Working with blown highlights
I’m still new to the metering system of the Canon 5D (having
been a Nikon user until about a month ago). While I usually get my exposure
more or less right, sometimes I miss it coupled with the fact that the LCD
screen on the 5D isn’t as accurate as some other cameras, I occasionally end up
with blown highlights.
For example, here is a portrait I took of Akuri this week:
In this particular case you can see the light on her cheek
is blown (easier to view if you view the larger image by clicking on it). When I was taking the picture I knew I was shooting in a high contrast
situation and used matrix / average metering with Exposure compensation set to
-0.7. However that wasn’t enough and while the picture is definitely usable and
in my opinion still a nice portrait , it does bother me.
Burning details back in didn’t work as the levels are too
high. So instead, I worked with the “flaws” in the image and made them work for
me. First I converted the image to black and white this, can sometimes mask
blown highlights a little better IMO. Then instead of trying to burn details
back in, I pushed out the highlights even further and raised midtones and
highlights even further. Next I added contrast. And then went to the eyes and
burnt them back in (as well as the hair). So in short, I pushed the whites
where they were already blown and used the burn tool to bring out shadows and
contrast in the key features of the image.
Five minutes later, a quick crop for a tighter composition
and an unsharp mask and I’m left with what I think is a better portrait. The blown highlights look like an essential part of the image and help create a strong contrast with the eyes which become a much better feature of the image. Some
of the “alarm” in the expression that I intended to capture has been removed by
the high contrast effect but it doesn’t detract from the photo. The interesting
thing is that now the high key effect looks deliberate – the proof being
perhaps that on a photo sharing site like photo.net which is known for its highly
critical nature of photographic technique, this photo has rated very well.
And anyone who only ever saw the finished version can applaud the photographer for having taken the photo with
high key processing in mind from the start :).
(No Ratings Yet)
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Lawrence, I'll take the contrarian high road and say I prefer the original version. I've only lately become sensitised visually to the issue of blown highlights. Like you, I discovered early on with my new Nikon gear that dialling .7 of a stop of underexposure makes a high contrast shot a lot more useable. If it had been me, I would done this and lightly burned the hotspot on her cheek in Photoshop. This would not have added back detail, but the more consistent tonality it creates fools the eye into 'assuming' the detail is there. As a rule of thumb, I eschew most high key b & w shots and rarely do b & w high key portraits because to me it smacks of "oh f**k, I ballsed up the expsosure/white balance/skin tones, I know, I'll do a dreamy high key!". This is not always the case, of course, but often is. In fact, that's not what you were attempting to do seeing as you had a perfectly workeable original that a little PS cheating would have solved. As the American adguy used to say, "try it with your friends!"
Hey Niall – thanks for the comment. Always a pleasure to hear your view….
Very nice technical information. I've always tried to burn in blown spots, but that doesn't always work to satisfaction, so I'm going to try your PS techniques. Great stuff.
Probably a useless comment I'm about to make, as I don't remember the actual technical details of how it works. But about a year ago Photoshop Magazine had a tutorial for this very problem. The idea was to actually do a sort of under-painting of the color that should have been where the blown highlight was. It involved doing a color selection and a blended layer that was painted with this color, and then some masking. I'll try to find the issue tonight. It's a few page article…pretty interesting and very detailed, but effective.
Found it, page 58 of the September 2005 issue of Photoshop User magazine…way to detailed to repeat it in the post.
Another good tip. :-) Thanks Chuck.
I like this idea also. Will give that a go later. Cheers Chuck
Pretty interesting info, Lawrence.. I like both versions as they give off completely different feelings – although the color version is my favorite. I also like how Akuri's brows are knitted just that tiny bit – adds a sense of humanity.
Not that she's not human, mind you, but she IS perfect.. lol
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