PHOTOGS: Why are these lights blown out?
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,085
Likes: 1
From: N. Falmouth MA
PHOTOGS: Why are these lights blown out? Did a shoot of my buddy's car this past weekend and I'm wondering why all of the lights are blown out? I've tried different ISO settings and it didn't alleviate the problem. Did it in both RAW and JPEG. Look at the garage lights on the upper left of the pic.
And any suggestions on this pic would help a lot. I'm getting kind of lost on how to make this really pop. I cranked the saturation up and it seemed to bring some of the color back from the original RAW format. It's an HDR shot, although I'm not sure if it was needed. I just didn't want any shadows. I do all my work on my laptop, so I'm not sure how it will look for the rest of you.
And any suggestions on this pic would help a lot. I'm getting kind of lost on how to make this really pop. I cranked the saturation up and it seemed to bring some of the color back from the original RAW format. It's an HDR shot, although I'm not sure if it was needed. I just didn't want any shadows. I do all my work on my laptop, so I'm not sure how it will look for the rest of you.
Last edited by bayer-z28; Jul 6, 2010 at 02:21 AM.
The light is blown out because you're shooting at night, to put it simple. You're forcing the shutter to stay open long enough for the light from your subject to make a decent exposure. During that same time, the much brighter and more concentrated light from the parking lights is flooding the exposure making that part over exposed.
Your best bet to resolve the issue is to shoot with a flash. However, most flash photography won't allow the light from the buildings or any natural light to be seen in the exposure. The resolution to that is to set your camera up for a rear curtain sync shot. On a Nikon its as simple as holding the lightning bolt button while scrolling until you see the word "REAR" in the display.
You can always google "rear curtain sync" and your camera model to find out how to do it with your camera. Oh, and don't forget a tripod. You're going to need it.
Good luck.
Your best bet to resolve the issue is to shoot with a flash. However, most flash photography won't allow the light from the buildings or any natural light to be seen in the exposure. The resolution to that is to set your camera up for a rear curtain sync shot. On a Nikon its as simple as holding the lightning bolt button while scrolling until you see the word "REAR" in the display.
You can always google "rear curtain sync" and your camera model to find out how to do it with your camera. Oh, and don't forget a tripod. You're going to need it.
Good luck.
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,085
Likes: 1
From: N. Falmouth MA
I suppose I could have just fixed it in the other shots in that bracket BEFORE I layered them.. 
I tried the burn tool on it and it worked a little, but it's still way over. I should try my bigger lens and polariser next time, but on longer exposures it has a tendency to reflect between the lens and the filter and cause a similar problem.
Here's another one I got from that night.. Not completely sold on it though. I should have gotten closer to the edge, but I'm terrified of heights.
I tried the burn tool on it and it worked a little, but it's still way over. I should try my bigger lens and polariser next time, but on longer exposures it has a tendency to reflect between the lens and the filter and cause a similar problem.
Here's another one I got from that night.. Not completely sold on it though. I should have gotten closer to the edge, but I'm terrified of heights.
Last edited by bayer-z28; Jul 6, 2010 at 08:59 PM.
It's a bad situation with the 2 lit buildings on each side of the car and the black roof running into the black sky between the buildings. I'd have chosen a different location for the shot 
... But in that cirmustance I'd have started with spot metering around the dark grey hood area of the car and tried knocking the backlit items down as possible.
For instance... These are raw photos. No work done outside of the camera.
The first gives you an idea of the light levels and is almost identical to what the naked eye sees... Somewhat the same issue... Black sky, black car, ugh... The difference being that I was looking for cetain elements to be washed out a bit. I concentrated on the light levels off of the middle of the car and accepted that I'm not good enough and didn't have enough bacl light to get the best detail on the grille. Then you can just play around.
... But in that cirmustance I'd have started with spot metering around the dark grey hood area of the car and tried knocking the backlit items down as possible.For instance... These are raw photos. No work done outside of the camera.
The first gives you an idea of the light levels and is almost identical to what the naked eye sees... Somewhat the same issue... Black sky, black car, ugh... The difference being that I was looking for cetain elements to be washed out a bit. I concentrated on the light levels off of the middle of the car and accepted that I'm not good enough and didn't have enough bacl light to get the best detail on the grille. Then you can just play around
. Last edited by crashinaz; Jul 7, 2010 at 12:18 PM.
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,085
Likes: 1
From: N. Falmouth MA
^ Ok... Thanx for the help.. .
I have a couple more pics.. The ones I WANTED to come out good, didn't really. I took a couple more shots on the next lower level and the security guards told me not to get any of the property in the pics so I hurried and didn't set up the tripod completely and resulted in shakey pics..
Mono-pod ftl.
I think I'm gonna go reshoot it this weekend.. Got some ideas..
I have a couple more pics.. The ones I WANTED to come out good, didn't really. I took a couple more shots on the next lower level and the security guards told me not to get any of the property in the pics so I hurried and didn't set up the tripod completely and resulted in shakey pics..
Mono-pod ftl.I think I'm gonna go reshoot it this weekend.. Got some ideas..
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Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,085
Likes: 1
From: N. Falmouth MA
Which one of these you guys like better? Workin on the other pics I took that night.
What I'm wondering is HOW THE HELL do people get pictures like this?!?!
What I'm wondering is HOW THE HELL do people get pictures like this?!?!
Last edited by bayer-z28; Jul 7, 2010 at 02:34 PM.
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