The worst type of light in nature is patchy lighting. Because digital sensors have a limited dynamci range, shadows tend to go dark (or black depending on how extreme the contrast is) and the highlights become very light or, in the worst case scenario, blow out completely where there is no texture or detail. In other words, they are solid white. I had no choice with the lighting in photographing this crocodile -- patchy lighting was what I had to work with. The sky was blue and the light was filtering down through a tree. To bring back detail in the highlights and open up the shadows, I shot in RAW mode (of course) and then used the highlights slider as well as the shadows slider. These two tools are essential in dealing with contrast and manipulating the image back to what we see with our eyes.
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