Shooting in bright sunlight

a96agli · 06-24-2013, 01:30 AM

Couple weeks ago I went out shooting in Cotswolds on a very bright day - you can view my photos from that day here. My problem is that all photos taken in that sunlight came out more or less polarised and the greens unnaturally bright (not to mention the specs of dust that had crept in on the mirror while I changed lenses). I'm still something of a beginner, so I would appreciate any tips on how to get rid of the polarising and improve colours - I do some editing to all photos, but I wouldn't want to do all work in Gimp... I have had the K30 for about 5 months and have so far used mainly the kit 18-55mm and a MF 50mm prime, though I just purchased a 50-200mm Pentax telezoom (saving my pennies to buy another telephoto lens in the future).

I'll be grateful for any advice!

sbroadbentphoto · 06-24-2013, 01:54 AM

I dont see anything wrong with them. they look beautiful. try calibrating your monitor as you may be getting the wrong interpretation of your colours. Otherwise, get them printed ad a decent print shop. this may show you nothing is really wrong.
If you still dont like it, change your jpeg settings to lower contrast or saturation.

calsan · 06-24-2013, 02:18 AM

I agree, they look great.
If you want a less bright look, just set the image finishing tone to 'Natural'. (Can't be done in green mode...) This is my default setting on the camera, although I often change it in post processing.

You also have a few specks of dust on your sensor, so will need to give it a puff with a rocket blower. - See your manual on cleaning the sensor.

wildman · 06-24-2013, 05:15 AM

To my eye some just had an unnatural amount of "pop" - they look over-cooked and too vivid.
I'm assuming you don't want it to look like a postcard.
As others have said if you are shooting in jpg set the camera to "natural" to avoid this.

Last edited by wildman; 07-29-2013 at 04:23 AM.

**interested_observer** · 06-24-2013, 06:45 AM

Wonderful images. Living here in the desert, I really do appreciate the lush green countryside that you have there. I agree with what everyone has suggested. I would also suggest shooting in RAW, and although not my favorite - picking up a copy of LightRoom 4 (before they disappear, and you are left with a monthly subscription fee for the new product LightRoom 5). I say LightRoom 4 since it is pretty much the standard and for about $100 reasonably affordable (Adobe is moving from selling you an outright license to renting you a monthly license - because you the customer are demanding they move to a rental model). Another reason is that there are many free YouTube instructional videos - helping you to use the product available on line. There are many other products too that would do the same thing. In this way, if your monitor is not off - you can adjust the color back to what you perceived it to be.

Racer X 69 · 06-24-2013, 08:03 AM

Most of them look great to me too, but one or two look a bit overexposed.

The bits of lint and dust spots are not on the mirror, but on the image sensor itself. The mirror flips up out of the image path when the photo is taken. Somewhere on the forum are threads describing what to do to mitigate the infiltration of dust and lint into the mirror box, and how best to clean it out. But I have found that no matter what you do, and no matter how careful you can be, the stuff will still get in there. That is when you will need to use Photoshop or Gimp or some other post processing software to clean the images up.

a96agli · 06-25-2013, 02:09 AM

Thanks for all the replies! wildman, I think the problem with the over-vidid colours is partly to do with monitor - these same photos look a lot more subtle on my laptop than they do on the big screen. The one you edited looks almost grey on the laptop. I've taken some photos with the "natural" setting, and while they look better on the camera display, they are a bit faded on the laptop screen. I'll try shooting raw and doing the editing on computer next - I tend to be really lazy when it comes to post-processing (you could never tell looking at those dust spots...), and usually just adjust the contrast/brightness and do some cropping if necessary.

Annoyingly, I didn't notice the dust until I had shot about 100 frames - spoiled a bunch of otherwise semi-decent images. I tried a non-static brush for the purpose, but turns out it wasn't really non-static...

sbroadbentphoto · 06-25-2013, 03:12 AM

To get a proper colour and contrast representation, you need to have a calibrated screen on your computer. Otherwise its like trying to mix a music abum using you phone speaker. It just doesnt represent the final result properly and will look very different to the print. On way to do this is to take your photo to a print shop and then compare the print to your photo on the screen. Then try to change the screen settings to match the print. Otherwise buy a spyder calibrator or the equivelent.

wildman · 06-25-2013, 03:50 AM

Originally posted by a96agli

I think the problem with the over-vidid colours is partly to do with monitor

Originally posted by sbroadbentphoto

To get a proper colour and contrast representation, you need to have a calibrated screen on your computer.

Yep.
We talk about posted pictures on this forum as if we are all talking about the same image when in fact, due to our particular system differences, we are comparing different pictures.

sbroadbentphoto · 06-25-2013, 04:06 AM

Originally posted by wildman

Yep.
We talk about posted pictures on this forum as if we are all talking about the same image when in fact, due to our particular system differences, we are comparing different pictures.

