Sometimes I think technology makes us forget mood and emotion in photography. Every new camera that comes out boasts about the amazing dynamic range capabilities of the sensor. At the rate we’re going, HDR photography won’t be necessary, the sensor will be able to capture it all! But is that a good thing? Yes, I love the incredible dynamic range of my Nikon Z7II; the ability to pull detail out of shadows is remarkable. And high dynamic range helps a lot when we photograph contrasty scenes where we want less contrast.
Use the benefits of your sensor dynamic range, but don’t forget the creative aspects of lighting. And when it comes to sky highlights, consider blowing them out and clip those highlights on the histogram. Many photographers subscribe to ‘expose for the highlights’ as a rule of thumb. And more often than not, this works perfect. But consider your image, subject and lighting, and make a more conscious choice about exposure rather than following a rule. Take a look at the image at the top. A grand scene with great models, a fantastic scenario that illustrates the wonder and grandeur of Alaska. But I think a lot of the success of this image is the blown out sky. This highlight gives the image a sense of high key wonder, an uplifting moment. Go into photoshop and reduce the sky highlights and you are making the image much less impactful.

Lake Clark NP, Alaska
Here is another example. This bear was ambling down a path towards me in Alaska a few weeks ago, so I just laid down in the trail and waited. The background was gray sky, so rather than photograph gray, I opened up my exposure for a high key bear portrait. Bear on gray sky…less interesting to me than high key bear on white sky. Of course this is a subjective call, but just remember it is not always about controlling the highlights and dynamic range. Sometimes it is okay just to let those highlights run wild…