Exposure Test in Philly w/ question

N

naveenmedia

Active member
Hey guys, here's a small bit of footage from some time shooting out on Kelly Drive in Philadelphia I took last week.

http://vimeo.com/17261744

The biggest problem for me was that the detail in the sky was blown out when I went for detail under the bridge. When I stopped down for the sky, the detail under the bridge went too dark.

Is this simply a typical balancing act when shooting, or would a better/faster lens help? Any tips on what I can do to keep detail like that in the highlights without losing detail in the shadows?
 
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HI Naveenmedia,
Its called dynamic range. Digital cameras generally do not have the dynamic range (latitude) that film cameras have. That is to say, shadows go to black and highlights loose detail more easily than when shooting on film because there are a limited number of stops that the sensor can read before the signal is lost. Bigger sensor digital cameras usually handle more dynamic range than smaller sensor ones. A faster lens will not compensate for this. A higher quality lens may help you register more detail in the shadows, only because of better glass having better contrast, not better dynamic range.

In your case for the under the bridge shot, it is better to protect the highlights by shooting down a stop or so and then correct in post. That way you will have details in the clouds and can pull up the mid tones in post while lowering the highlights, keeping the sky detail.

BTW - I noticed that your focus was off (or your kit lens has a problem focusing on infinity).


Jason
 
Well, you've got to expose for your most important highlight. In this case, it was not the sky. Your result is not so unusual. I've seen it most recently in the TV show Rescue Me. I also saw it (though it could be argued that it was for artistic purposes) in the film Punch-Drunk Love.

In locked-down shots, you can use a graduated ND filter to help preserve sky detail.
 
Thanks guys!

AwakenedFilms - More info on sensor size I can use. Thank you! I'll keep that in mind when shopping for my next camera. The focus was off due to not having an external monitor -- I'm having a lot of trouble focusing with just the LCD screen, as a lot of people do.

Jordan - I'll check out the ND filter. Looks like it will help.
 
I'd personally like to see what comes about as the solution to this video, it's a very interesting subject!
 
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