Can blown-out subject edges against a white backdrop be recovered in post?
Asked 10/19/2011
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2 answers
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I shot portraits of a model against a white background. The subject is generally exposed well, but the background was lit too strongly and the reflected light has blown out the subject’s edges so they fade into white. I have the files in RAW and can edit in Photoshop or GIMP. Is there any realistic way to recover edge detail without darkening the rest of the subject too much, and what should I change in the lighting setup to avoid this next time?
Originally by anon. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
anon
14y ago
2 Answers
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You don't mention if you shot in RAW or JPEG but if it's the former you'll have a lot more latitude in trying to rescue them.
If you did shoot RAW, open your files in Photoshop Camera Raw and pull the Recovery slider all the way up to 100. That will show you how far Photoshop is able to rectify the blown highlights from your RAW data. (Unfortunately if you shot JPEG then this method won't work for this level of overexposure.) If you're lucky, you'll see some definition returning around the edges of your subject and you can adjust the Recovery slider to fine tune it.
If that doesn't work (either on RAW images or because they're JPEGs) your next stop is the Exposure adjustment layer. Here's a good guide to adjustment layers: Exposure is no. 4, some way down the page. First try reducing the Exposure slider to darken the whole image (I know you want to preserve your skin tones - bear with me!). Does that help recover any of the definition around the edges? If so, now use the Offset slider to try brightening the midtones again.
If neither of these methods works, I'm afraid it may be that the detail has just gone and there's no way to recover it.
Originally by user3644. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user3644
14y ago
0
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If the edge detail is truly clipped to pure white, it usually can’t be fully restored. RAW gives you the best chance, though: try reducing highlights/exposure in your RAW converter first (older Photoshop Camera Raw called this “Recovery”), then use local adjustments, Levels, or Curves with masks to darken only the blown edge areas.
That may recover some transition detail if data still exists in the RAW file. If those pixels are fully blown, editing can only fake separation, not recover real detail.
For future shoots, fix it in lighting: your background light is too strong. Lower the backdrop light by a stop or more while keeping it bright enough to render as white, and move the subject farther from the background. That reduces reflected light spilling onto the subject and preserves clean edges. In short: some rescue may be possible from RAW, but prevention is mainly about reducing background intensity and increasing subject-to-background distance.
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