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10/04/2005 10:45:31 AM · #1 |
| Please forgive me for this complete newbie question. What does it mean when someone "blows the highlights" of a picture? |
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10/04/2005 10:54:34 AM · #2 |
blown highlights is when the light is too bright in a spot(s) and there is little to no detail left....i had a very serious problem with them till i learned how no to get them with camera settings...let me know if you need anymore help and ill try to
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10/04/2005 10:55:21 AM · #3 |
The lightest part in the photo is completely over exposed resulting in no highlight detail.
Hope that helps
GG |
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10/04/2005 10:56:16 AM · #4 |
Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:
blown highlights is when the light is too bright in a spot(s) and there is little to no detail left....i had a very serious problem with them till i learned how no to get them with camera settings...let me know if you need anymore help and ill try to |
I was beat to the punch....
GG |
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10/04/2005 11:07:22 AM · #5 |
| What sort of camera settings did you use to help retain detail? |
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10/04/2005 11:12:06 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by qbicle:
What sort of camera settings did you use to help retain detail? |
I am not familiar with your camera and what setting it has but a faster shutter speed(mine only goes up to 1000) will knock some of it down but i have learned to use my apeture setting. on a bright clear day i have my apeture set on 8.0(highest it will go) and i use my exposure bias at -2.0(lowest it will go) and shutter speed at 1000
edit to add: i just looked up your camera and you should be able to set the camera to the above settings.
Message edited by author 2005-10-04 11:20:35.
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10/04/2005 11:29:57 AM · #7 |
Thanks for the comments on my picture. I am going to post the thumbnail here so others can see a nice example of blown highlights.
Another new guy question. What does "exposure bias -2" mean?
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10/04/2005 01:10:24 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by qbicle:
Another new guy question. What does "exposure bias -2" mean? |
ummm...Im not quite sure what it might be called in the "professional" world, and i dont know if your camera does it. for my camera its called that and it darkens down the light of the whole frame(-2.0) or I can up it to +2.0 and it will be almost all light except for the darkest parts of the photo. maybe someone can explain that better as i only know what its called and what it does for my camera.(still real new to this stuff myself) |
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10/04/2005 01:16:57 PM · #9 |
Exposure bias gives you another tool to help achieve the correct exposure. Let's say you're shooting a birthday party indoors and you discover that, with the available light, 1/60th of a second is a resulting in pics that are a little overexposed (blown hightlights) and 1/125th is leaving them a little too dark. What to do? Messing with exposure and aperture (f-stop) allows you to adjust only in full stops. Exposure-bias allows you to adjust in half-stops or in some cameras, third-stops. So in my example, if 1/60th is a little too bright, to a -1/3 or -1/2 exposure bias and see how that works.
Message edited by author 2005-10-04 13:22:50. |
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10/04/2005 01:23:51 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by strangeghost:
Exposure bias gives you another tool to help achieve the correct exposure. Let's say you're shooting a birthday party indoors and you discover that, with the available light, 1/60th of a second is a resulting in pics that are a little overexposed (blown hightlights) and 1/125th is leaving them a little too dark. What to do? Messing with exposure and aperture (f-stop) allows you to adjust only in full stops. Exposure-bias allows you to adjust in half-stops or in some cameras, third-stops. So in my example, if 1/60th is a little too bright, to a -1/3 or -1/2 exposure bias and see how that works. |
thanks for explaining that better...both to him and me :o) |
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10/04/2005 01:30:37 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by strangeghost:
Messing with exposure and aperture (f-stop) allows you to adjust only in full stops. Exposure-bias allows you to adjust in half-stops or in some cameras, third-stops. |
Most cameras (certainly yours) allows adjustments of aperture and shutter speeds in less than full stops.
If you're shooting at f/8 and 1/60 and adjust "exposure bias" to -1/3 you are just increasing the shutter speed by 1/3 stop or decreasing the aperture by 1/3 stop. |
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10/04/2005 01:31:42 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by strangeghost:
Exposure bias gives you another tool to help achieve the correct exposure. Let's say you're shooting a birthday party indoors and you discover that, with the available light, 1/60th of a second is a resulting in pics that are a little overexposed (blown hightlights) and 1/125th is leaving them a little too dark. What to do? Messing with exposure and aperture (f-stop) allows you to adjust only in full stops. Exposure-bias allows you to adjust in half-stops or in some cameras, third-stops. So in my example, if 1/60th is a little too bright, to a -1/3 or -1/2 exposure bias and see how that works. |
I donno about the 10D, but my 20D lets me adjust both shutter and aperture to 1/3 stop increments, and so did my Nikon Coolpix 5700...
To the Original Poster:
Your camera's light meter assumes that if you mix all the shades in the image together the end result is a neutral, middle-gray tonality. If you shoot a white wall at the recommended exposure, it will "look" the same as a black wall shot at the recommended exposure; the camera doesn't know how bright is the object that is being depicted, only the intensity of the light reaching the sensor.
