Photos of snow is looking grey vs frosty white

9 years 3 months ago #425413 by Nancy Hait
Hey everyone.  I think I screwed up something on my camera lately.  My photos of snow used to look nice and frosty white, now the slow looks grey.  Can you help me with what I might have screwed up?  Thank you


Photo Comments
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9 years 3 months ago #425427 by effron
The camera's meter is getting fooled by the white snow and under exposing, that's all. Adjust.....;)

Why so serious?
Photo Comments
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9 years 3 months ago #425461 by Kenya See
Time for a custom white balance.  


Photo Comments
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9 years 3 months ago - 9 years 3 months ago #425462 by hghlndr6
I doubt that it's a white balance issue.  Ernesto is correct.  A camera's meter only knows one thing ... that the average reflectance should be 18%.  So it's being unduly influenced by a broad expanse of bright snow and coming up with an exposure that under-exposes the snow in order to render the scene's reflectance 18% ... that's grey.  You need to override and ignore your meter  ... (1) dial in + exposure compensation if you're shooting in an auto mode, or (2) Intentionally over-expose(according to the meter) if you're shooting in manual mode.  Plus 2/3 to a full stop should do it, but check your histogram to be sure you're not blowing out the highlights, and then adjust if necessary.
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9 years 3 months ago #425506 by Nancy Hait
Thank you for the help, I'll try this, this evening and see if that makes a difference! 


Photo Comments
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9 years 3 months ago #425542 by effron

Nancy Hait wrote: Thank you for the help, I'll try this, this evening and see if that makes a difference! 


If you are using that D700 to its strength, you should be shooting raw files, and a stop under/over exposure is usually pretty easy to fix in post.....;)

Why so serious?
Photo Comments
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9 years 3 months ago #425581 by Joves
Personally I shoot in sunny with a CP mounted on my lens. Never had a problem yet. The only time I get gray snow is on heavily overcast days, but then the light then is gray, and dreary. If anything my snow shots end up more on the blue end of the scale, which is correct for snow. 


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9 years 3 months ago #426069 by Kevin W. E.
A simple solution is metering off a grey card. Your snow will look beautiful.


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9 years 3 months ago #426096 by Nancy Hait
All fixed, we have white frosty snow again :banana:


Thank you everyone


Photo Comments
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9 years 3 months ago #426258 by Alan Nunez

Kevin W. E. wrote: A simple solution is metering off a grey card. Your snow will look beautiful.


+1


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9 years 3 months ago #426259 by Alan Nunez
or use an off camera light meter


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