Can I fix an overexposed center area in a stage photo without changing the rest of the image?
Asked 2/9/2017
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I photographed a theater stage with a Nikon D3100 using flash in auto mode, and saved both JPEG and RAW (.NEF). Because of the spotlights, the center of the image is brighter and somewhat overexposed, while the sides look properly exposed and have acceptable color. Can I reduce the exposure and adjust the color balance only in the bright center area while leaving the sides unchanged?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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Yes, it is possible, especially if you also have a NEF file besides the JPEG - Adobe Camera RAW (inside Photoshop or Lightroom) allows you to bring down highlights without affecting the darker areas of the frame - and if the said highlights are not blown out (i.e. clipped to a point where information is lost), you've got a fair chance of ending up with a usable picture - this depends mainly on the ISO setting that was used - the higher the setting, the narrower dynamic range you have to work with. Do not judge the result by the JPEG file - consider it just a snapshot with zero adjustments.
As for why this happened in the first place - if you've got the camera set to Matrix metering, it will try to expose the whole image properly, i.e. it won't know that you want to keep the shadows, well, shadowy. Next time put the flash down (yes, you will have enough light when the spotlights are on) and try to set metering to Spot - this way the camera will only consider a small portion of the image around the selected focus point (if it's a single one selected) or around the centre of the frame (if you have Auto area selected).
Originally by user31714. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user31714
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—often, especially if you have the RAW/NEF file. Start with the RAW rather than judging the JPEG, since RAW usually preserves more highlight detail and editing latitude.
In a RAW processor such as Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom, try reducing highlights/exposure. If the bright area is not fully clipped, you may recover useful detail. Recovery depends on how badly the highlights are blown and, in part, on the ISO used: higher ISO usually means less dynamic range.
To affect only the center, use local adjustments or masks/selections in an editor. Common tools include curves, levels, exposure adjustment, highlight/shadow controls, burn, and layer masks. These let you darken and rebalance color in the bright area while leaving the edges alone.
If highlights are completely blown out, no editor can restore detail that was never recorded. In that case, you may still improve the look, but not truly recover lost information.
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