How to make this better ?

matze_1 · 05-26-2009, 02:13 PM

This looks bad. How can I do this in a better way?

Last edited by matze_1; 02-03-2011 at 01:33 AM. Reason: link corrected

kevinschoenmakers · 05-26-2009, 02:18 PM

You get 'burnt out' (entirely white) parts when the light is harsh and you expose for too long. I would give it another try with a shorter shutter speed. This also makes the surroundings darker (in fact, it makes everything darker), which would fit this picture better, I think.

matze_1 · 05-26-2009, 02:22 PM

Thanks, next time sitting in the garden I will make more experiments.
Another option maybe HDR?

kevinschoenmakers · 05-26-2009, 02:31 PM

I have no experience with HDR, but experimenting never hurts

matze_1 · 05-26-2009, 02:40 PM

I don't remember i had such 'burn outs' with film. Is this a "digital special"?

breischl · 05-26-2009, 06:47 PM

From what I've heard film doesn't blow out as easily as digital. Film tends to have a non-linear response curve at the top, meaning that doubling the brightness of the object might make that part of the photo only 25% brighter (or something, numbers totally made up). Digital is linear until it burns out - then it's done.

This is the kind of situation where HDR would make sense. Another option would be exposure blending - take one shot exposed for the brights, one for the darks, then overlay them in Photoshop and use masks to show/hide the appropriate parts. You can find lots of info Googling that.

**Canada_Rockies** · 05-27-2009, 12:21 PM

Originally posted by breischl

From what I've heard film doesn't blow out as easily as digital. Film tends to have a non-linear response curve at the top, meaning that doubling the brightness of the object might make that part of the photo only 25% brighter (or something, numbers totally made up). Digital is linear until it burns out - then it's done.

This is the kind of situation where HDR would make sense. Another option would be exposure blending - take one shot exposed for the brights, one for the darks, then overlay them in Photoshop and use masks to show/hide the appropriate parts. You can find lots of info Googling that.

Photomatix has a Highlight and Shadow option. I find it works really well with one stop over and one stop under for the two shots. The dark stuff is still dark but the light stuff is still bright. I did it for a NEF file from a Nikon D80 during the last photo course I gave and it worked very, very well. Shots in my Gallery photos.

mithrandir · 05-27-2009, 08:22 PM

I applied a neutral filter in Lightroom to attenuate the blown highlights and adjusted the exposure and curves slightly. It is a bit noisy, but I think if the original had been a RAW file this would have been diminished.

nanok · 05-28-2009, 11:09 AM

i use the autobracketing on the k20d (one-push, thank you pentax), and enfuse (exposure blending, i don't like hdr), imho, no need to mess with photoshop, enfuse is brilliant. here is a random example:

matze_1 · 05-29-2009, 05:35 AM

OK many ways point into the target.

So I got something to experiment this weekend.

05-26-2009, 02:13 PM	#1
matze_1 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Duesseldorf, Germany Photos: Albums Posts: 34	How to make this better ? Lens: 40mm Camera: K20D ISO: 100 Shutter Speed: 3s Aperture: F2.8 This looks bad. How can I do this in a better way? Last edited by matze_1; 02-03-2011 at 01:33 AM. Reason: link corrected

05-27-2009, 08:22 PM	#8
mithrandir Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,895	I applied a neutral filter in Lightroom to attenuate the blown highlights and adjusted the exposure and curves slightly. It is a bit noisy, but I think if the original had been a RAW file this would have been diminished. Last edited by mithrandir; 11-07-2009 at 01:45 PM.

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05-26-2009, 02:18 PM	#2
kevinschoenmakers Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Shanghai Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,509	You get 'burnt out' (entirely white) parts when the light is harsh and you expose for too long. I would give it another try with a shorter shutter speed. This also makes the surroundings darker (in fact, it makes everything darker), which would fit this picture better, I think.

05-26-2009, 02:22 PM	#3
matze_1 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Duesseldorf, Germany Photos: Albums Posts: 34 Original Poster	Thanks, next time sitting in the garden I will make more experiments. Another option maybe HDR?

05-26-2009, 02:31 PM	#4
kevinschoenmakers Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Shanghai Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,509	I have no experience with HDR, but experimenting never hurts

05-26-2009, 02:40 PM	#5
matze_1 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Duesseldorf, Germany Photos: Albums Posts: 34 Original Poster	I don't remember i had such 'burn outs' with film. Is this a "digital special"?

05-26-2009, 06:47 PM	#6
breischl Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Denver Photos: Gallery Posts: 92	From what I've heard film doesn't blow out as easily as digital. Film tends to have a non-linear response curve at the top, meaning that doubling the brightness of the object might make that part of the photo only 25% brighter (or something, numbers totally made up). Digital is linear until it burns out - then it's done. This is the kind of situation where HDR would make sense. Another option would be exposure blending - take one shot exposed for the brights, one for the darks, then overlay them in Photoshop and use masks to show/hide the appropriate parts. You can find lots of info Googling that.

05-27-2009, 12:21 PM	#7
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by breischl From what I've heard film doesn't blow out as easily as digital. Film tends to have a non-linear response curve at the top, meaning that doubling the brightness of the object might make that part of the photo only 25% brighter (or something, numbers totally made up). Digital is linear until it burns out - then it's done. This is the kind of situation where HDR would make sense. Another option would be exposure blending - take one shot exposed for the brights, one for the darks, then overlay them in Photoshop and use masks to show/hide the appropriate parts. You can find lots of info Googling that. Photomatix has a Highlight and Shadow option. I find it works really well with one stop over and one stop under for the two shots. The dark stuff is still dark but the light stuff is still bright. I did it for a NEF file from a Nikon D80 during the last photo course I gave and it worked very, very well. Shots in my Gallery photos.

05-28-2009, 11:09 AM	#9
nanok Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 969	i use the autobracketing on the k20d (one-push, thank you pentax), and enfuse (exposure blending, i don't like hdr), imho, no need to mess with photoshop, enfuse is brilliant. here is a random example:

05-29-2009, 05:35 AM	#10
matze_1 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Duesseldorf, Germany Photos: Albums Posts: 34 Original Poster	OK many ways point into the target. So I got something to experiment this weekend.