Exactly

**JimJohnson** · 06-25-2013, 07:57 AM

I'm a huge fan of hardware based methods of monitor calibration. Your brain has the built-in equivalent of average white balance and auto ISO, and it continually lies to you about what you are seeing. The factory defaults of almost every computer monitor sold are tweaked to make pie-charts using primary colors really POP on the screen. Way too much saturation, too much contrast, and the color temperature is usually set much higher than the ambient room light so it has a blue cast. But your brain is lying to you so you don't see this. Software-based monitor calibration is better than nothing, but is based what you see - and again, what does your brain do with what you see?

I paid US$100 for a used Huey Pro tool that works with multiple monitor setups. It was a bargain compared to my previous ongoing frustration - even after using several software-only based tools.

SpecialK · 06-25-2013, 08:39 AM

A few of them (Cornbury Park, the oaks) look to be a little overexposed.

Assuming your monitor is adjusted, I suggest posting a few in some threads here to see how they compare to the existing images by others. I know everyone else calibrates their monitor

You could also shoot raw and see if that does not help. I don't recommend PDCU, but there are plenty of alternatives.

a96agli · 06-26-2013, 01:51 AM

Okay, the thought of calibrating my screen is now making my head hurt

I'll look into it; I work in a school with a big art department and state-of-the-art computer lab just for photography/video production, so chances are they have experience with this. Come to think of it, I should probably go and do my editing there - I imagine they have every imaginable contraption and amazing computers there.

sbroadbentphoto · 06-26-2013, 02:26 AM

Originally posted by a96agli

Okay, the thought of calibrating my screen is now making my head hurt

I'll look into it; I work in a school with a big art department and state-of-the-art computer lab just for photography/video production, so chances are they have experience with this. Come to think of it, I should probably go and do my editing there - I imagine they have every imaginable contraption and amazing computers there.

Just see if they have a hardware calibrator. it is incredibly simple once you have one of those. you dont have to do any calibrations manually

a96agli · 06-26-2013, 02:37 AM

Originally posted by sbroadbentphoto

Just see if they have a hardware calibrator. it is incredibly simple once you have one of those. you dont have to do any calibrations manually

i asked the ICT dept about it, and they all gave me a blank stare. Strangest request ever, clearly.

06-24-2013, 01:30 AM	#1
a96agli New Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18	Shooting in bright sunlight Couple weeks ago I went out shooting in Cotswolds on a very bright day - you can view my photos from that day here. My problem is that all photos taken in that sunlight came out more or less polarised and the greens unnaturally bright (not to mention the specs of dust that had crept in on the mirror while I changed lenses). I'm still something of a beginner, so I would appreciate any tips on how to get rid of the polarising and improve colours - I do some editing to all photos, but I wouldn't want to do all work in Gimp... I have had the K30 for about 5 months and have so far used mainly the kit 18-55mm and a MF 50mm prime, though I just purchased a 50-200mm Pentax telezoom (saving my pennies to buy another telephoto lens in the future). I'll be grateful for any advice!

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06-24-2013, 01:54 AM	#2
sbroadbentphoto Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sydney, NSW Photos: Albums Posts: 132	I dont see anything wrong with them. they look beautiful. try calibrating your monitor as you may be getting the wrong interpretation of your colours. Otherwise, get them printed ad a decent print shop. this may show you nothing is really wrong. If you still dont like it, change your jpeg settings to lower contrast or saturation.

06-24-2013, 02:18 AM	#3
calsan Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,548	I agree, they look great. If you want a less bright look, just set the image finishing tone to 'Natural'. (Can't be done in green mode...) This is my default setting on the camera, although I often change it in post processing. You also have a few specks of dust on your sensor, so will need to give it a puff with a rocket blower. - See your manual on cleaning the sensor.

06-24-2013, 05:15 AM	#4
wildman Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Flyover America Posts: 4,469	To my eye some just had an unnatural amount of "pop" - they look over-cooked and too vivid. I'm assuming you don't want it to look like a postcard. As others have said if you are shooting in jpg set the camera to "natural" to avoid this. Last edited by wildman; 07-29-2013 at 04:23 AM.

06-24-2013, 06:45 AM	#5
interested_observer Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tumbleweed, Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,707	Wonderful images. Living here in the desert, I really do appreciate the lush green countryside that you have there. I agree with what everyone has suggested. I would also suggest shooting in RAW, and although not my favorite - picking up a copy of LightRoom 4 (before they disappear, and you are left with a monthly subscription fee for the new product LightRoom 5). I say LightRoom 4 since it is pretty much the standard and for about $100 reasonably affordable (Adobe is moving from selling you an outright license to renting you a monthly license - because you the customer are demanding they move to a rental model). Another reason is that there are many free YouTube instructional videos - helping you to use the product available on line. There are many other products too that would do the same thing. In this way, if your monitor is not off - you can adjust the color back to what you perceived it to be.

