How do I improve photography on dull days?

[jhewitt15]

Well I think we all know that summer has been rubbish so far.

So I was wondering how to improve my photography on dull rainy overcast days? In past experience, my photos have been awful as they lack character and it is impossible to get a decent shutter speed and the colour is dull.

How do I solve the problem?

All Aprreciated!

[wildlifesnapper]

Hi

try doing some macro or close-up photography, the overcast conditions suit that style. If it is really dull try a bit of flash to pump a bit of colour into the photo.

neil

[skywatcher]

Trouble is it's dull AND windy! Makes macro an uphill struggle. Let's all hope we get a golden autumn.

[jhewitt15]

Originally Posted by wildlifesnapper

Hi

try doing some macro or close-up photography, the overcast conditions suit that style. If it is really dull try a bit of flash to pump a bit of colour into the photo.

neil

thanks. macro is my speciality I prefer to photograph flower because you don't need a lens as long as your arm and they don't fly away.

whenever I use flash the colour is bleached and the subject of the photo turns bright white.

when I don't use flash the colour is dull and lacks the tone that I would get in sunlight.

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by jhewitt15

whenever I use flash the colour is bleached and the subject of the photo turns bright white.

when I don't use flash the colour is dull and lacks the tone that I would get in sunlight.

You need to reduce the exposure when you are using flash.
If it is over-exposed. Either stop down, or reduce the flash
energy.

What camera are you using? Some don't have that degree
of flexibility.

Putting two sheets of tissue or a hanky over the flash can help
by both reducing the amount of light and diffusing it.

Post-processing software can also do wonders for dull boring
shots.
Check for levels, brightness, contrast, saturation.

[jhewitt15]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

You need to reduce the exposure when you are using flash.
If it is over-exposed. Either stop down, or reduce the flash
energy.

What camera are you using? Some don't have that degree
of flexibility.

Putting two sheets of tissue or a hanky over the flash can help
by both reducing the amount of light and diffusing it.

Post-processing software can also do wonders for dull boring
shots.
Check for levels, brightness, contrast, saturation.

Thanks for all the advice . I think I will try the tissue thing because my camera isn't a DSLR (can't afford one) and the flash is always the same amount of energy. theres auto flash, fill flash, red eye flash and no flash.

Also whenever I try and edit photos by changing the contrast etc I ruin the photo and when I use auto-enhance, no changes can be seen!

[Geoff F]

Check with your camera manual to see if Flash Compensation is available. If so reduce it. If not can you adjust and reduce the ISO setting (light sensitivity) or are you stuck with Auto? Do you have any control over manual settings. If so set a smaller aperture (higher number). Can you adjust how to meter for the exposure; ie spot metering? If so this will give a much more accurate reading.

I prefer overcast days for flower photography as you don't get unwanted shadows. But not too low a light level.

When you edit your photos don't use any of the Auto settings. Learn to understand adjusting with Curves or Levels to give each image the exact amount of required tweak. This does appear very complicated at first but it isn't really too bad once you jump in and give it a try. There are many free online tutorials about this subject. So just experiment until it begins to make sense.

[big bill]

Another way is to use some reflectors to push light back into your specimens ,either use a piece of baco foil scrunched up then straighten out onto cardboard or white card position it to push light into the shadows just watch you dont include it in the image

[jhewitt15]

Originally Posted by Geoff F

Check with your camera manual to see if Flash Compensation is available. If so reduce it. If not can you adjust and reduce the ISO setting (light sensitivity) or are you stuck with Auto? Do you have any control over manual settings. If so set a smaller aperture (higher number). Can you adjust how to meter for the exposure; ie spot metering? If so this will give a much more accurate reading.

I prefer overcast days for flower photography as you don't get unwanted shadows. But not too low a light level.

When you edit your photos don't use any of the Auto settings. Learn to understand adjusting with Curves or Levels to give each image the exact amount of required tweak. This does appear very complicated at first but it isn't really too bad once you jump in and give it a try. There are many free online tutorials about this subject. So just experiment until it begins to make sense.

My camera has a manual mode and I can change aperture, ISO etc. But I can't change any flash compensation. I can change the exposure compensation though (-2.0 to +2.0)

[BruceP]

What camera and flash unit have you got?

[Geoff F]

If you have manual, or Tv & Av mode then you can get around the problem another way. Try using Av and setting a smallish aperture, say F8 or F11. Set the ISO fairly low, around 100 and see what happens.

Try the same thing in full manual control, where you will be able to adjust the shutter speed as well. Try 1/200 sec at F8 to begin with and play around until you start to get something that works.

The downside of this experimentation is that you will have to fiddle around everytime the natural light changes; but you should soon be able to approximate the correct setting just by looking at the conditions, like the pros do. Don't forget to allow some variation for dark and light coloured flowers.

[jhewitt15]

Originally Posted by BruceP

What camera and flash unit have you got?

my camera is Kodak z650. its has a built in flash(not DSLR unfortunately)

Thanks for everything everyone! The putting paper in front of the flash works wonders! I will try the fiddling with aperture and ISO when I next go out.

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by jhewitt15

my camera is Kodak z650. its has a built in flash(not DSLR unfortunately)

Thanks for everything everyone! The putting paper in front of the flash works wonders! I will try the fiddling with aperture and ISO when I next go out.

Ah, much better!!

That photo still looks a little too lit in the centre - have you fiddled
much in post-processing?

If not you need to experiment with the paper type, number of paper layers etc..
Try tracing paper (showing my age - you've probably never used it in
today's world ) or old fashioned izal bog paper (age again, sorry).

