[Luuk]

I have no idea how this flower got such a weird
color. The aperture is to be precise 1.9. Someone got
an explanation?
Original on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/126173519@N07/

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[jadedrakerider]

It looks a bit over-saturated ... did you underexpose the image and let the camera auto-adjust the image? It's actually quite a neat effect.

I'd like to take a look at the raw file's settings, if you have them.

[Luuk]

i save all the images that were on the card on my computer and wiped
the card out. Is there still a way to see the raw image because I shot
it in Jpeg

[jadedrakerider]

I went out shooting today, and I managed to get very similar results, and I'm a little perplexed.



Here's my exif data, as I remember it.
ISO 100
Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7
f/4~5.6
1/125 sec
Shot with flash.

I'm thinking that it may have to do with the way the camera senses the red bit of the spectrum, because the red was off my histogram.

[BrianR]

Is there still a way to see the raw image because I shot
it in Jpeg

Nope. If you're shooting in jpeg many cameras can recover the raw file of the last picture taken (it's still in the memory buffer), but the raw is lost for any older ones.

In both cases the red channel looks blown, dial the exposure down. Shooting in jpeg can hurt here, the reds may even be 'safe' in the raw file but the cameras jpeg settings may have pushed them over (saturation, brightness, WB, etc, and also colour space).

[Luuk]

I have been reading a bit, and I found that the K-5 and K-7 have the same problems
thanks for the replies

[jgblodgett]

If you want to be able to control the aspects of your photos, raw and full manual is the way to go. Are you just shooting jpgs, or auto as well?

[Luuk]

only jpegs atm and i shoot in manual

[Imageman]

Ok work with me on this one. This is just surmise.


I imported your image and analysed the channels, the blue channel was over and the red channel was shot away beyond the dynamic range of the image.


These two effects push towards magenta in the red elements and this is what we are seeing in your image.


As a test I balanced the levels in each channel, then I clawed back the blue channel, and then pushed the red to try to bring back those lost reds, and this was the result.


Just look at the red petals, the effect of my pushing and pulling the colour balance is to mess with colours in the rest of the image so ignore those. Concentrate on the reds alone. Is this the red colour of the petals you saw.


If it is then this I think explains how it happened, the red portion was blown away and lost to the image when exposing, sending the reds magenta, and this was emphasised by taking jpg instead of raw.


Not all reds were lost and that explains the combination of red and magenta banding and patches. Only those areas that were blown beyond maximum shifted to magenta, the other areas remained red.

[micromacro]

Here's my exif data, as I remember it. ISO 100 Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7 f/4~5.6 1/125 sec Shot with flash.

Was it dark? Why not getting bigger ISO number? Shooting bougainvillea, especially that color, with internal (?) flash is nearly impossible

[reeftool]

Both these shots appear overexposed. Red flowers can be a problem in bright sun. I've read some articles about the strong red channels doing some strange things with digital sensors and it's a problem with every brand of camera. I try to shoot with some -EV. You can recover a lot more using RAW although when highlights get blown out, there isn't much that can be done. Best practice is to check your shots and make adjustments and re-shoot. The wonderful thing about digital photography is to instantly see your result and then make the necessary adjustments. You can also use the bracket modes in your camera. Do a Google search on overexposed red flowers and it will show thousands of results. Here's one on the front page I just found. When Red Flowers Turn Into Red Blobs - Photo Tips @ Earthbound Light

Jadedrakerider, I almost think maybe your lens didn't stop down. Did you meter with the green button in manual and see the lens stop down before the shot? I usually have to make a few test exposures with manual glass because the metering isn't as accurate as an "A" lens.

[Luuk]

i didn't use an internal flash becuase i shot the picture
in bright daylight. And the image Imageman has created is almost
right. the red was just a bit less bright.

only jpegs atm and i shoot in manual

So why did you select the manual settings that you used?

[Luuk]

because i didn't know then

[micromacro]

i didn't use an internal flash becuase i shot the picture
in bright daylight.

I quoted you, you told that you did use the flash for bougainvillea.