Lighting question for long lens

January 28th, 2016
I don't usually shoot from far distances outside, but I probably will be doing so now since I have some good subjects behind my house. I don't know how to deal with the drastic light differences between the bright snow and dark shadows. I took the picture from inside my house, through an open window. My house was in the shade.

My question is what to do about the ISO? Is there any hope for my photo by fixing it with processing? I use Photoshop Elements.

Thank you.

January 28th, 2016
without getting to technical, try taking some over exposed on the meter or under exposed.
January 28th, 2016
The camera meter (in matrix metering mode, the default) will under-expose for the bright snow, and over-expose for the deep shadows. It might sound counter-intuitive, but remember the meter is driving the whole frame to average out at 15-18% grey, somewhere in the middle, not too hot and not too cold. Neither the shadows nor the highlights might look right "SOOC" and that's good for Photoshop subsequent adjustments when you have equal parts like here. SOOC fanatics might not like this one bit, but you probably can't get both "right" in the camera alone, and so it's best to "expose for the editor."

So here it's probably best to underexpose a little (negative exposure compensation), or just accept the camera's matrix metered exposure, then correct. BTW, your Nikon camera will do pretty well capturing detail in the shadows, even if "under-exposed," and ready to be pulled up. Then in image | adjustments in PSE, suitably adjust the highlights and the shadows. Which you should try to do on separate layers (replicate the main image twice and adjust highlights on one and the shadows on the other) and then adjust the final "opacity" of each "to taste." Much more flexible in layers. Or in Camera Raw basic panel much more simply, but I am not sure how much the PSE simplified Camera Raw can do. Long time since I looked.

The "classic" way to do this even 3-4 years ago would have been to shoot three or five images in an exposure bracket and then merge as HDR, but that really is seldom necessary with today's cameras and editors. Especially since those darn deer will probably not stay still anyway.

Actually, this image did turn out rather nicely, however you did it.
January 29th, 2016
thanks for the Q & A
January 29th, 2016
@frankhymus @padlock Thank you for the responses. I tried out the layers (I don't use them yet -- I've been intimidated) on a snow/shadow pic with my white dog, and it is so much better! I think it's something I'll be working on learning. I was adjusting the highlights and shadows in the "Guided" mode, but the layers mode as you described is better for sure. Thank you!
January 29th, 2016
@tracys Great! All the best.
January 30th, 2016
As ever @frankhymus gives excellent advice. I'd just want to throw one more point in. I don't think you should look at the lighting in a scene like this as a challenge to be overcome but as an opportunity to be exploited: the strong light and dark should create the chance to, say, capture one of the animals as your main subject caught partly or fully in a pool of light for dramatic "chiaroscuro" effect. By all means use Frank's techniques to prevent the highlights getting out of hand and bring out some detail in the shadows, but you can still work with the grain of this lighting.
January 31st, 2016
@jasperc Good point, and thank you for the reply.
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