Real estate photos with blown out windows?

What is the best way to fix blown out windows during daytime real estate shots?

should i be taking shots at multiple exposures first like I do with HDR?

You can shoot two exposures and blend them in post or else expose for the windows and light the room accordingly.

i will try the multi exposure method tomorrow, see how that goes.

what's the best way to do that? find exposure for windows, then for room and split the difference?

s1uma1 wrote in post #8843508
what's the best way to do that? find exposure for windows, then for room and split the difference?

The (natural light) room exposure will vary depending on the number and position of windows and the size/wall colour of the room.

Use strobes to light the room to around a stop below the window exposure and expose for the window.

Put the camera on a tripod, expose for windows then expose for room.

Import both images into Photoshop, put the "room exposure" in a layer on top of "window exposure" then selectively erase the layer to reveal the proper window exposure.

Just don't bump the tripod between exposures...

NickSimcheck wrote in post #8847288
Put the camera on a tripod, expose for windows then expose for room.

Import both images into Photoshop, put the "room exposure" in a layer on top of "window exposure" then selectively erase the layer to reveal the proper window exposure.

Just don't bump the tripod between exposures...

would i get a similiar effect doing HDR?

s1uma1 wrote in post #8848629
would i get a similiar effect doing HDR?

In a sense, this is HDR but you want to do it without all the "grunge" looking tone mapping.

you just have to tune the HDR software to make it look good.

If you are shooting multiple exposures for internal spaces, and it is daytime outside, you will find you the dynamic range huge. If you go the HDR route, make sure you spread your exposures far wider than you might otherwise. A 7-9 stop difference is quite usual.

When shooting the window for a blended exposure, I find a great method is to strobe/flash the widow frame and drapes/curtains (gelling for internal ambient). This way you spend less time cutting round the intricate details in the window zone and makes the blending v.much faster.

For most internals I shoot, they are blended exposures with a bit of fill light here and there as needed. It gives a very natural result without the artificial look that HDR can give without a great deal of care.

just a general tip for blending exposures. After you've taken your two frames (one exposing for the interior, the other exposing for the window), take a third frame metering for the window with a few stops of negative exposure compensation. You should get a an entirely black frame except for the window. You can then import this frame into photoshop and use it as the mask to blend the window exposure into the interior shot - no need to draw your own mask.

These are my 3 favorite options;

- Mixing exposures - usually 2 or 3 - with one for the windows, one for the room, walls etc, and another for the shadows / dark parts. I'd very lightly add some details in the shadows.
- Full blown HDR, with mild / realistic processing, like -3, -2, -1, 0 and +1 as exposures.
- Using a whole bunch of off-camera flashes (with stofens), to get the indoor exposure on par with the high as the outdoor one. You'll need 3 - 4 flashes at least and a set of radio triggers. If you plan to mix indoor lights, make sure you get some color correction gels as well - most likely 1/2 of full CTO for tungsten lights.

Take a reading of the outdoor light and set this in M exp mode.

Use a flashgun, bounced off the ceiling....simple but effective.

You will of course have to adjust the flash power output depending on the size of the room.

jbimages wrote in post #8847243
The (natural light) room exposure will vary depending on the number and position of windows and the size/wall colour of the room.

Use strobes to light the room to around a stop below the window exposure and expose for the window.

Roy Webber wrote in post #8889145
Take a reading of the outdoor light and set this in M exp mode.

Use a flashgun, bounced off the ceiling....simple but effective.

You will of course have to adjust the flash power output depending on the size of the room.

Here's an example. This is our kitchen. The window faces east, and the Sun was from the southwest; it was late afternoon. I used my 430EX and bounced it off the ceiling, bumped the flash by 2/3 stop, and dropped the overall exposure by 1 stop (by changing ISO from 400 to 200). It's a single shot, modified in PP by correcting white balance. (I was in manual mode.)

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