even if the sensor captured enough data.
So yes, there is an inherent limitation, but technique, RAW capture, added light, and possibly a camera with better dynamic range can improve it a lot.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI11y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Will a polarizing filter help reduce blown highlights on white fur in direct sun?
How can I expose both a sunset sky and a foreground subject without using flash?
Why does the daytime sky look white and overexposed in my photos?
How can I photograph a sunrise with both a colorful sky and a visible foreground?
How can I handle scenes with very high contrast, such as harsh midday light?