I am including some images below to illustrate the range of scenes. For each of these images, I measured the darkest and the lightest values to find out the dynamic range of the scene.
This image was shot early in the morning at higher ISO
(200), 1/6 sec at f16. Because of the mist the image looks quite flat and the level of detail in the background is minimal. However, this suits the image and creates a special atmosphere that I was actually trying to capture. The dynamic range of the scene is within the range of the camera. The grass at the forefront of the image is quite dark. It is possible to lighten the foreground up by adjusting Exposure, recovery, fill light and blacks levels in Adobe Lightroom. However, I decided not to make these adjustments as the dark foreground is more suited the image and draws the viewer’s attention to the misty trees.
This image shows a brightly-lit scene with a shadowy foreground shot at ISO 50, shutter speed 80 at f22. This image shows that the camera coped very well with recording the dynamic range of the scene from the darkest parts of the foreground to the white door just visible on the distance. The key in this picture is to record the mid tones (the house against the sky and the foliage around it) and these are recorded accurately. The dynamic range of the scene is within the range of the camera.
The images 3 and 4 demonstrate some examples of the lighting conditions that might present a real challenge for a digital camera, and ultimately for the photographer. This is because the dynamic range of each of this scene is higher than the one that the camera is able to record. The photographer needs to decide which values are more important and need to be recorded accurately and which of the wide ranging values can be ‘sacrificed’.
Image 3 represents a scene with a higher range of values in highlight areas and image 4 shows an example of a scene where the shadow range of values might fall beyond the scope.
Whilst the mid tones in Image 3 (the building and the grass in front of it) are recorded well, the sky is lacking detail and is out of range of the camera.
Some examples below show the lighting conditions that might be challenging for a digital camera.
Mixed lighting at night
This image has a higher dynamic range of values than that the camera is able to represent. I decided to concentrate on getting the colours of the temple right and used the roof in the foreground as a frame.
This image has a strong light facing the camera. This results in a glare and it makes it difficult to find the correct exposure reading. The reading for this picture was taken using a neutral reference point – a leaf found on the ground. I also used bracketing to make sure that I have a selection of images to work with.
This image was taken in the late evening, after the sunset. In this kind of lighting conditions it may be hard for a digital camera to interpret the colour temperature correctly. Caution needs to be taken to make sure that the colours look natural.
