Is It my settings? or everyone In the world uses photoshop?

lovemehate · 04-13-2011, 04:53 PM

I just started using my pentax K-x, And I just can't seem to take colorful pictures, sometimes the background Is all white (the sky ext ext)
or I just don;t like the colors.

I use the kit lens, with a lens hood.

I don't want to have to edit them in photoshop,

can you guys give me some settings to try out? I want to go on a shoot tomorrow around town, taking photos of walls, and buildings.

sorry If this is a generic question, am just very discouraged right now!

Thanks

Rory · 04-13-2011, 05:12 PM

It sounds like you're overexposing. Any images you can post for examples?

slip · 04-13-2011, 05:21 PM

Originally posted by lovemehate

I just started using my pentax K-x, And I just can't seem to take colorful pictures, sometimes the background Is all white (the sky ext ext)
or I just don;t like the colors.

I use the kit lens, with a lens hood.

I don't want to have to edit them in photoshop,

can you guys give me some settings to try out? I want to go on a shoot tomorrow around town, taking photos of walls, and buildings.

sorry If this is a generic question, am just very discouraged right now!

Thanks

It could be your monitor that is out of wack. did you look at them on a different computer?

Try shooting in P mode first, then try other settings once you get the hang of your camera

with P, it is like having an overgrown point and shoot

If that isn't working, get your manual out and get all the settings back to default and then try the P mode

hope this helps

cheers

MPrince · 04-13-2011, 05:33 PM

It would be easier to offer assistance if you posted sample pictures with exif intact.

With respect to blown out skies, oftentimes when the dynamic range of the scene is too great, as often happens when there is a lot of sky in the scene, you will have to choose between properly exposing your subject and properly exposing the sky. There are ways around this, but they require post-processing. Sometimes that is unavoidable to get the best out of your images.

Rory · 04-13-2011, 05:36 PM

Originally posted by MPrince

It would be easier to offer assistance if you posted sample pictures with exif intact.

With respect to blown out skies, oftentimes when the dynamic range of the scene is too great, as often happens when there is a lot of sky in the scene, you will have to choose between properly exposing your subject and properly exposing the sky. There are ways around this, but they require post-processing. Sometimes that is unavoidable to get the best out of your images.

CPL..

lovemehate · 04-13-2011, 07:05 PM

these have no editing

messed with the white balance stuff a bit (Need help when knowing when to do this)

lovemehate · 04-13-2011, 07:13 PM

how do get this kind of detail
flowers by ~willard on deviantART
Flowers by ~skill22586 on deviantART

Colorful flowers IV by =sa-cool on deviantART

normhead · 04-13-2011, 07:20 PM

I don't use photoshop much anymore, Aperture has taken over my life.. but, one of the things I noticed about both Canon and Nikon shots was their images were more "print ready" right off the cam. However, the way i was taught, your original should have all the detail possible, you can always add highlights etc. in post processing. You often can't however bring back highlights that have been lost because your camera blew them out thinking that is what you want.

So, I bought the camera because the images weren't always print ready, not the other way around.

That being said, no camera is going to make it possible to avoid post processing. Pick a program and learn it. It's like learning to use a darkroom in the old days. If you bought an SLR (now a DSLR) it was because you wanted more from your pictures, and you realized, good pictures don't always come right off the camera. Now days you can have that whole darkroom on your computer, in your front room. You've got it easy.

**jatrax** · 04-13-2011, 07:39 PM

The first picture is not too bad, depending on what you wanted to achieve. From the exif you have it in manual exposure so it is up to you to set the exposure for what you want to achieve. In that shot you have light flowers and relatively dark leaves. You need to meter for the flowers and set that as the lightest part of the photo. You have the camera in multi-segment metering which means the meter is going to indicate the best average it can get across the entire 16 segment area. The operative word is "average". Best you can get doing that is to over-expose the flowers and under-expose the leaves. In this particular shot I think the flowers are the most important so I would have metered for them and let the leaves go dark, would have shot in RAW and then brought up the fill light on the leaves as needed. You might try center-weighted metering (which I always use) or in this case even spot metering on the flowers.

On the second shot you also have the bright sky to contend with. Depending on how bright it might not be possible to get both the sky and the leaves exposed right without using HDR. You have to decide what you want to be exposed properly. If the sky needs to be well exposed, not blown out, then point the camera at the sky and set your exposure using that. If there are white clouds meter off them and set your exposure 1.7 to 2 stops over as they will show as pure white. If it is more important to get the flowers metered correct then meter off them and let the sky blow out. Or re-compose so the sky doesn't show.

