Blownout background: What have I done wrong?

[vsethuram]

Hi all,

I am a relative newbie to DSLR photography, have been experimenting with my Nikon D3100 for the last year and a bit.. Over the weekend I clicked this parrot sitting on my neighbour's tree. It was a cloudy evening and this shot was taken in a bit of haste as 'He' was sitting at a funny angle on the tree branch and I was keen to get that angle. However as you can see the background is blown out..

EXIF data: Nikon D3100, VR 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6G @ 185mm, AF-A, Single centre point focus, VR: ON, F/5, 1/25s, Matrix Metering, ISO 100, WB: Cloudy

What could I have done differently to get the background more natural? Could a -ve exposure compensation have helped?

Thanks!

[Saorsa]

This is one of those places where fill flash is needed or a reflection from some other light source.

You are shooting a relatively dark subject against a rather light background. DOF is such that there won't be much detail in the background (see the other branches) so even if you had a blue sky and clouds it would be a texture rather than a subject.

I suspect you were also using matrix metering and the Expeed processor was trying to find a balance of exposure between the subject and the background. If the program can figure out the subject it will try to expose for it and let the rest go and perhaps try to compensate for overly bright portions in software.

In this case, it did a fairly decent job of maintaining detail in the subject. Using Plus EV would have brightened the subject but you would have even more of a blown sky.

You could also have used center weighted or spot metering under the circumstances and put the indicator on the bird.

But, this is the image you have now and it's salvation is to crop to remove the empty spaces and brighten the image using post processing.

[ajohnw]

Really this shot needed more exposure to bring up the detail in the parrot. The background is blown out because there is a bigger range of lght levels than the camera can capture. Fairly common problem when shooting something where the background is the sky so little can be done about that aspect. One answer is to select the background during post processing and change it to what ever colour you like.

Your exposure on the parrot would have been better if you had zoomed in more so that it came near filling the frame but as framed it might need and extra stop of exposure. Probably 1/2 a stop extra maybe a bit more if framed like this. I had a quick play to brighten the parrot up but as you can see the body isn't captured well and was too dark so it tends to come out rather flat.



John
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[Manfred M]

Vish - welcome to CiC.

While Brian is right in terms of a technique that would result in a "more natural" background, it probably wouldn't be a technique that I would try for this type of shot. Because of the dynamic range of this image (the brightest highlights to the darkest shadows) you really have two separate images

Your background might be more natural, but you'd scare off the bird with all the fiddling with flash (assuming it is powerful enough to actually illuminate the bird). The problem with this shot is that you really have two separate exposure needs; the sky and the bird. In this case, neither has come out correctly and the sky has been blown out and the bird is underexposed.

Exposing for the sky and then using a technique (called dragging the shutter) using a flash to expose the bird would give you the result you want. I've never tried it on a wildlife shot (can't get the flash close enough).

I personally prefer what John has suggested; get the bird properly exposed and don't worry about the sky.

[bnnrcn]

Do you mean 'locking the exposure' by saying 'dragging the shutter' Manfred?(I have translated it from Turkish) .There is a button on my camera and you can get the exposure from sky,lock it by pressing that button and focus on the subject you want...you get a silhouette picture of the subject you focused (without using a flash).

Vish - welcome to CiC.

While Brian is right in terms of a technique that would result in a "more natural" background, it probably wouldn't be a technique that I would try for this type of shot. Because of the dynamic range of this image (the brightest highlights to the darkest shadows) you really have two separate images

Your background might be more natural, but you'd scare off the bird with all the fiddling with flash (assuming it is powerful enough to actually illuminate the bird). The problem with this shot is that you really have two separate exposure needs; the sky and the bird. In this case, neither has come out correctly and the sky has been blown out and the bird is underexposed.

Exposing for the sky and then using a technique (called dragging the shutter) using a flash to expose the bird would give you the result you want. I've never tried it on a wildlife shot (can't get the flash close enough).

I personally prefer what John has suggested; get the bird properly exposed and don't worry about the sky.

[RichardTaylor]

In situations like these you need to make a decision on what is most important, the sky or the bird.

Flash can be used, a good external flash will have enough power, but will be unwieldly unless the flash is on camera. Then you you have the problems of balancing the flash and daylight without blasting the bird with flash. You may also get the equivalent of "red eye". Also keep in mind you may be shooting with a long lens at flash synch speeds in daylight so that may mean camera movement may be show up on the image. I do not use flash for this type of exposure but do use it rarely to throw a bit of light onto the bird when the bird is deep shade amongst all the leaves.

[chauncey]

IMHO...it depends, don't ya just love a smart a$$ answer...How skilled are you at PP?
When I have a scenario like you show, I take two pictures...one properly exposed background and one properly exposed subject then blend them together in PP.

[Manfred M]

IMHO...it depends, don't ya just love a smart a$$ answer...How skilled are you at PP?
When I have a scenario like you show, I take two pictures...one properly exposed background and one properly exposed subject then blend them together in PP.

Yes, this solution can work in some very specific circumstances, but a bird on a branch with leaves; now that is not a trivial job in post. While I am quite good in Photoshop, this is one shot I would not try this way because I don't think I could get it looking good enough.

[ajohnw]

IMHO...it depends, don't ya just love a smart a$$ answer...How skilled are you at PP?
When I have a scenario like you show, I take two pictures...one properly exposed background and one properly exposed subject then blend them together in PP.

Might be possible with no wind and a stuffed bird or one shot with a tranquilliser dart providing it didn't fall off.

