Nursery Photo - Blown Out Highlights?

[bellapop]

Hello everyone, this is my very first post to the forum. I'm by far a beginner and will probably have lots of questions.

I took this photo of my friend and her new baby boy. The sun obviously was shining in bright, despite closed blinds and lights on in the room. Is this a good example of blown out highlights?

What could I do to handle this type of shot, or is there nothing I can really do? Thanks in advance for any advice.

- Brandy

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii309/bella_pop/nursery-1-1.jpg

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii309/bella_pop/nursery-1-1.jpg%5B/IMG%5D

[SilverHCIC]

First, welcome to the forum!!
I checked to see if there was enough to recover. ... Even tried an adjustment layer @ multiply 8 times. ... The detail is truly blown out.

When you have this situation, it's better to shoot manual and use fill flash. The problem with shooting auto (unless you set exposure compensation to reduce your exposure), is that the intense light source (window) will either be completely blown out, or it will meter heavily and cause the remainder of your frame to be under exposed.

You have a little of both in your picture. By reducing the exposure to compensate for the hot light source, but using a fill to illuminate your subject, you can attempt to overcome both problems.

[bellapop]

First, welcome to the forum!!
I checked to see if there was enough to recover. ... Even tried an adjustment layer @ multiply 8 times. ... The detail is truly blown out.

When you have this situation, it's better to shoot manual and use fill flash. The problem with shooting auto (unless you set exposure compensation to reduce your exposure), is that the intense light source (window) will either be completely blown out, or it will meter heavily and cause the remainder of your frame to be under exposed.

You have a little of both in your picture. By reducing the exposure to compensate for the hot light source, but using a fill to illuminate your subject, you can attempt to overcome both problems.

Thanks for the info. I used aperture priority - f/3.5 1/6s ISO 200 with a 10-22 @ 10 mm -- since I am learning about exposure right now, I was doing 1/3 to 2/3 stop (both ways) I can't remember if I used any particular exposure for this shot. I should have wrote it down.

I understood that the bright light from the window would make the camera think it was brighter than actually was - so I tried to compensate to lighten the room. I didn't think to use a fill flash. Perhaps a bounce flash would have worked too?

[SilverHCIC]

You just opened a REALLY big door!! But here is the condensed version in terms of key points to remember:
1. Nothing replaces good lighting!!
2. When determining how to light your subject, remember that there are always two lighting components - A) Ambient Light; and B) Additional Light(introduced light)
3. There are numerous combinations of Aperture/Shutter Speed/ISO that will affect your exposure.
4. The choice (ie, which combination) will determine the amount of light that illuminates your subject as well as the surroundings.

You can learn more from the "Small Flash and Lighting" forum, and I can guarantee that your images will improve. ... Lighting is such an important aspect of photography, yet it is severely under appreciated.

[seanbaker]

First, yes the window is blown out. Second, your friend has a beautiful baby.

Two things would have allowed you to keep the window from being blown out while still showing your friend and her new child. Keep in mind that simply reducing the exposure (increasing shutter speed or closing down aperture) will prevent the highlights from going out, but at the expense of losing any detail in the room or your friend (the subject of the image). Your two options:
Lots of lighting equipment. An umbrella or two, or perhaps a flagged bare strobe might have prevented the highlight blowout, but not likely without casting some weird shadows in such a wide shot.
Bouncing a gelled flash. What? A gelled flash? With curtains that color over the window, the flash is going to need to be colored in order to match the ambient light. Not doing so will result in weird colors everywhere.Frankly, I don't see anything wrong with these 'blown' highlights. I think you've done a very nice job of managing the exposure in a situation which would have left most with irrecoverably dark images. Yes, it's very bad to blow the highlights on a bride's wedding dress. But when you're blowing out a background element in a very flattering photo of a new mother and child, I really don't see how it's problematic, and actually IMO is artistically and visually appealing. That's just my $.02, though :-).

Sean

[bellapop]

You just opened a REALLY big door!! But here is the condensed version in terms of key points to remember:
1. Nothing replaces good lighting!!
2. When determining how to light your subject, remember that there are always two lighting components - A) Ambient Light; and B) Additional Light(introduced light)
3. There are numerous combinations of Aperture/Shutter Speed/ISO that will affect your exposure.
4. The choice (ie, which combination) will determine the amount of light that illuminates your subject as well as the surroundings.

