Overexposed picture

Pokka · 9th December 2004

Hi, I've a picture here which is overexposed. Can anyone teach me the steps to make it just right?
I've right adjusting the constrast/brightness level but I guess there must be more advanced steps. Pardon me.
The full-sized picture is here.
http://www.valska.org/terence/baby/P1040751.JPG

The lady is wearing a light blue tee-shirt...similar to the baby. But the baby's clothes is less bright than the lady.

user111 · 9th December 2004

try

- saturation
- hue
- lightness
- clour balance
- curves
- levels (the histogram)

as well

9th December 2004

You might struggle with this one - once a photo is 'blown out' (i.e. all highlight detail gone) there is no information to recover. This is why, for example, Nikon cameras tend to under-expose, thus retain all highlight information. It's a lot easier to bring details out of shadows than salvage an overexposed photograph.

blurblock · 9th December 2004

Don't think you can save it.

sammy888 · 9th December 2004

Philate's right.

What's no longer there ( overly exposed till all you see is white ) is lose for good. The only way you can save that shot would be you get someone good are digital retouch work to actually DRAW in the details for you. As this is a more casual home shot...think it will be cheaper to reshoot this. This picture is not just over exposed. It is REALLY very exposed. The same can also be said about VERY under-exposed shots. Photoshop may be a very powerful software but there is only so much you can do to "magically" save pictures that is too far gone like in the case of your picture.

Don't believe all those spy movies you see on TV too much..alot of that so-called "power" to enhance all those badly shot picture, low resolution shot, blurry shots..etc are only possible in Hollywood Producer's make-believe mind.

In reality, there is no way any kind of technology or AI that can repair something that is badly produced or lost on film or in digital.

I examine your picture on my own PC with Photoshop..from what I see you shot this using longer exposure ( 30 -0.8 sec) Hard to save much as the lady's hand shows sign of blur hand motion in the foreground and also on the baby's face.

tunster · 9th December 2004

Time to test some painting work

catchlights · 9th December 2004

Originally Posted by tunster

Time to test some painting work

IMHO, better take another shot than waste time to savage this picture.
Even you try all the tools from PS or methods from the net, it wouldn't be as good as a correct exposed one.
Sometime, you have to look at the picture, is it worth or possible to re-shoot it? If not. take a few shots at that time.
Hope this help.

tokrot · 13th December 2004

hI,

This is the best I can salvage...

Clown · 14th December 2004

woah! LOMO!!! hahaha..

ortega · 14th December 2004

Hope that this will do, cannot get much more from the picture

pm me with your email address if you want the full size image
pm me if you don't want the pix, so that I can delete it.

madison · 14th December 2004

Did this in Paint Shop Pro. Can't improve much from what Ortega did. I suppose one way to salvage it is to convert it into oil painting etc to hide the overexposure. But not sure how it would turn out.

9th December 2004	#1
Pokka Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 1,354	Overexposed picture Hi, I've a picture here which is overexposed. Can anyone teach me the steps to make it just right? I've right adjusting the constrast/brightness level but I guess there must be more advanced steps. Pardon me. The full-sized picture is here. http://www.valska.org/terence/baby/P1040751.JPG The lady is wearing a light blue tee-shirt...similar to the baby. But the baby's clothes is less bright than the lady. __________________ My online photo gallery!

9th December 2004	#5
sammy888 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: The East Sider Mountain Biker Posts: 915	Philate's right. What's no longer there ( overly exposed till all you see is white ) is lose for good. The only way you can save that shot would be you get someone good are digital retouch work to actually DRAW in the details for you. As this is a more casual home shot...think it will be cheaper to reshoot this. This picture is not just over exposed. It is REALLY very exposed. The same can also be said about VERY under-exposed shots. Photoshop may be a very powerful software but there is only so much you can do to "magically" save pictures that is too far gone like in the case of your picture. Don't believe all those spy movies you see on TV too much..alot of that so-called "power" to enhance all those badly shot picture, low resolution shot, blurry shots..etc are only possible in Hollywood Producer's make-believe mind. In reality, there is no way any kind of technology or AI that can repair something that is badly produced or lost on film or in digital. I examine your picture on my own PC with Photoshop..from what I see you shot this using longer exposure ( 30 -0.8 sec) Hard to save much as the lady's hand shows sign of blur hand motion in the foreground and also on the baby's face. Last edited by sammy888; 9th December 2004 at 02:57 PM.

13th December 2004	#8
tokrot Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 1,243	hI, This is the best I can salvage... __________________ Colors of Photography through my eyes...

14th December 2004	#9
Clown Moderator Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,816	woah! LOMO!!! hahaha.. __________________ ~DI/Commercial Portfolio and Travel Gallery~ ~Blog~

14th December 2004	#10
ortega Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: NorthEast Posts: 16,507	Hope that this will do Hope that this will do, cannot get much more from the picture pm me with your email address if you want the full size image pm me if you don't want the pix, so that I can delete it.

9th December 2004	#2
user111 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 4,719	try - saturation - hue - lightness - clour balance - curves - levels (the histogram) as well

9th December 2004	#3
Phildate Guests Posts: n/a	You might struggle with this one - once a photo is 'blown out' (i.e. all highlight detail gone) there is no information to recover. This is why, for example, Nikon cameras tend to under-expose, thus retain all highlight information. It's a lot easier to bring details out of shadows than salvage an overexposed photograph.

9th December 2004	#4
blurblock Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 3,837	Don't think you can save it.

9th December 2004	#6
tunster Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 1,438	Time to test some painting work

14th December 2004	#11
madison Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 174	Did this in Paint Shop Pro. Can't improve much from what Ortega did. I suppose one way to salvage it is to convert it into oil painting etc to hide the overexposure. But not sure how it would turn out.