John
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[chauncey]

Manfred, I might suggest that you sell yourself short...duplicate image using ctrl P>open threshold adjustment layer and move slider to taste (gives a harsh contrast view)>return to layer 1>open "select" drop down menu and choose color range>choose "highlights" or "shadows" and click OK. Then simply discard the threshold adj. layer as it's now unneeded. Then use refine edge if needed.

It is a old and rarely used method that sometimes works great.

[Manfred M]

Manfred, I might suggest that you sell yourself short...duplicate image using ctrl P>open threshold adjustment layer and move slider to taste (gives a harsh contrast view)>return to layer 1>open "select" drop down menu and choose color range>choose "highlights" or "shadows" and click OK. Then simply discard the threshold adj. layer as it's now unneeded. Then use refine edge if needed.

It is a old and rarely used method that sometimes works great.

That is just another way of making a selection. The problem of getting a clean enough edge that is relatively artifact free doesn't get solved by this technique. The issue is the signifcant tonal difference between the sky and the leaves.

[JR1]

I agree, flash, never leave home without it, people mainly think flash, indoors, night...... wrong

[jamn4ex]

This may sound crazy... but this might be good place for composite shot. Meter the bird blow out the bg. Then take shot of properly exposed bg. mix with layers. bake at 350 for 20 minutes. let cool before serving.

[chauncey]

This may sound crazy... but this might be good place for composite shot. Meter the bird blow out the bg. Then take shot of properly exposed bg. mix with layers.

Amazing!!!

[Manfred M]

Do you mean 'locking the exposure' by saying 'dragging the shutter' Manfred?(I have translated it from Turkish) .There is a button on my camera and you can get the exposure from sky,lock it by pressing that button and focus on the subject you want...you get a silhouette picture of the subject you focused (without using a flash).

Time of a bit of a long-winded explanation...

Often in flash photography, we overpower the existing light so that all of our illumination comes from the flash. There are certain times that we try for a combination of ambient light and fill light; and use of fill-flash, is one fairly basic example of where we use a combination of ambient and flash. Fill flash does not necessarily mean we are "dragging the shutter". Dragging the shutter is essentially having a shutter speed that is slower than the synch speed of the camera, which allows more ambient light to affect the image. Let me show you a couple of examples of this:

1. Often when we do a flash shot of the interior of a building, the ambient light outside is so bright that light coming in through the windows results in overexposure. If we set our camera speed so that the light outside is properly exposed and then use a flash inside (I do this in manual mode) to light the inside of the room, we get a shot that is correctly lit for both light sources:



The interior was lit by two Speedlights; you can see some of the glare in the window' that comes from my main Speedlight. This shot was take at 1/25 at f/5.6 at ISO 200. The camera flash sych speed is 1/200 sec, so by shooting at 1/25; this is "dragging the shutter". I used a shoot through umbrealla with the flash as my main light and stand-alone flash to light up the back hall.


The second example was shot in a way to light my subject for proper exposure, but selected a shutter speed and aperture that underexposed the background so that the wall of the hut appeard to be fairly dark. This shot is at 100 ISO at 1/125 at f/2.8. The flash synch speed on the camera is 1/250 sec.




So by shooting at 1/125, I was "dragging the shutter". I used a Rogue Flashbender as a light modifier in this image.

[Saorsa]

You don't really get those chances shooting wildlife. I'm pretty sure every leaf on that tree was in motion.

Yeah, you can make a composite but you might as just well put a mask around the bird and put a whole new background on it.

Add a cracker layer for polly while you are at it.

It's a snapshot that was happening quickly. Just pop up the built in flash to get whatever fill you can get from it.

If you want to get serious and have the action going on at some anticipated time, spread a white sheet to get some bounce from natural light.

[bnnrcn]

Thank you Manfred,I'm clear about the subject now.So,I have one more thing to learn which is types of flashes and how to use them

Time of a bit of a long-winded explanation...

Often in flash photography, we overpower the existing light so that all of our illumination comes from the flash. There are certain times that we try for a combination of ambient light and fill light; and use of fill-flash, is one fairly basic example of where we use a combination of ambient and flash. Fill flash does not necessarily mean we are "dragging the shutter". Dragging the shutter is essentially having a shutter speed that is slower than the synch speed of the camera, which allows more ambient light to affect the image. Let me show you a couple of examples of this:

1. Often when we do a flash shot of the interior of a building, the ambient light outside is so bright that light coming in through the windows results in overexposure. If we set our camera speed so that the light outside is properly exposed and then use a flash inside (I do this in manual mode) to light the inside of the room, we get a shot that is correctly lit for both light sources:



The interior was lit by two Speedlights; you can see some of the glare in the window' that comes from my main Speedlight. This shot was take at 1/25 at f/5.6 at ISO 200. The camera flash sych speed is 1/200 sec, so by shooting at 1/25; this is "dragging the shutter". I used a shoot through flash as my main light and stand-alone flash to light up the back hall.


The second example was shot in a way to light my subject for proper exposure, but selected a shutter speed and aperture that underexposed the background so that the wall of the hut appeard to be fairly dark. This shot is at 100 ISO at 1/125 at f/2.8. The flash synch speed on the camera is 1/250 sec.




So by shooting at 1/125, I was "dragging the shutter". I used a Rogue Flashbender as a light modifier in this image.

[vsethuram]

Brian, Manfred, John, Binnur, Richard, Chauncey, Jermey, James...

Thank you all for your feedback! A lot of techniques for me to experiment with and learn.. although due to equipment limitations (no external flashes at the moment), some methods are for another day... Hopefully I will get a chance to click another bird and post a follow up soon!

Cheers!