Tips, tutorials and discussion of photography, cameras and accessories.
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Now that winter has arrived, it's time to remember some "rules". I know I intend to take lots of outdoor shots over the next few months.

Remember, your camera meter is programmed to expose for the midtones and thinks that what it sees is middle tone - 18% reflective. (many people say cameras are calibrated for 18% middle tone gray; the color gray has nothing to do with it - middle tone is 18% reflectance - blue, red, green, brown, or even orange) Your exposure meter is not smart. The meter has been programmed to believe everything is 18% reflectance; since most things are not 18% reflectance, the meter knows one thing which is wrong most of the time. :biggrin:

We got our first significant snow of the year last night (sure glad my drive home from Minnesota beat the storm). I took some shots this morning and, fortunately, remembered to make exposure compensation. I usually fool around with the first shot and leave the settings alone for subsequent shots. I could use manual settings but find it much easier, at least for me, to use Exposure Compensation. Here's what I found:

Snow Normal.jpg
Snow Normal.jpg (131.45 KiB) Viewed 1038 times

Snow +1.jpg
Snow +1.jpg (132.49 KiB) Viewed 1037 times

Snow +2.jpg
Snow +2.jpg (133.69 KiB) Viewed 1037 times

Snow +1&half.jpg
Snow +1&half.jpg (130.87 KiB) Viewed 1035 times


After these quick shots, I knew that +1-1/2 was what I wanted. What I find interesting is the difference between +1 and +1-1/2. When I look at Exif info they appear to be exactly the same: 1/90th at f/8. But, when I look at the histogram in Elements there is a subtle difference. I'm still thinking about why that may be.

Rusty

PS - these are SOOC Jpegs; I will need to fool around with the RAW versions but this gives me something pretty good to work with
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness" - Dave Barry

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

www.prestophoto.com/photos/gallery/19932
Good information, Rusty. Will come in handy if and when I get to see snow. Will have to go to the mountains for that, hummmm, I see a trip in my future.
rusty how informative, even if i have a point and shoot. You neeever know when it might come in handy. I love how you showed the differences , thanks bunches.
Yes, a great "rule of thumb" to use 1.5 stops more exposure. Interesting to see how the +1.5 and +2 stops gave the same result in aperture/shutter combination. Perhaps they are 'rounded up' figures - I think the full exif gives more accurate settings.
Anyway, my camera's EV compensation is graduated in 1/3rd stops, so I'm going for the +1 and 2/3rds as a compromise. The other thing to wonder about is that, in sunny conditions, there's a greater difference between highlights and shadows, so I might experiment this year with reducing contrast in-camera (for JPEGs only) on the bright days.
PSE6 on WinXP, Pentax K10d...... and now a Canon G10.

Gallery
My camera offers the option of EV in either 1/2 or 1/3 increments. I guess it's a holdover from my film days, I'm more comfortable 'thinking in halves'. If I really had something important, especially something I couldn't easily go back and reshoot, I would probably use manual setting and a whole lotta bracketing.

I do know that, if I have something with a big range between highlights and shadows, EV settings don't do the trick very well. Reduce contrast in camera ....... hmmmmm. I need to dig out my manual to figure out if I have the ability to do that (Nikon D80).

Rusty
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness" - Dave Barry

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

www.prestophoto.com/photos/gallery/19932
Ahem. Rusty, what have you done to your avatar? :shock: Are those maniacally blinking lights supposed to be Christmas decorations? I may have to wear sunglasses while reading your posts.

Courtney
:bigwink:
Of course, Courtney,
That's my Christmas avatar. I'll leave it up 'till New Years or until I get a good shot of a festive squirrel.

Rusty
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness" - Dave Barry

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

www.prestophoto.com/photos/gallery/19932
Great info, Rusty! Thanks a bunch! Of course we don't get sow down here, but I could take a trip!! :bigwink:
Rusty..... D80........

In the "Shooting Menu", there's "Optimize Image"....
If you select "Custom" you can alter "Image Sharpening", "Tone Compensation", "Color Mode", "Saturation" and "Hue Adjustment". In the "Tone Compensation" part, you can adjust Contrast.... Auto, Normal, -1, -2, +1, +2, None. In the same place (Custom), you can switch between sRGB, AdobeRGB and another sRGB (no, I don't know why).
PSE6 on WinXP, Pentax K10d...... and now a Canon G10.

Gallery
Well, thank you, Geoff,

I just read that page in the manual and, for a change, actually understood what they were saying. That will be experimented with when I can find the right circumstances.

Rusty :thanks:

PS - For the color modes, Ken Rockwell says
Mode Ia (sRGB) the default, normal and boring
Mode II (Adobe RGB) dull colors, don't use unless you really know what you are doing and print your own work
Mode IIIa (sRGB), bolder colors [because of his bias for vivid, bold colors ... his choice]
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness" - Dave Barry

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

www.prestophoto.com/photos/gallery/19932
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