Stop Getting Washed Out Skies: Master Dynamic Range

You are standing in front of a beautiful landscape with a vibrant blue sky and fluffy white clouds. You take a photo, but when you look at the screen, the landscape looks fine, but the sky is completely white and blown out. What happened?

This is a classic issue of "dynamic range," and learning how to handle it is a staple of any good photography basics online course.

The Limits of Your Camera Sensor

Your eyes are incredible; they can see details in deep shadows and bright skies simultaneously. Your camera sensor cannot. If the sky is much brighter than the ground, the camera has to choose: expose for the ground (and blow out the sky) or expose for the sky (and make the ground completely dark).

Finding the Balance

There are several ways to fix this. You can use exposure compensation, shoot in RAW to recover details later, or use techniques to balance the light. Knowing which tool to use is what separates beginners from professionals.

Ready to capture landscapes exactly as you see them?