How to fix blown-out highlights - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM

12/16/2004 06:45:30 AM · #1

I'm trying to re-edit my shots to upload them on my personal homepage. One that causes me some trouble is my Bat Bait picure.

Is there any way to fix the overexposed highlights in post editing (e.g. PSP9) or do you know any other tricks on how to handle over-exposure on certain areas?

Refracted

Canon EOS-50D

12/16/2004 07:13:32 AM · #2

once something gets over-exposed.. it's lost, unfortunatly. If the pixels are pure white (255,255,255 pixel color), there's just no information left. If you took it in RAW though, you should be able to lower the exposure by 1 stop probably, but that doesnt always fix all highlights. (and sometimes you have no choice to have blown out highlights..)

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM

12/16/2004 07:22:53 AM · #3

Well there are some small differences left. Most values are like 3x 250-255. Is there no way to do fine tuning with curves or so? I'm quite unexperienced in that respect. I managed to get it bit darker with hue/sat, I just desaturated the yellow channel. Strange.

Refracted

Canon EOS-50D

12/16/2004 07:37:18 AM · #4

curves might work, but you're working on a very small range.. it could take some time to not get it looking like pure white, but not impossible.

Firsty

Fujifilm X-E1

Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS

12/16/2004 07:45:13 AM · #5

I had a quick play

all I did was use the smudge tool to push some of the nearby color into the over-exposed areas
I have only done part of it... on the fine spines you can use the clone tool to move some color in then smudge it

edit: you will get better milage out of your original than I have using your uploaded copy

Message edited by author 2004-12-16 07:52:21.

12/16/2004 08:01:21 AM · #6

Thanks, I'll try that. Might get difficult when it comes to the spikes, but is seems to work fine with the large areas.

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS for Canon

12/16/2004 10:40:21 AM · #7

Here's what I made of it. Bat Bait SE on Gloda.net
I couldn't smudge it too much because that made it look even more edited. Let me know what you think.

ElGordo

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

12/16/2004 12:20:30 PM · #8

Don't know if this is possible in PSP9, but certainly works in Photoshop CS: select the blown out areas and create a layer with this selection. (in PS; ctrl alt ~, then ctrl j) and recombine the layer with the original using 'multiply'rather than 'overlay'. Works well most of the time to restore some detail to very bright areas. The ctrl alt ~ sometimes selects too much area and must be adjusted by deselecting areas that need no correction.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

12/16/2004 01:38:02 PM · #9

Good to know. That helped a little bit. I guess it'd work even better if there was still some more details left.

graphicfunk

Canon EOS-20D

12/16/2004 01:52:38 PM · #10

You can gfollow El Gordo's tip but then copy the blown area and apply a tint. Do a fill with a similar color and then apply this layer in a transparent mode. You can also use a gradient fill and apply in semi transparent. Then flatten image and begin retouching with clone, etc.

The use of the selected area applied in multiply mode works when there is a trace of the 9th zone present. The image here employed mulitiply mode.

les0910

Canon EOS-5D

12/16/2004 01:57:55 PM · #11

This doesn't bring out any detail but you can add an adjustment layer - selective color - choose whites- and play with the sliders until you get a shade you like better.

heida

Canon EOS-5D