Washed out skies

[notyalc]

I've been having a problem with the skies getting washed out with my point and shoot digital. Its an Olympus Stylus 770 SW. If anyone can tell me what settings to use or any other ways to avoid it let me know. I included an example below...
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o150/notyalc13/PC270130.jpg

[SHigSpeed]

Kinda hard to fix on a simple PAS camera, but for far shots, you COULD try to focus/meter on the sky, then compose the shot. This will trick the camera into using a slightly faster shutter speed, which should help, but it could make the foreground a bit dark.

Polarizing filters work great to bring the blues out of the sky, but most PAS don't have the threaded lens to accept the filter.

Good luck!

_SHig

[jhaquett]

Sorry but you will have to create an artificial sky with programs like Photomatix or Photoshop.

As said in the previous reply, there isn't much you can do about the color of the sky that ANY (well actually I don't know what the $3K+ cameras are capable of) unfiltered camera produces during the middle of the day without processing, which is when I assume that picture was taken.

[jhaquett]

I did this as fast as possible so give it some slack, but it is an example of what you can do. This is a gradient fill in Photoshop and matches fairly well to a mid day sky. I am NOT AT ALL Photoshop savvy, this process is easy even for me.


http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z31/jhaquett/PC270130copy.jpg

[Ed Wahl]

notyalc, don't be put off by our gifted photogs here. While I appreciate the time, skill, and artistry that some of these guys show(Ben's bird shots are freakishly good), keep up the p.a.s. shots. They all have a place here. As much as I love the 'pro' type shots, I think I can speak for the unwashed masses when I say just keep 'em coming. I like seeing the spot where someone pulled off the side of the road to get a quick shot. No editing, no photoshop, no fake sky. Just show us what you saw and took a quick photo of.

Washed out sky, fuzzy background, part of someone cut off, half a snake, camera held at weird angle, southern end of a northbound deer, that's all part of the adventure. I love that stuff.
So I'm an old goat, old fart, geezer, old school, behind the times, uncool, neanderthal,.......hmm, where was I going with that?
Oh yeah, I grew up like many others here in the age of the poloroid. The ultimate point and shoot. Albums full of bad pics. Those 'bad' pics are part of what I've come to love about outdoor sports.

Go and look at your old albums, if your old enough to have any. If not, look at some of your parents albums.
Oh, yeah, uh, those are binders or books that we used to paste or tape paper pictures into. Ed

[Adam Grace]

I agree with the guys above, it's not really possible. If you want bluer skies use a photo editing software, or meter the sky causing your foreground to be dark.

[jhaquett]

Ed,

Although I am guilty of trying to capture some quality shots with some overpriced equipment, I agree completely. I love the old crappy shots from the old crappy cameras. Not a single "nice" picture in any of my parent's albums. They're great.

[Amador]

Yeah, not much you can do here. What you are seeing is simpply the limitations of your cameras dynamic range. In lighting like this, you have to choose between sky and foreground.

Chris

[notyalc]

Thanks....I'm glad I can blame it on the camera :)