How can I stop bright sky from bleeding into leaves and branches?
Asked 7/15/2013
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2 answers
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When I photograph landscapes with trees against a bright sky, the sky often seems to bleed into the leaves or fine branches. I’ve seen this with several cameras, so I’m wondering whether it’s mainly a dynamic range problem, chromatic aberration, or something related to the sensor/demosaicing. Would a graduated neutral density filter help, and are there other practical fixes in shooting or post-processing?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
3
Difficult to say without seeng an example. But taken from the few describing words it sounds very much like a dynamic range issue. If so then a gradual ND filter could help - depending on the concrete composition of the image - or you apply some HDR techique.
HDR, if properly done, does not need to thave this horrible ovedone "HDR style". Those pictues can actually quite nice in a way that only experts can say whether it is based on an HDR or not.
Originally by user17711. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user17711
13y ago
0
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This can come from a few different things, but the most likely causes are:
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High dynamic range: bright sky behind dark leaves/branches can exceed what the sensor can capture cleanly. A soft graduated ND filter can help if the scene suits it, and HDR/exposure blending is another good option. Properly done, HDR does not have to look artificial.
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Chromatic aberration/fringing: high-contrast edges can produce purple/green halos around leaves. Shooting RAW and using a remove chromatic aberration correction in software can reduce this.
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Sensor/demosaicing effects: very fine detail like leaves against bright sky can also show interpolation artifacts, which can make the edge look contaminated by the sky.
Practical approach: shoot RAW, try highlight recovery/shadow adjustment in post, enable lens/CA corrections, and use a soft grad ND when the horizon/treeline shape allows it. If the contrast is extreme, bracket exposures and blend them.
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