Why do my Nikon D3100 photos look dull on my computer, especially with lots of white in the scene?
Asked 10/8/2019
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My photos from a Nikon D3100 often look dull, and they sometimes look better on the camera’s rear screen than on my desktop monitor. I’ve tried changing settings and even using a softbox, but the images still seem flat. This happens a lot when photographing bright or mostly white subjects. What camera settings should I check to get brighter, less dull-looking results?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
6
The primary problem here is simply one of exposure. The camera's metering system is not really smart — it doesn't know the difference between a white blanket that's dimly lit and a gray blanket that's brightly lit. It just assumes that everything is somewhere in the middle.
Your scene contains a lot of white. This fools the camera's assumption about the world, and as a result it underexposes.
You can compensate for this when shooting by adding one or two stops of exposure compensation. (EV +1). Or, in post processing (especially if you have the RAW file), brightening the exposure with the equivalent slider will help, too. (Not as good as getting the exposure right first, but should be just fine even with a DSLR that's a few years old.)
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This is most likely an exposure issue, especially if the scene contains a lot of white. Your camera meter tries to make everything average out to a mid-tone, so white-heavy scenes often end up underexposed and look dull or gray.
Try these fixes:
- Dial in positive exposure compensation, starting at +1 EV and testing up to +2 EV.
- Use Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, or better yet Manual mode so you can control one setting at a time and compare results.
- Test on the same subject/scene while changing exposure so you can clearly see what each adjustment does.
- If you shoot RAW, you can brighten exposure afterward, though it’s better to get it right in-camera.
- Try a different Picture Control/Picture mode if your JPEGs look flat; Portrait may look less dull than Neutral.
- Set white balance manually instead of relying on Auto WB when lighting is consistent.
Also, the camera’s rear LCD can be misleading—images often look brighter or punchier there than on a computer monitor.
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