06-24-2013, 08:03 AM	#6
Racer X 69 Moderator Man With A Camera Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: The Great Pacific Northwet, in the Land Between Canada and Mexico Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,067	Most of them look great to me too, but one or two look a bit overexposed. The bits of lint and dust spots are not on the mirror, but on the image sensor itself. The mirror flips up out of the image path when the photo is taken. Somewhere on the forum are threads describing what to do to mitigate the infiltration of dust and lint into the mirror box, and how best to clean it out. But I have found that no matter what you do, and no matter how careful you can be, the stuff will still get in there. That is when you will need to use Photoshop or Gimp or some other post processing software to clean the images up.

06-25-2013, 02:09 AM	#7
a96agli New Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18 Original Poster	Thanks for all the replies! wildman, I think the problem with the over-vidid colours is partly to do with monitor - these same photos look a lot more subtle on my laptop than they do on the big screen. The one you edited looks almost grey on the laptop. I've taken some photos with the "natural" setting, and while they look better on the camera display, they are a bit faded on the laptop screen. I'll try shooting raw and doing the editing on computer next - I tend to be really lazy when it comes to post-processing (you could never tell looking at those dust spots...), and usually just adjust the contrast/brightness and do some cropping if necessary. Annoyingly, I didn't notice the dust until I had shot about 100 frames - spoiled a bunch of otherwise semi-decent images. I tried a non-static brush for the purpose, but turns out it wasn't really non-static...

06-25-2013, 03:12 AM	#8
sbroadbentphoto Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sydney, NSW Photos: Albums Posts: 132	To get a proper colour and contrast representation, you need to have a calibrated screen on your computer. Otherwise its like trying to mix a music abum using you phone speaker. It just doesnt represent the final result properly and will look very different to the print. On way to do this is to take your photo to a print shop and then compare the print to your photo on the screen. Then try to change the screen settings to match the print. Otherwise buy a spyder calibrator or the equivelent.

06-25-2013, 03:50 AM	#9
wildman Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Flyover America Posts: 4,469	Originally posted by a96agli I think the problem with the over-vidid colours is partly to do with monitor Originally posted by sbroadbentphoto To get a proper colour and contrast representation, you need to have a calibrated screen on your computer. Yep. We talk about posted pictures on this forum as if we are all talking about the same image when in fact, due to our particular system differences, we are comparing different pictures.

06-25-2013, 04:06 AM	#10
sbroadbentphoto Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sydney, NSW Photos: Albums Posts: 132	Originally posted by wildman Yep. We talk about posted pictures on this forum as if we are all talking about the same image when in fact, due to our particular system differences, we are comparing different pictures. Exactly

06-25-2013, 07:57 AM	#11
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,772	I'm a huge fan of hardware based methods of monitor calibration. Your brain has the built-in equivalent of average white balance and auto ISO, and it continually lies to you about what you are seeing. The factory defaults of almost every computer monitor sold are tweaked to make pie-charts using primary colors really POP on the screen. Way too much saturation, too much contrast, and the color temperature is usually set much higher than the ambient room light so it has a blue cast. But your brain is lying to you so you don't see this. Software-based monitor calibration is better than nothing, but is based what you see - and again, what does your brain do with what you see? I paid US$100 for a used Huey Pro tool that works with multiple monitor setups. It was a bargain compared to my previous ongoing frustration - even after using several software-only based tools.

06-25-2013, 08:39 AM	#12
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,480	A few of them (Cornbury Park, the oaks) look to be a little overexposed. Assuming your monitor is adjusted, I suggest posting a few in some threads here to see how they compare to the existing images by others. I know everyone else calibrates their monitor You could also shoot raw and see if that does not help. I don't recommend PDCU, but there are plenty of alternatives.

06-26-2013, 01:51 AM	#13
a96agli New Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18 Original Poster	Okay, the thought of calibrating my screen is now making my head hurt I'll look into it; I work in a school with a big art department and state-of-the-art computer lab just for photography/video production, so chances are they have experience with this. Come to think of it, I should probably go and do my editing there - I imagine they have every imaginable contraption and amazing computers there.

06-26-2013, 02:26 AM	#14
sbroadbentphoto Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sydney, NSW Photos: Albums Posts: 132	Originally posted by a96agli Okay, the thought of calibrating my screen is now making my head hurt I'll look into it; I work in a school with a big art department and state-of-the-art computer lab just for photography/video production, so chances are they have experience with this. Come to think of it, I should probably go and do my editing there - I imagine they have every imaginable contraption and amazing computers there. Just see if they have a hardware calibrator. it is incredibly simple once you have one of those. you dont have to do any calibrations manually

06-26-2013, 02:37 AM	#15
a96agli New Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18 Original Poster	Originally posted by sbroadbentphoto Just see if they have a hardware calibrator. it is incredibly simple once you have one of those. you dont have to do any calibrations manually i asked the ICT dept about it, and they all gave me a blank stare. Strangest request ever, clearly.