I know that you can tell the difference between pure white, white, kinda white, off-white, ivory, pearly and really really light grey. You can also discern a similar handful of subtle differences in dark tones from black to charcoal.
Your camera can’t. Compared to you, your camera is rather primitive. For example, a picture of the Lake Erie coast SOOC (Straight out of the camera):
A Lake Erie coast, straight out of the camera
While standing there, I could see details in both the rocks and the sky but my camera could not. One cure might be to use the Exposure Value + / – control, but to overexpose just makes the whole thing look washed out even though rock details look very nice. And the sky is cool when underexposed but the rest of the scene just dies in that case.
Three exposures: On, Under, Over
So what to do? You could take different exposures of the same thing and put them together using Layers in Photoshop, and then erase the failed parts of each layer, but you’ll need a tripod for your different exposures or your work will be nearly impossible because they won’t line up.
Instead, try using a application called PhotoMatix. There’s an “Elements” version that’s only 40 bucks, and just like the PRO version, you can hand-hold three shots (just set your SLR to automatic bracketing and hold steady as you can) and the application will line them up for you. Then it will take the best tones from each picture and “tone-maps” the thing into a most splendid scene.
Photomatix version, "Tone-Mapped"
Color, highlights, shadow detail, ALL of it is fully controlled by you. And yet it’s really simple. And affordable! It’s not so much for people pictures, and never for action shots, but for scenics? It’s just a good idea and super fun to play with. Besides, they have a free Trial Version to use –which never expires– while you’re warming up to it.
I feel a bit like a magician revealing a secret, but this one is really no secret. You just have to try it. Here ya go… Photomatix Downloads… Have fun!
Gary B
