[Shirley Roulston]

We seem to have a lot of grey skies and I found it impossible to get a decent photo of any bird with a background for example grey skies, I was wondering would I get a better photo if I put a filter on my camera of some sort. At the moment if the light is bad the bird ends up like a silhouette. Yesterday I took a photo of a Great sp Woodpecker up a tree and that bird came out very dark.

[john-henry]

You need to add some exposure compensation Shirley.
If you've enough sky in your pic to affect the exposure reading on your subject (bird) try +1 compensation, check your exposure and give it a bit more, or less, on how it looks then.

[Musoman]

Whats the difference between using + or - EV, and changing the shutter speed + or - ?

Does EV give better shots than simply compensating with higher or lower shutter speed ?

[john-henry]

Originally Posted by Musoman

Whats the difference between using + or - EV, and changing the shutter speed + or - ?

Does EV give better shots than simply compensating with higher or lower shutter speed ?

That's OK if you're using Manual exposure but many people use AV or TV so EV compensation is the only way to alter the exposure from what's being metered.

[Musoman]

Fair point JH

I'm so used to using MF lenses that i forgot some people have other ways to take a pic

[D. Taylor]

Shirley, I agree with adding + ev. The attached shot was taken on a gray day and facing into the sun, or where it was located in the sky. I was also using flash and betterbeamer. Not the best shot and 100% crop but liveable for conditions. The flash and ev settings are in the comments on the photo. Good luck.

http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/sho...0/ppuser/40197