Filling in washed out areas.

How do you do it? I have a great picture but the sun reflecting off of some water came out bright white.

What software to do you have? Look for something called highlights and shadows. What you need to do is recover the details lost in the blown out areas. This can be done by reducing contrast as well.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but if you had shot that scene in raw mode, you'd have a much better chance of recovering those lost highlights. Like that article said that you posted, many people shoot raw+jpeg, for that one in ten shot that needs a little bit extra tweaking, like the shot you are asking about.

Quote
hotrod4x5
What software to do you have? Look for something called highlights and shadows. What you need to do is recover the details lost in the blown out areas. This can be done by reducing contrast as well.

There are no details in the washed out areas to recover.

Quote

I hate to beat a dead horse, but if you had shot that scene in raw mode......

These areas would have been washed out no matter what mode was used.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2010 11:11AM by Dave.

If the area is completely overexposed, then there is nothing you can do. That being said, I have seen shots taken in Jpeg+raw that had areas of no detail at all in the jpeg, but when you open the raw there is detail that can be recovered.

The content of our exchanges about raw vs jpeg are nothing new. I have had the same discussions with many people. They have never convinced me to change to jpeg, but I have convinced a few to change to raw, although it took one gal I know over a year to make the decision.

Quote
hotrod4x5
If the area is completely overexposed, then there is nothing you can do.

That's not true at all. The program mentioned in the other thread, which I downloaded, and other such programs, have a way to take another part of the photo and use a "spray can" to fill in the offending areas. I tried to do that but could not get the program to do it for me.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2010 12:41PM by Dave.

Quote
Dave
The program mentioned in the other thread, which I downloaded, and other such programs, have a way to take another part of the photo and use a "spray can" to fill in the offending areas.

You can use the Clone tool to copy other parts of the image. I used that on some of the photos at http://yosemitecampsites.com/ to remove people.

Quote
eeek
You can use the Clone tool to copy other parts of the image. I used that on some of the photos at http://yosemitecampsites.com/ to remove people.

I tried that but couldn't get it to work. Maybe I have to resort to reading the directions.

Quote
Dave

Quote
eeek
You can use the Clone tool to copy other parts of the image. I used that on some of the photos at http://yosemitecampsites.com/ to remove people.

I tried that but couldn't get it to work. Maybe I have to resort to reading the directions.

You have to click with the control key down to select a bit to copy. You should also select a brush to suit the task.

Quote
eeek
You have to click with the control key down to select a bit to copy. You should also select a brush to suit the task.

Thanks. I'll give that a try.

Look just below and to the left of center. There's a face in the water. It's looking to the right.

The washed out, over exposed, areas are towards the bottom. This is a resized (smaller) version that makes it look worse than it really is.

Quote
Dave

Quote
hotrod4x5
If the area is completely overexposed, then there is nothing you can do.

That's not true at all. The program mentioned in the other thread, which I downloaded, and other such programs, have a way to take another part of the photo and use a "spray can" to fill in the offending areas. I tried to do that but could not get the program to do it for me.

Sure, you can clone in something from another part of the photo, which is one solution, but it isn't going to show you what was there in real life, which is what I thought you were going for. I clone out people all the time when I want to remove them from a scene. I've actually never used cloning to cover an overexposed area, it wouldn't be my preference.

A scene like yours is best shot in full shade, or on an overcast day, to eliminate the contrast extremes that you encountered. You might also give a tripod and a slow shutter speed a try, it makes for a nice, silky water effect.

If the dynamic range of the shot is too wide to be captured you should take a look at doing HDR.
3 shots -2 0 +2 under exposed, properly exposed, over exposed
they get combined by software
I use ptGUI for my panoramas, but it'll also HDR
That way you can see detail in the shadows and the clouds at the same time.

I was in a hurry. Only time for a snapshot. I only want to save the phote because of the face in the water. No tripod or shutter setting will ever get that face again. It was just a lucky shot.

The technique I use to avoid blown highlights is to monitor the histogram. Adjust the exposure if needed to keep the curve away from the right hand side. It is better to lose some shadow detail than the highlights.

You can use a feathered selection (to avoid harsh edges) and overlay from another image the same texture that you want to be in the overexposed area. I've never gone to such lengths in my post processing because I usually just give up on the blown highlights, but that should work if you're willing to spend a lot of time trying to make it look realistic. It's kind of like a manual, potentially more accurate version of the healing brush in photoshop.

Quote
dqniel
You can use a feathered selection (to avoid harsh edges) and overlay from another image the same texture that you want to be in the overexposed area. I've never gone to such lengths in my post processing because I usually just give up on the blown highlights, but that should work if you're willing to spend a lot of time trying to make it look realistic. It's kind of like a manual, potentially more accurate version of the healing brush in photoshop.

That's what I was trying to do. I believe there is some way to select a portion of the water and then paint that over the blown out areas. If I figure out how, I'll post it.

In Photoshop you can do that with the clone stamp or healing brush tools. You just have to ctrl click or alt click, I forget which, to select the texture you're using as your base to paint/heal with.

Dave, do you have the original photo straight from the camera available? Was just curious to see it.

Quote
dqniel
Dave, do you have the original photo straight from the camera available? Was just curious to see it.

The picture I posted above is from the original. I haven't had time to work on it though.

Oh, I didn't realize that since it was only ~1.2MP. I figured you downsized it for the web. I was going to try something on it using a mixture of cloning and healing brush.

Quote
dqniel
Oh, I didn't realize that since it was only ~1.2MP. I figured you downsized it for the web. I was going to try something on it using a mixture of cloning and healing brush.

Oops. I did downsize it for posting.

Quote
Dave

Quote
dqniel
Oh, I didn't realize that since it was only ~1.2MP. I figured you downsized it for the web. I was going to try something on it using a mixture of cloning and healing brush.

Oops. I did downsize it for posting.

Translation: My llamas ate my memory card.