You can learn more from the "Small Flash and Lighting" forum, and I can guarantee that your images will improve. ... Lighting is such an important aspect of photography, yet it is severely under appreciated.


Ohh thanks for the tips! I wil definately check out the lighting forum.

- Brandy

[bellapop]

First, yes the window is blown out. Second, your friend has a beautiful baby.

Two things would have allowed you to keep the window from being blown out while still showing your friend and her new child. Keep in mind that simply reducing the exposure (increasing shutter speed or closing down aperture) will prevent the highlights from going out, but at the expense of losing any detail in the room or your friend (the subject of the image). Your two options:

Lots of lighting equipment. An umbrella or two, or perhaps a flagged bare strobe might have prevented the highlight blowout, but not likely without casting some weird shadows in such a wide shot.
Bouncing a gelled flash. What? A gelled flash? With curtains that color over the window, the flash is going to need to be colored in order to match the ambient light. Not doing so will result in weird colors everywhere.Frankly, I don't see anything wrong with these 'blown' highlights. I think you've done a very nice job of managing the exposure in a situation which would have left most with irrecoverably dark images. Yes, it's very bad to blow the highlights on a bride's wedding dress. But when you're blowing out a background element in a very flattering photo of a new mother and child, I really don't see how it's problematic, and actually IMO is artistically and visually appealing. That's just my $.02, though :-).

Sean

Thanks for the pointers!

If I were to try, I'd pick the gelled flash as I'm big on keeping close to the ambient/natural light. I have been reading about blown out highlights and bride's wedding dresses (I will be photographing someone's wedding to help out in a week and a half) so I was trying to find examples of it and study it more. Just wondered if I could have done anything to make the photo better - personally I also like the pic a lot (creatively) the only thing that bugs me is I did not notice the clock plugged into the wall. If you look at my friend you will see the "cord" looks like it is coming out from her. I am being nit picky perhaps. I wish I was knew enough to PS that out but still learning.

- Brandy

[OdiN1701]

Yeah it's blown out...so what? I like it.

In some situations it works.

[ninab]

First, yes the window is blown out. Second, your friend has a beautiful baby.

Two things would have allowed you to keep the window from being blown out while still showing your friend and her new child. Keep in mind that simply reducing the exposure (increasing shutter speed or closing down aperture) will prevent the highlights from going out, but at the expense of losing any detail in the room or your friend (the subject of the image). Your two options:
Lots of lighting equipment. An umbrella or two, or perhaps a flagged bare strobe might have prevented the highlight blowout, but not likely without casting some weird shadows in such a wide shot.
Bouncing a gelled flash. What? A gelled flash? With curtains that color over the window, the flash is going to need to be colored in order to match the ambient light. Not doing so will result in weird colors everywhere.Frankly, I don't see anything wrong with these 'blown' highlights. I think you've done a very nice job of managing the exposure in a situation which would have left most with irrecoverably dark images. Yes, it's very bad to blow the highlights on a bride's wedding dress. But when you're blowing out a background element in a very flattering photo of a new mother and child, I really don't see how it's problematic, and actually IMO is artistically and visually appealing. That's just my $.02, though :-).

Sean

Completely agree!

[Rellik]

I don't mind the blown highlights at all. I actually think it adds to it in this photo. Love the photo too. Cool room for the baby. The paint job is awesome.

[bellapop]

I don't mind the blown highlights at all. I actually think it adds to it in this photo. Love the photo too. Cool room for the baby. The paint job is awesome.


I know! They did an awesome job on the nursery. When I post the series for this shoot you'll see more of the room. It really is too cute.

[lbeck]

Yeah it's blown out...so what? I like it.

In some situations it works.

I agree with Andrew on this one. In some case it works, this is "some cases"
Nice shot.

[bellapop]

I agree with Andrew on this one. In some case it works, this is "some cases"
Nice shot.

Thanks - considering I didn't really know what I was doing... I'm kinda proud of it ;)