Therefore, if you shoot a scene that's mostly dark trees in a forest with a sliver of bright road in the middle, the camera will try to bring the trees "up" quite a bit and overexpose the road in the process. To get correct exposure, you'd need to shoot what the camera considers to be an "underexposure", which would leave the trees dark and render the road with some detail and texture.
"Exposure bias" or "exposure compensation" adjustments let you dial this sort of thing into the shot; if you didn't have them you'd have to go to full manual and adjust aperture and shutter speed to attain the desired "correct underexposure" for yourself.
Robt.
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10/04/2005 01:34:01 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by qbicle:
What sort of camera settings did you use to help retain detail? |
To prevent blown highlights, you simply need to let less light into the camera. There are three easy ways to do this:
1) Decrease the size of the 'hole' allowing light in...it's called the aperture. Going from f/8 to f/11 lets half as much light hit the sensor, for example.
2) Decrease the amount of time that the camera lets light in...this is called the shutter speed. Going from 1/60 to 1/120 lets half as much light hit the sensor, for example.
3) Make the film (or sensor) less sensitive...this is called the ISO (or film speed). Going from ISO 200 to ISO 100 means the sensor will be half as sensitive, for example.
All of these "half as much" light examples are called "stopping down". "1 stop" means half or double as much light. 1/2 stop is half of that and a 1/3 is a third of that and so on...
Message edited by author 2005-10-04 13:35:55. |
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10/04/2005 01:38:38 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by thatcloudthere:
Originally posted by qbicle:
What sort of camera settings did you use to help retain detail? |
To prevent blown highlights, you simply need to let less light into the camera. There are three easy ways to do this:
1) Decrease the size of the 'hole' allowing light in...it's called the aperture. Going from f/8 to f/11 lets half as much light hit the sensor, for example.
2) Decrease the amount of time that the camera lets light in...this is called the shutter speed. Going from 1/60 to 1/120 lets half as much light hit the sensor, for example.
3) Make the film (or sensor) less sensitive...this is called the ISO (or film speed). Going from ISO 200 to ISO 100 means the sensor will be half as sensitive, for example. |
It's neither the aperture, nor the shutter speed, nor the ISO setting, that matters; it's the relationship between these settings. If the camera is set in any of the automatic modes, be it full auto or shutter priority or aperture priority, adjusting any one of the variables simply causes the camera to adjust the others in reciprocation to attain the same, camera-determined "correct" exposure.
The isssue here is how to communicate to the camera that some other exposure is actually correct, and the only two ways to do that are by full manual setting or use of the exposure compensation/bias setting.
R.
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10/04/2005 01:43:34 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by bear_music:
It's neither the aperture, nor the shutter speed, nor the ISO setting, that matters; it's the relationship between these settings.
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No, it's not...by changing one of these (and not the others) you change the amount of light that the sensor takes in.
I discussed the relationship in the post below it. It's much better to learn why and how "-2/3 exposure compensation" affects an image rather than thinking it will fix your overexposure.
Asking your camera to reduce the exposure by "2/3" will change one of the three settings I described.
Message edited by author 2005-10-04 13:46:30. |
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10/04/2005 01:51:54 PM · #16 |
If all you do is change ISO, say from 100 to 200, the shutter will simply speed up to again give the exposure the camera thinks is correct.
If you change the aperture from F/4 to F/11 for example, the shutter will stay open longer and give the same exposure, unless you tell the shutter NOT to ( full manual mode).
If you change the shutter from 1/250 to 1/1000, the aperture will automatically open up to allow more light to get the same exposure, unless you tell it NOT to ( full manual again).
I'm with BearMusic on this one. |
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10/04/2005 01:54:13 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by rscorp:
If all you do is change ISO, say from 100 to 200, the shutter will simply speed up to again give the exposure the camera thinks is correct.
If you change the aperture from F/4 to F/11 for example, the shutter will stay open longer and give the same exposure, unless you tell the shutter NOT to ( full manual mode).
If you change the shutter from 1/250 to 1/1000, the aperture will automatically open up to allow more light to get the same exposure, unless you tell it NOT to ( full manual again).
I'm with BearMusic on this one. |
I guess I take it for granted that people want to understand how to shoot in manual.
Okay, so if you want to let less light in just tell the camer to let less light in...which is what "exposure compensation" is for. Your camera will let less light in using one of the three methods I mentioned. All three methods can affect your photograph and the effect you wanted to achieve. |
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10/04/2005 01:57:09 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by bear_music:
Originally posted by thatcloudthere:
Originally posted by qbicle:
What sort of camera settings did you use to help retain detail? |
To prevent blown highlights, you simply need to let less light into the camera. There are three easy ways to do this:
1) Decrease the size of the 'hole' allowing light in...it's called the aperture. Going from f/8 to f/11 lets half as much light hit the sensor, for example.
2) Decrease the amount of time that the camera lets light in...this is called the shutter speed. Going from 1/60 to 1/120 lets half as much light hit the sensor, for example.