If you really want to learn this buy "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. Read it and you will start to understand how this works. I've read it three times (2 different editions) and I think I'm just starting to get his point. But I'm a slow learner.

normhead · 04-13-2011, 07:48 PM

A polarizing filter could do wonders.

JeffJS · 04-13-2011, 07:50 PM

Well, Exif states 18mm on these photos. That leaves me to believe you are working with the kit lens. While that lens is good for a lot of things, it isn't great for any. As much as I dislike telling the new guy he needs to spend more money, if you want to do these types of photos, some lenses better suited to it are in order. I'm not talking about limited lenses or DA* lenses either. For not too much money you can put your hands on some far better glass for this type of thing.

That said, no lens is going to improve your results if you don't get your exposure down to a science. I suggest you spend some time in that field, with your camera on Manual (M) mode and studying what the different settings really do. Use one flower or a small group. I keep going back to this when it comes to telling people about learning exposure..

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/mini-challenges-games-photo-stories/13842...ml#post1447073

Not a flower shot but a demo of color using the Pentax M 50mm f1:1.7,,

http://www.rolleiman.com/Photos/ForSale/Payfor85/TakenWith/K7JS6988m50f17sold.jpg

......for example.

SpecialK · 04-13-2011, 07:58 PM

The white balance (WB) seems off in #1 (too warm) and, as you pointed out in #3, (too cold). Unless it is early morning, late afternoon or you have odd lights such as fluorescent, I recommend leaving it on AWB (automatic white balance).

It is a noble idea to "get it right" in the camera, but all shots really are different, and they will usually benefit from some processing, even if it just cropping and straightening. And if you are doing that, it takes only slightly more time to check the saturation, contrast, and other available settings in an editor (with far more variety and adjustments than in the camera). I rarely spend more than 10 seconds on processing an image.

However, for you, I would suggest increasing the contrast and saturation a notch or two in you settings and see if it gives you more "pop".

theunartist · 04-13-2011, 07:58 PM

Originally posted by lovemehate

these have no editing

messed with the white balance stuff a bit (Need help when knowing when to do this)

You do realize it looks from the EXIF info that all of your photos were done in Manual Mode and the lens aperture wide open? I would switch to Av (Aperture Priority), stop down to f6.3-8 and use Auto white Balance to start with...

Originally posted by lovemehate

how do get this kind of detail
flowers by ~willard on deviantART
Flowers by ~skill22586 on deviantART

Colorful flowers IV by =sa-cool on deviantART

Lighting, ligthing, lighting... from your samples it looks like your actually shooting into the sun or pretty close to it. You should shoot with the sun to your back which should help with better contrast and color. Most photograhpers know a bright cloudy day is the best time to take photos, midday sun light tends to be harsh and washes out colors.

and with the Kit Lens, you should be able to get within a foot or so of your subject at 55mm, so you need to get down closer. You might also, want to change meter to center weighted instead of matrix...

As per Software, consider Picasa, it's free and all you need is to push a button here or there and it will improve your photo. When you master Picasa, you can move up to Faststone, also free and with a few extra bells and whistles...

Kit Lens, f6.3, Sun behind and above my left shoulder. PP using Faststone...

Details

lovemehate · 04-13-2011, 08:22 PM

Yes It was all done In M,

am trying to let as much detail and light In as possible, yet get a nice crisp photo
I also have another lens, I bought for low light and indoors
"smc Pentax-A 1:2 50mm"

kheldour · 04-13-2011, 08:58 PM

Originally posted by lovemehate

Yes It was all done In M,

am trying to let as much detail and light In as possible, yet get a nice crisp photo
I also have another lens, I bought for low light and indoors
"smc Pentax-A 1:2 50mm"

Then I would try the 50mm for comparison.

