Blown Highlights.

Aod

Aod

Aod

Soldato
Joined
7 Oct 2004
Posts
8,662
Location
London
i've noticed recently that many people are commenting on pictures, and many of these comments mention that the highlights are a little blown.

forgive me if i'm wrong, but aren't highlights only blown when they go off the 255/255/255 scale? when they become pure white?

Okay, i admit that highlights that approach pure white are also blown, but i've seen several comments of "blown highlights" where the highlights are completely fine.

what do you people want? a uniform 62% grey 3:2 square as your perfect photograph, with no "blown highlights" and "underexposed shadows"

thus, i present to you, your image of perfection:
IMG_1811.jpg
 
Blown highlights is quite explanatory, its when the highlights are burnt out which means they have no detail. Generally i don't give a rats ass in my photos, especially with black and white. But in some cases blown highlights can be very distracting, especially when they occur on the subject (which is very rare as your camera will probably be metering on the subject). I used to worry a lot about it when i started out, but have grown to not care, sometimes they make a photo.
 
alexisonfire said:
Blown highlights is quite explanatory, its when the highlights are burnt out which means they have no detail. Generally i don't give a rats ass in my photos, especially with black and white. But in some cases blown highlights can be very distracting, especially when they occur on the subject (which is very rare as your camera will probably be metering on the subject). I used to worry a lot about it when i started out, but have grown to not care, sometimes they make a photo.
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i've nothing against commenting when Blown highlight are actually blown, but then a small portion of the picture is highlighted and someone says its "blown" then i get annoyed.

MarkLP said:
Very nice photo. Have you used HDR?

:p
Click to expand...

thanks :D
 
MarkLP said:
Very nice photo. Have you used HDR?

:p
Click to expand...

looks overprocessed to me..

I don't think ive ever said blown highlights to anyone on here. considering on some of my images i do it deliberatly, but also because when i look at photos - i dont look for whats wrong, i look at how it looks. if there is a massive amount of something wrong, my eyes would pick on it (or if its a dust spot i know i've got on my lens and know its there), and i'd comment on it.
 
blown highlights has become what bokeh used to be on here. you couldn't move for smooooooth bokeh a while back!

I sometimes think that a blown out image can work quite well, but if you've taken a landscape shot and it's overexposed, I think you should know about it.
 
Aod said:
i've noticed recently that many people are commenting on pictures, and many of these comments mention that the highlights are a little blown.

forgive me if i'm wrong, but aren't highlights only blown when they go off the 255/255/255 scale? when they become pure white?

Okay, i admit that highlights that approach pure white are also blown, but i've seen several comments of "blown highlights" where the highlights are completely fine.

what do you people want? a uniform 62% grey 3:2 square as your perfect photograph, with no "blown highlights" and "underexposed shadows"
Click to expand...


some people criticise images and dont realise that sometimes the shot is intended to look the way it does. its all about perception and everyones is different

i myself dont mind blown highlights as long as they are not too noticable or add to a shot
 
I frequently shoot almost directly into the sun. :D
How to annoy a LOT of photographers that one. ;) Who gives a rats ass. If I get the results I want - who gives a flying ****.

I'm more concerned about HDR and over processing myself.
 
JBuk said:
some people criticise images and dont realise that sometimes the shot is intended to look the way it does. its all about perception and everyones is different

i myself dont mind blown highlights as long as they are not too noticable or add to a shot
Click to expand...


That all depends. As mentioned above, if a shot is of a landscape and the sky is blown for example, you've got yourself a bad shot. Obviously it does depend on the shot too. If you've taken a shot with the sky deliberately blown (or any other area for that matter) and it works, then it doesn't matter.

It's all subjective :)

I should add that some photos that get posted (not necessarily on here) have things like that wrong with them, or is a bad shot and then the person that's taken the shot says "it's supposed to be like that! OMG!". That's just as irritating as it's clearly not supposed to be like that, they just can't take criticism :p
 
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