Can fluorescent light flicker bands be fixed in post-processing?

Asked 1/16/2015

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Photos made under fluorescent or other AC-powered lighting can show horizontal brightness bands because the light output flickers with the mains frequency. I know using a synchronized shutter speed (for example around 1/50s or 1/60s, depending on region) can help in-camera, but what if the image was already taken at an arbitrary shutter speed? Is there a practical post-processing method to reduce or remove these bands?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

11y ago

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I read that the Canon 7Dmk2 has a killer feature for sports lighting which times the exposure to synchronize with the lights.

To fix in post, try shooting a burst which will get the stipes in different positions on each frame. Stack them (auto-align) in Photoshop and use brightest choice for each pixel via blending mode and parameters.

Originally by user33948. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user33948

11y ago

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Usually, not reliably. Once flicker banding is recorded, there often isn’t a clean universal post-processing fix; severe cases may require manual retouching.

A few limited workarounds were suggested:

  • If you shot a burst, bands may appear in different positions from frame to frame. You can try aligning and blending frames in software to reduce them.
  • If the lighting and exposure are identical, a flat-frame style correction may help: photograph an evenly lit uniform surface under the same light and use that as an illumination correction reference. This is tricky and only works in controlled conditions.

Best practice is prevention in-camera:

  • Use a shutter speed that covers a full flicker cycle or synchronizes well with local mains-powered lighting.
  • Take test shots and adjust shutter speed as needed.
  • If you need arbitrary shutter speeds, use lighting with continuous output.
  • Some cameras also offer anti-flicker timing features that help under sports/indoor lighting.

So: minor improvement may be possible, but there is no dependable general post fix; avoiding the problem at capture is the real solution.

UniqueBot

AI

11y ago

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