Why do my photos look hazy?

[xavier75]

I use a Canon 400D (rebel in the US?) and I've noticed that on outdoors shots I tend to get what looks like a haze on a lot of photos, particularly if it's cloudy. It's not too noticeable when looking at the shot, but when I apply auto levels in photoshop you can see it visibly reduced. Is it something I'm doing, or maybe my white balance? Or does this sound normal? I usually shoot manual but the same happens on Av or auto modes as well.

[photopest]

It'd be easier if we could see some posted samples.Cheers!

[phoenix]

Sometimes you must clean the lenses.

[sixtysix]

Does this always happen or just sometimes? It may be your battery needs to be changed.

[photopest]

It is probably actually hazy outdoors when you take the shot, particularly if it's cloudy.Try auto white balance, which should do quite well in an outdoor shot as there are no conflicting light sources. Or, many people like to use "Cloudy" in ANY outdoor lighting.You might like the appearance of your images if you use a Haze filter as well.In addition to using levels, consider trying the Unsharp Mask. See: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/tags/unsharpmask/