3) Make the film (or sensor) less sensitive...this is called the ISO (or film speed). Going from ISO 200 to ISO 100 means the sensor will be half as sensitive, for example. |
It's neither the aperture, nor the shutter speed, nor the ISO setting, that matters; it's the relationship between these settings. If the camera is set in any of the automatic modes, be it full auto or shutter priority or aperture priority, adjusting any one of the variables simply causes the camera to adjust the others in reciprocation to attain the same, camera-determined "correct" exposure.
The isssue here is how to communicate to the camera that some other exposure is actually correct, and the only two ways to do that are by full manual setting or use of the exposure compensation/bias setting.
R. |
I also agree with Bear_Music... I have this issue a lot and I have tried the approach you describe cloud and the camera always adjust to compensate. The only way I have been able to avoid it is by the method described by Bear_Music and even then sometimes its unavoidable if I want a full capture of all details in the frame.
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10/04/2005 02:02:15 PM · #19 |
If the camera is set on full manual, then you are right...adjusting the shutter, aperture or ISO while leaving the other settings alone will have that effect, but I don't think this person was using full manual.
It's still the relationship of all three. If they make a single adjustment in anything other than manual they'll still get a blown highlight.
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10/04/2005 02:05:40 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by rscorp:
If the camera is set on full manual, then you are right...adjusting the shutter, aperture or ISO while leaving the other settings alone will have that effect, but I don't think this person was using full manual.
It's still the relationship of all three. If they make a single adjustment in anything other than manual they'll still get a blown highlight. |
Look, it's all semantics...we all know what it takes to adjust the settings. My point is that stopping down from f/5.6 to f/8 will cut the light in half. Period. The fact that cameras nowadays adjust the shutter speed to compensate in Automatic mode is a feature of the camera rather than a fundamental of photography.
Learn how to use the camera manually and it will all work together for you perfectly.
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10/04/2005 02:06:12 PM · #21 |
| Just incase your not already thouroughly confused, remember that these functions control other aspects of your photo besides lighting. For example shutter speeds control your ability to handhold, or ISO can effect the grain or noise in a photo, or apeture can control depth of field. Just some quick examples, if your not familiar these settings look around for some tutorials that could explain much better than me. |
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10/04/2005 02:24:27 PM · #22 |
Originally posted by thatcloudthere:
Originally posted by bear_music:
It's neither the aperture, nor the shutter speed, nor the ISO setting, that matters; it's the relationship between these settings.
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No, it's not...by changing one of these (and not the others) you change the amount of light that the sensor takes in.
I discussed the relationship in the post below it. It's much better to learn why and how "-2/3 exposure compensation" affects an image rather than thinking it will fix your overexposure.
Asking your camera to reduce the exposure by "2/3" will change one of the three settings I described. |
I hear waht you're saying. We're saying the same thing. It's just that your original answer was missing that "manual" qualifier, and for someone who is a neophyte in photography your post might have been sonstrued to be saying that if you're in shutter-priority mode, say, and you want less exposure, you reduce the shuter speed to get it. This would only result in the camera setting a wider aperture and the actual exposure would be the same.
I try to teach people that the setting themselves only have validity whent heya re part of an equation, a relationship if you will. You have your ISO, your shutter speed, and your aperture; if you change any one of the three variables, you will change the exposure. The danger is that when the camera is in charge of the exposure (which it is, except in full manual mode) it will change one of the other variables to "compensate" if you alter one of them yourself.
And this, of course, is why we HAVE the "exposure compensation" setting; so we can dial in a change without switching to full manual. The only problem is that this doesn't give any control over which variable the camera will alter. By using full manual settings, you can make the choice as to whether you compensate with aperture or shutter speed, which is a significant factor when shooting action, say, or macros. For action you want to specify the shutter speed, while with macros aperture/DOF is usually of more concern.
R.
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10/04/2005 02:33:48 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by thatcloudthere:
Most cameras (certainly yours) allows adjustments of aperture and shutter speeds in less than full stops.
If you're shooting at f/8 and 1/60 and adjust "exposure bias" to -1/3 you are just increasing the shutter speed by 1/3 stop or decreasing the aperture by 1/3 stop. |
I was oversimplifying to show that exposure bias lets you make small changes without having to adjust shutter or aperture. As Bear said in his reply, just dial it in without resorting to full manual.
Message edited by author 2005-10-04 14:34:09. |
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10/04/2005 02:42:08 PM · #24 |
| ok...now that we got that settled and have the attention of a few of DPC greats i think were ready for your next question...if ya have another qbicle |
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10/04/2005 02:45:10 PM · #25 |
I honestly apologize if I've made things more confusing for the original poster.
My advice is to work in "M" mode and really learn how to operate the camera. Once you understand how aperture, shutter speed and ISO work together to capture light you will feel much better using your camera and you will truly be able to take advantage of the handy Av and Tv settings.
We are very willing to help you understand these basics and answer any questions you have as it will thoroughly increase the joy of taking photos. If you learn this stuff properly, every time you look at a photo that needs improvement you will be able to figure out how to do it better the next time...whereas when you leave the thinking to the camera you will not be able to understand and learn from failed attempts nearly as well (because perhaps it was a bad decision on the camera's part).
Message edited by author 2005-10-04 14:47:26. |
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