Suggestions on improving shots

[Rohirrim]

I have been taking pictures for our Dressage Club and have had some difficulty getting good shots. I have the hardest time with the dark colored horses. With the dark bay or black horses and riders with white breeches and often white saddle pads, the images tend to have blown out highlights and often too dark shadows. The histograms ofen have 2 big peaks on either end of the graph. I'm shooting with a Canon Digital Rebel in sports mode to be able to use the AI Servo focus. Lens is a 100-400 mm Zoom.

Here is an example image before Photoshop

http://rohirrim.smugmug.com/photos/25306640-M.jpg

And then after a curves adjustment layer, blend mode to screen and a layer mask and brushing in to lighten up the horse and dark jacket.

http://rohirrim.smugmug.com/photos/25306600-M.jpg

Is there any way to end up with better shots? Either when taking the image or in Photoshop? Even worse were the Black and White Pintos!

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions.

[adrian_k]

I don't know the camera, but could you use spot exposure on the jodhpurs, (easier said than done), then manually set the exposure.
Your post processing has worked to a degree but I suspect there's alot of 'total white' areas and you're never going to get the detail back from that.

If you underexpose, you'll get a very dark photo, but with processing you'll get a better photo.

I actually don't consider those white patches too distracting from the overall shot.

Then there's a polariser filter..........

I have been taking pictures for our Dressage Club and have had some difficulty getting good shots. I have the hardest time with the dark colored horses. With the dark bay or black horses and riders with white breeches and often white saddle pads, the images tend to have blown out highlights and often too dark shadows. The histograms ofen have 2 big peaks on either end of the graph. I'm shooting with a Canon Digital Rebel in sports mode to be able to use the AI Servo focus. Lens is a 100-400 mm Zoom.

Here is an example image before Photoshop



And then after a curves adjustment layer, blend mode to screen and a layer mask and brushing in to lighten up the horse and dark jacket.



Is there any way to end up with better shots? Either when taking the image or in Photoshop? Even worse were the Black and White Pintos!

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions.

[Rohirrim]

Thank you for your suggestions.

I don't know the camera, but could you use spot exposure on the jodhpurs, (easier said than done), then manually set the exposure. With the Digital Rebel it only allows the AI Servo focus in Sports Mode and I'm not skilled enough to focus moving targets without it.

If you underexpose, you'll get a very dark photo, but with processing you'll get a better photo. I can try this, my concern is that I will end up clipping the shadows a lot. I'm already getting some noise in the shadows, so I may end up ruining those details as well. :scratch

I plan on upgrading to a 20D or if I have the patience wait for Canon to release the next succesor to the 20D (30D??). Then I can shoot in RAW and have more latitude post exposure.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Eric&Susan]

Thank you for your suggestions.

With the Digital Rebel it only allows the AI Servo focus in Sports Mode and I'm not skilled enough to focus moving targets without it.

I can try this, my concern is that I will end up clipping the shadows a lot. I'm already getting some noise in the shadows, so I may end up ruining those details as well. :scratch

I plan on upgrading to a 20D or if I have the patience wait for Canon to release the next succesor to the 20D (30D??). Then I can shoot in RAW and have more latitude post exposure.

Thanks for the suggestions.
Just a quick point you can shoot in RAW with the Rebel.

Eric

[Rohirrim]

Just a quick point you can shoot in RAW with the Rebel.

Eric
And I mostly do. But you cant shoot RAW in sports mode( therefore cant use the AI Servo autofocus) with the original Rebel.

[XO-Studios]

I get decent results with either Shadow/highlight or with a contrast mask.

FWIW,


XO,

[Higgmeister]

Hi Steve,
I'm not readily familiar with the Rebel, but see if there is a setting for contrast in the menu or setup feature. You may be able to lower the in-camera setting which should help.

Chris

[pathfinder]

And I mostly do. But you cant shoot RAW in sports mode( therefore cant use the AI Servo autofocus) with the original Rebel.

Most of these shots seems to be out of doors in full sunlight - how about switching to Manual mode - the exposure in sunlight isn't going to change rapidly - then you could shoot in RAW. :dunno

[Steve Cavigliano]

Steve,

I agree with all the previous poster's suggestions. Bottomline, there's just too much dynamic range in these shots. The only things you can do about it have already been suggested.

Either use shadow/highlights and be satisfied with the results, or try using RAW and forget using sports mode and AI-Servo. Yes, it might require you to re-focus on a moving target, but using RAW will give you much more post-processing latitude. There's a 3rd alternative, which is to install the DR hack (http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/digital_rebel_firmware_hack.html), which will give you AI-Servo in the manual modes.


Steve

[Rohirrim]

Thank you all for your thoughts. I seem to get better results with local adjustments and masks than Shadow/Highlight- guess I better work some more on that.

I will have to try the Rebel Firmware Hack, this must may get me by until I upgrade cameras. :thumb