Originally posted by lovemehate

But what is wrong with that picture? The composition is the best of all of them, I'd probably just would have taken one shorter time.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Adobe photoshop elements 7 - how to save adjustment settings to each photo?	raider	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	8	04-06-2010 12:07 PM
Which freeware photoshop alternative can apply photoshop plugins in batch	raider	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	1	01-28-2010 10:54 PM
Opening Photoshop-saved RAW in Photoshop	jzietman	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	4	12-09-2009 10:49 PM
I'm unhappy with K-7 settings. Help me custom the settings like k20.	netuser	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	16	09-01-2009 08:39 AM
K10D Custom Settings... Your Settings	Gadget_Guy	Pentax DSLR Discussion	4	05-25-2008 06:33 AM

04-13-2011, 04:53 PM	#1
lovemehate Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 115	Is It my settings? or everyone In the world uses photoshop? I just started using my pentax K-x, And I just can't seem to take colorful pictures, sometimes the background Is all white (the sky ext ext) or I just don;t like the colors. I use the kit lens, with a lens hood. I don't want to have to edit them in photoshop, can you guys give me some settings to try out? I want to go on a shoot tomorrow around town, taking photos of walls, and buildings. sorry If this is a generic question, am just very discouraged right now! Thanks

04-13-2011, 05:12 PM	#2
Rory Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chicago Photos: Gallery Posts: 672	It sounds like you're overexposing. Any images you can post for examples?

04-13-2011, 05:21 PM	#3
slip Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 2 hours north of toronto ontario canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,535	Originally posted by lovemehate I just started using my pentax K-x, And I just can't seem to take colorful pictures, sometimes the background Is all white (the sky ext ext) or I just don;t like the colors. I use the kit lens, with a lens hood. I don't want to have to edit them in photoshop, can you guys give me some settings to try out? I want to go on a shoot tomorrow around town, taking photos of walls, and buildings. sorry If this is a generic question, am just very discouraged right now! Thanks It could be your monitor that is out of wack. did you look at them on a different computer? Try shooting in P mode first, then try other settings once you get the hang of your camera with P, it is like having an overgrown point and shoot If that isn't working, get your manual out and get all the settings back to default and then try the P mode hope this helps cheers

04-13-2011, 05:33 PM	#4
MPrince Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: WV Posts: 1,495	It would be easier to offer assistance if you posted sample pictures with exif intact. With respect to blown out skies, oftentimes when the dynamic range of the scene is too great, as often happens when there is a lot of sky in the scene, you will have to choose between properly exposing your subject and properly exposing the sky. There are ways around this, but they require post-processing. Sometimes that is unavoidable to get the best out of your images.

04-13-2011, 05:36 PM	#5
Rory Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chicago Photos: Gallery Posts: 672	Originally posted by MPrince It would be easier to offer assistance if you posted sample pictures with exif intact. With respect to blown out skies, oftentimes when the dynamic range of the scene is too great, as often happens when there is a lot of sky in the scene, you will have to choose between properly exposing your subject and properly exposing the sky. There are ways around this, but they require post-processing. Sometimes that is unavoidable to get the best out of your images. CPL..

04-13-2011, 07:05 PM	#6
lovemehate Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 115 Original Poster	these have no editing messed with the white balance stuff a bit (Need help when knowing when to do this)

04-13-2011, 07:13 PM	#7
lovemehate Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 115 Original Poster	how do get this kind of detail flowers by ~willard on deviantART Flowers by ~skill22586 on deviantART Colorful flowers IV by =sa-cool on deviantART

04-13-2011, 07:20 PM	#8
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	I don't use photoshop much anymore, Aperture has taken over my life.. but, one of the things I noticed about both Canon and Nikon shots was their images were more "print ready" right off the cam. However, the way i was taught, your original should have all the detail possible, you can always add highlights etc. in post processing. You often can't however bring back highlights that have been lost because your camera blew them out thinking that is what you want. So, I bought the camera because the images weren't always print ready, not the other way around. That being said, no camera is going to make it possible to avoid post processing. Pick a program and learn it. It's like learning to use a darkroom in the old days. If you bought an SLR (now a DSLR) it was because you wanted more from your pictures, and you realized, good pictures don't always come right off the camera. Now days you can have that whole darkroom on your computer, in your front room. You've got it easy.

