Standard photos always look so dull

[PhantomDanStandard]

It takes the same photo 3 or 5 times in succession (depending on what you've set it to), aka "Bracketing". Each time the photo is taken at different exposure levels. A simple breakdown of the exposures goes: Darkest (under exposed -0.6), Dark (underexposed -0.3), Normal (exposed 0), Light (overexposed +0.3), Lightest (overexposed +0.6). When you merge the photos in something like Photoshop, the underexposed elements bring out contrast and colour in the sky, and the overexposed do the same for the landscape.

Thank you [emoji1360]


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[PhantomDanStandard]

I haven't used bracketed mode on the drone, but from working with HDR in the past, I might suggest just shooting in raw, then in post creating 3 or more different pictures with different exposures.

For those that are not familiar with HDR photography, the basic explanation is that you take multiple shots with different exposure levels (ie. -3,-1, +1, +3) and then combine them in software. This gives you much greater color and contrast separation.

Now the reason for shooting 1 RAW picture (DNG is the file format with the drone camera) is that you are working off of one picture. The problem with multiple shots is that when you combine these pictures if there is motion, you will get blurring in your picture. Even sitting a camera on a tripod can have this blurring issue as trees move in the breeze, or people walking. The single shot that you create multiple exposures with will eliminate this.

A program that I have used that is super easy to use to combine the pictures is Photomatix. I attached a picture I took (with nikon camera) in a park as a single RAW image and combined in Photomatix. I went heavy on the HDR here to create an artistic look. In the software, you can adjust to create a natural look or go crazy. If you want to further enhance colors, I think Lightroom is one of the best and easiest programs to use.

That's more like it [emoji7]


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[Goldenzrule]

One thing that I believe the Phantom's camera lacks (please correct me if I am wrong) is the ability to take a snapshot while recording video. Many cameras can do this and would be nice. I know I like to video as soon as I take off and do not like stopping video to take a picture.

 

[Kirby Johnson]

Um.. Fellas, not to be obnoxious, but all this yinging and yanging is fine, but why can I take something straight out of the bird and not have the sky blown out yada yada yada? The picture above was not altered in any way, Just moved off the SD card, then when I responded to this thread, unloaded. Nothing, nada, zilch. All that bracketing and post and on and on sure sounds like a lot of work when the camera is actually capable of doing a fine job, given the limitations of a tiny toy camera, to begin with.

 

[Goldenzrule]

Um.. Fellas, not to be obnoxious, but all this yinging and yanging is fine, but why can I take something straight out of the bird and not have the sky blown out yada yada yada? The picture above was not altered in any way, Just moved off the SD card, then when I responded to this thread, unloaded. Nothing, nada, zilch. All that bracketing and post and on and on sure sounds like a lot of work when the camera is actually capable of doing a fine job, given the limitations of a tiny toy camera, to begin with.

Because better is BETTER!!!

 

[Goldenzrule]

You mentioned you took the picture inadvertently, do you know what your camera settings were set to?

 

[Kirby Johnson]

One thing that I believe the Phantom's camera lacks (please correct me if I am wrong) is the ability to take a snapshot while recording video. Many cameras can do this and would be nice. I know I like to video as soon as I take off and do not like stopping video to take a picture.

Golden. You are correct, that is something I wish the Phantom had. I was messing around the other day wondering about that and tried playing a video in plain old Windows Media Player. Actually I had flown over what I thought was a swimming pool and wanted a better look.
Anyway, to make along story neverending, I paused WMP where I was interested in and did a screen capture, prepared for the worst. I was really surprised how good it was. I just saved it with ScreenShotCapture, a cheap little program available all over. If you want I can try to find one of my samples.

 

[Kirby Johnson]

You mentioned you took the picture inadvertently, do you know what your camera settings were set to?

I will look

 

[Kirby Johnson]

I will look

OK this is what Windoze picture viewer says when I bring up properties
4000x3000 72 dpi Camera FC300S F2.8 1/1232 second ISO 100 color sRGB
Altitude 56.181 type jpg size 5.31 MB Attributes AI Focal Length 4mm Metering Center Weighted Average
Const Hard
Brightness
Light Source Unknown
Exposure Program Portrait Mode
Saturation High saturation
Sharpness Hard
White Balance Auto
EXIF version 0230

Now I don't know how much of this is Windows 7 trying to figure out what it is, but I think the salient info there is good. Prob mainly Sat, Sharp, and contrast.