See if you can get a more even diffusion of the light.

Or, it could easily be adjusted out with Photshop
(Filters, render, lighting effect, omni) in about 5 seconds.

Or try the reflector as suggested above - aluminium foil on a piece
of card is dirt cheap - be prepared to add a hint of yellow filter
though as is it a harsh light. Bought reflectors usually have a gold
side and a white or silver side, but no need to go to that expense.

My daughter has painted a pice of foil with gold paint and finds
that works fine - does wedding phtography in the harsh vertical midday
light of South Africa and clients insist on being shot in open sunlight
on the beach (and complain when she uses flash!!).

There is also a thing called (?spelling) Lambency Diffuser, which sells
on eBay for only a about ten squidgies. Its really designed to fit over
a separate flash unit, but could be hand held. It really throws the light
around and reduces highlights (and comes with a yellow front too).

There are threads about it on WAB - glsammy and ollie use them a lot
for close up work. I seldom do as I usually forget to take it with
me (e.g. both Priory and Thursley)

[thunder]

You could also get a piece of hardboard and spray paint it with various greens and browns so it looks rather like camouflage fabric. Put this a little way behind your subject and it should provide a lit, out of focus, more or less natural looking background which may be better than the black background effect that shows in your shot above. You may have to experiment to find out where the shadows fall for the best effect. You might like the black background, of course!

henrya

[DOXHOPE]

A dull day, dull pictures

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

There is also a thing called (?spelling) Lambency Diffuser, which sells
on eBay for only a about ten squidgies. Its really designed to fit over
a separate flash unit, but could be hand held. It really throws the light
around and reduces highlights (and comes with a yellow front too).

There are threads about it on WAB - glsammy and ollie use them a lot
for close up work. I seldom do as I usually forget to take it with
me (e.g. both Priory and Thursley)

I can highly recommend the Lambency diffuser. Gives a very natural looking light effect
Roger

[Steve S]

To be honest, I can’t see the point in trying to make dull day photographs look like bright day ones; a conclusion that I came to after much trial and error. I’d recommend that you work with the conditions or don’t work at all.

Work with: get a stable tripod and take photos of subjects that don’t need bright light, such as waterfalls, close up details, woodlands and landscapes with movement in them (great if it’s windy as well as dull).

Don’t’ work: take the time to clean your kit, read up on potential subjects, plan the next outing, scout out good locations or put the camera away and do something completely different (this can be very refreshing sometimes).

Steve.

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by Steve S

To be honest, I can’t see the point in trying to make dull day photographs look like bright day ones; a conclusion that I came to after much trial and error. I’d recommend that you work with the conditions or don’t work at all.
Steve.

With all due respect Steve and I know your comment wasn't particularly aimed at me, just a general comment.

I don't try to make dull day photographs look like bright day ones with the use of flash. I try to make them look as though they were taken in natural light. If you can tell the flash has been used then I have failed in what I intended to portray

Working full time, I have to take the opportunity to get out with the camera when I can as I'm sure many other people do as well, even if this means going out on dull days and if the flash and diffuser helps me to achieve my goal on these dull days then I'm fine with that.

The flash and diffuser also help on bright days by giving a touch more detail and by eliminating harsh shadows and freezing motion blur
Roger

[glsammy]

I agree 100% with Roger. I use diffused flash almost all the time with my macro shots. My aim is also to make the subject look clearer and with more detail. After all with macro we're bothered about the subject and far less about the background.
With the MP-E65 it's always used, it's just about impossible to get a shot without it!

[PMG]

Diffused flash or fill in flash is almost always needed on dull days to create a decent daylight look. If you can't turn the flash down to -2 then the tissue over the flash lens works well - experiment with how many sheets or bits are needed for you to get the effect you need! This kind of flash helps cut out shake, or even quite a strong wind blowing and give more detail - stops shots being soft - and if done in the right amounts as Graham says should not be obvious that flash has been used.

Pauline

[big bill]

Originally Posted by Steve S

To be honest, I can’t see the point in trying to make dull day photographs look like bright day ones; a conclusion that I came to after much trial and error. I’d recommend that you work with the conditions or don’t work at all.


Steve.

The reasoning behind using fill-in flash is to make the subject look as natural as possible and to get rid of any ugly shadows that may appear and to give better detail.
What you suggest is wrong you may as well be telling all professional photographers not to use flash and to stop doing weddings ,if you watch them you will see that nearly all professionals use fill in flash to ensure detail across the board and to stop any ugly shadows.
Fill in used correctly is a gods end to adding detail and bringing out the detail in the shadows

[John D]

Originally Posted by Steve S

To be honest, I can’t see the point in trying to make dull day photographs look like bright day ones; a conclusion that I came to after much trial and error. I’d recommend that you work with the conditions or don’t work at all.

Work with: get a stable tripod and take photos of subjects that don’t need bright light, such as waterfalls, close up details, woodlands and landscapes with movement in them (great if it’s windy as well as dull).

Don’t’ work: take the time to clean your kit, read up on potential subjects, plan the next outing, scout out good locations or put the camera away and do something completely different (this can be very refreshing sometimes).

Steve.

Hi Steve - Tell that to most professionals and I'm sure you wouldn't like the reply.
John D

[Steve S]

Originally Posted by John D

Hi Steve - Tell that to most professionals and I'm sure you wouldn't like the reply.
John D

John,

It's not a case of not liking someone having a different opinion than myself, each to their own. But it is how I truly feel on the matter for most situations. Just being honest with myself.

Steve.