04-13-2011, 07:39 PM	#9
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	The first picture is not too bad, depending on what you wanted to achieve. From the exif you have it in manual exposure so it is up to you to set the exposure for what you want to achieve. In that shot you have light flowers and relatively dark leaves. You need to meter for the flowers and set that as the lightest part of the photo. You have the camera in multi-segment metering which means the meter is going to indicate the best average it can get across the entire 16 segment area. The operative word is "average". Best you can get doing that is to over-expose the flowers and under-expose the leaves. In this particular shot I think the flowers are the most important so I would have metered for them and let the leaves go dark, would have shot in RAW and then brought up the fill light on the leaves as needed. You might try center-weighted metering (which I always use) or in this case even spot metering on the flowers. On the second shot you also have the bright sky to contend with. Depending on how bright it might not be possible to get both the sky and the leaves exposed right without using HDR. You have to decide what you want to be exposed properly. If the sky needs to be well exposed, not blown out, then point the camera at the sky and set your exposure using that. If there are white clouds meter off them and set your exposure 1.7 to 2 stops over as they will show as pure white. If it is more important to get the flowers metered correct then meter off them and let the sky blow out. Or re-compose so the sky doesn't show. If you really want to learn this buy "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. Read it and you will start to understand how this works. I've read it three times (2 different editions) and I think I'm just starting to get his point. But I'm a slow learner.

04-13-2011, 07:48 PM	#10
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	A polarizing filter could do wonders.

04-13-2011, 07:50 PM	#11
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	Well, Exif states 18mm on these photos. That leaves me to believe you are working with the kit lens. While that lens is good for a lot of things, it isn't great for any. As much as I dislike telling the new guy he needs to spend more money, if you want to do these types of photos, some lenses better suited to it are in order. I'm not talking about limited lenses or DA* lenses either. For not too much money you can put your hands on some far better glass for this type of thing. That said, no lens is going to improve your results if you don't get your exposure down to a science. I suggest you spend some time in that field, with your camera on Manual (M) mode and studying what the different settings really do. Use one flower or a small group. I keep going back to this when it comes to telling people about learning exposure.. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/mini-challenges-games-photo-stories/13842...ml#post1447073 Not a flower shot but a demo of color using the Pentax M 50mm f1:1.7,, http://www.rolleiman.com/Photos/ForSale/Payfor85/TakenWith/K7JS6988m50f17sold.jpg ......for example.

04-13-2011, 07:58 PM	#12
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,481	The white balance (WB) seems off in #1 (too warm) and, as you pointed out in #3, (too cold). Unless it is early morning, late afternoon or you have odd lights such as fluorescent, I recommend leaving it on AWB (automatic white balance). It is a noble idea to "get it right" in the camera, but all shots really are different, and they will usually benefit from some processing, even if it just cropping and straightening. And if you are doing that, it takes only slightly more time to check the saturation, contrast, and other available settings in an editor (with far more variety and adjustments than in the camera). I rarely spend more than 10 seconds on processing an image. However, for you, I would suggest increasing the contrast and saturation a notch or two in you settings and see if it gives you more "pop".

04-13-2011, 07:58 PM	#13
theunartist Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Baltimore Posts: 2,542	Originally posted by lovemehate these have no editing messed with the white balance stuff a bit (Need help when knowing when to do this) You do realize it looks from the EXIF info that all of your photos were done in Manual Mode and the lens aperture wide open? I would switch to Av (Aperture Priority), stop down to f6.3-8 and use Auto white Balance to start with... Originally posted by lovemehate how do get this kind of detail flowers by ~willard on deviantART Flowers by ~skill22586 on deviantART Colorful flowers IV by =sa-cool on deviantART Lighting, ligthing, lighting... from your samples it looks like your actually shooting into the sun or pretty close to it. You should shoot with the sun to your back which should help with better contrast and color. Most photograhpers know a bright cloudy day is the best time to take photos, midday sun light tends to be harsh and washes out colors. and with the Kit Lens, you should be able to get within a foot or so of your subject at 55mm, so you need to get down closer. You might also, want to change meter to center weighted instead of matrix... As per Software, consider Picasa, it's free and all you need is to push a button here or there and it will improve your photo. When you master Picasa, you can move up to Faststone, also free and with a few extra bells and whistles... Kit Lens, f6.3, Sun behind and above my left shoulder. PP using Faststone... Details

04-13-2011, 08:22 PM	#14
lovemehate Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 115 Original Poster	Yes It was all done In M, am trying to let as much detail and light In as possible, yet get a nice crisp photo I also have another lens, I bought for low light and indoors "smc Pentax-A 1:2 50mm"

04-13-2011, 08:58 PM	#15
kheldour Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Cologne Photos: Gallery Posts: 306	Originally posted by lovemehate Yes It was all done In M, am trying to let as much detail and light In as possible, yet get a nice crisp photo I also have another lens, I bought for low light and indoors "smc Pentax-A 1:2 50mm" Then I would try the 50mm for comparison. Originally posted by lovemehate But what is wrong with that picture? The composition is the best of all of them, I'd probably just would have taken one shorter time.