8. Snow blind
Pitfall explanation
Even though the dog is missing the top of his head, this is a really cute picture. And he'll be a puppy for only a short time. But the photo suffers from a common malady that afflicts unwary snow shooters: middle-grey metering. When we look at snow, our optical system automatically adjusts the scene so that we see it as white. A camera, on the other hand, tries to equalise the light in the scene, it comes out underexposed, and snow ends up a rather darkish tone called middle grey.
Can this photo be saved?
Absolutely. It just takes some exposure tweaking in software. As long as it wasn't too dark out, the image noise shouldn't be too bad.
How can I avoid this problem?
Tip 1: Use exposure compensation. Bump the exposure up anywhere from f/0.66 to f/1.7 (the amount depends on your tastes and the camera's sensitivity).
Tip 2: Use spot metering. Instead of using the camera's default metering, which generally averages across multiple points in the scene, use the spot meter to measure something darker -- in this case, the dog's body. That will automatically increase the exposure.
Tip 3: Use the Snow/Sand scene mode. Digital cameras that offer extensive scene program modes usually include one for compositions with large stretches of light areas such as snow or sand. These presets generally made the aforementioned adjustments, as well as tweak some other settings (such as white balance) at the manufacturer's discretion.
Which cameras handle these scenes best?
What it takes: Either the appropriate scene mode or some basic manual exposure controls.
Suggested models:
Pitfall explanation
Even though the dog is missing the top of his head, this is a really cute picture. And he'll be a puppy for only a short time. But the photo suffers from a common malady that afflicts unwary snow shooters: middle-grey metering. When we look at snow, our optical system automatically adjusts the scene so that we see it as white. A camera, on the other hand, tries to equalise the light in the scene, it comes out underexposed, and snow ends up a rather darkish tone called middle grey.
Can this photo be saved?
Absolutely. It just takes some exposure tweaking in software. As long as it wasn't too dark out, the image noise shouldn't be too bad.
How can I avoid this problem?
Tip 1: Use exposure compensation. Bump the exposure up anywhere from f/0.66 to f/1.7 (the amount depends on your tastes and the camera's sensitivity).
Tip 2: Use spot metering. Instead of using the camera's default metering, which generally averages across multiple points in the scene, use the spot meter to measure something darker -- in this case, the dog's body. That will automatically increase the exposure.
Tip 3: Use the Snow/Sand scene mode. Digital cameras that offer extensive scene program modes usually include one for compositions with large stretches of light areas such as snow or sand. These presets generally made the aforementioned adjustments, as well as tweak some other settings (such as white balance) at the manufacturer's discretion.
Which cameras handle these scenes best?
What it takes: Either the appropriate scene mode or some basic manual exposure controls.
Suggested models:
 Nikon Coolpix 7600 Read review |
 Sony Cyber Shot DSC-S40 Read review |
 Canon PowerShot S80 Read review |
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Sergei Plishka
11/02/2006 01:21 PM
If you do notice a reflective surface in the background, simply take the shot at an angle to the surface so that flash reflects away from the camera instead of right back at it.
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