 

[Kirby Johnson]

OK this is what Windoze picture viewer says when I bring up properties
4000x3000 72 dpi Camera FC300S F2.8 1/1232 second ISO 100 color sRGB
Altitude 56.181 type jpg size 5.31 MB Attributes AI Focal Length 4mm Metering Center Weighted Average
Const Hard
Brightness
Light Source Unknown
Exposure Program Portrait Mode
Saturation High saturation
Sharpness Hard
White Balance Auto
EXIF version 0230

Now I don't know how much of this is Windows 7 trying to figure out what it is, but I think the salient info there is good. Prob mainly Sat, Sharp, and contrast.

"Portrait Mode" is especially suspect, Windows, do you know anything about that?

 

[Kirby Johnson]

Golden. You are correct, that is something I wish the Phantom had. I was messing around the other day wondering about that and tried playing a video in plain old Windows Media Player. Actually I had flown over what I thought was a swimming pool and wanted a better look.
Anyway, to make along story neverending, I paused WMP where I was interested in and did a screen capture, prepared for the worst. I was really surprised how good it was. I just saved it with ScreenShotCapture, a cheap little program available all over. If you want I can try to find one of my samples.

Found one from a screenshot

 

[Eddiemc252]

Hello everyone I've had my standard for around 3 months now and I just can't seem to get anything but dull picture quality. Is this just the quality of the camera or me doing something wrong?


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]

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Hello everyone I've had my standard for around 3 months now and I just can't seem to get anything but dull picture quality. Is this just the quality of the camera or me doing something wrong?


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I take a image grab from my raw footage on P.C. with "Videopad Editor" in highest resolution and edit in pictures on Windows 10 not bad me thinks P3s

 

[dg8882]

I thought most of my pictures straight from the camera looked dull as well when i got my Standard last year. The only setting I changed was the slider for the white balance, i raised it to the max. I keep my iso as low as possible and just change the exposure for my picture.
This is a .jpg right from the camera. I also shoot raw that I can make changes to in lightroom.

 

[Kirby Johnson]

I thought most of my pictures straight from the camera looked dull as well when i got my Standard last year. The only setting I changed was the slider for the white balance, i raised it to the max. I keep my iso as low as possible and just change the exposure for my picture.
This is a .jpg right from the camera. I also shoot raw that I can make changes to in lightroom.
View attachment 72300

I'd say that is pretty darn good. Nice to have something straight out of the camera that you can be happy with.

 

[Goldenzrule]

It's definitely not bad, but it doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. I get that you want to use the pictures straight out of the camera, and there is nothing wrong with that at all, but if you can improve the quality on a picture, isn't it worth the few minutes of your time?

 

[dg8882]

It's definitely not bad, but it doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. I get that you want to use the pictures straight out of the camera, and there is nothing wrong with that at all, but if you can improve the quality on a picture, isn't it worth the few minutes of your time?

Never said I don't edit my pictures, any of my pictures that I am getting printed or going to show off in some way I usually do a bit of work on. But if I can get pictures that already look decent right off the camera, it's just going to look better with some work.

 

[Goldenzrule]

Never said I don't edit my pictures, any of my pictures that I am getting printed or going to show off in some way I usually do a bit of work on. But if I can get pictures that already look decent right off the camera, it's just going to look better with some work.

Oh I get that. And it is great to get a decent starting point. Was more replying to Kirby that seems against post processing. Like I said, its great if it looks good out of the camera, but programs like Lightroom make it SUPER easy to make quick color corrections, and you can do a bunch of pics at a time if you would like to.

 

[Goldenzrule]

dg8882, I hope you don't mind I am using your photo as a quick example. Your picture came out very nice straight out of the camera. I made less than 30 seconds worth of adjustments in Lightroom. I could spend a little more time in it of course. Just wanted to demonstrate how a very little amount of time can garner some even better results.

I can brighten the image if I want, change exposure, color correction or just change color to my liking. Sharpen. Lots of different options with just a minute or two of time spent.

 

[Kirby Johnson]

It's definitely not bad, but it doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. I get that you want to use the pictures straight out of the camera, and there is nothing wrong with that at all, but if you can improve the quality on a picture, isn't it worth the few minutes of your time?

Well, yeah. If you lip sync at Karaokee. Ask Mariah how that post processing is working for her.
In all seriousness, having been a still photographer for a loooong time, one of the challenges is to get great shots straight out of the camera, so people know that they are seeing what you shot and saw, rather than something you created in Photoshop. It is a different world than our little drones, and helping them a bit is OK if you have the time. I assume you are not going to come back with 300 shots which all need some help.

 

[Kirby Johnson]

Look at this one closely.