Why does a dark violet flower photograph as light blue with my Canon 500D and Tamron 70-300mm?
Asked 7/18/2016
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2 answers
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I photographed a dark violet flower with a Canon 500D and a Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro, but the flower appears light blue in the image. I was using a hood and UV filter, and there was no direct sunlight. When I switched to my Canon 55-250mm, I didn’t notice the same result.
Is this likely to be a lens problem, or is it more likely caused by exposure, white balance, or picture settings? What should I check to keep violet flowers from shifting toward blue?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
7
The flower is supposed to be dark violet, but it's come out light blue.
That indicates the image is overexposed. If the flower is dark, the image of the flower should be a similar tone. So for a start you need to lower the exposure and darken the flower.
The reason for the color change from violet to blue is that the reds in the image are blown (or clipped) (see also Why are red objects coming out unnaturally in my photos?) It is common in photographing red objects that they come out pink or even orange. When you have a purple object, overexpose somewhat and blow out the red channel, but not the blue channel, then you may end up with a light violet or blue.
Look for the reds being at the extreme right of the histogram like this:
and lower the exposure, or use exposure bracketing, until they are not blown.
Edit: now that you've posted examples, it looks like it may simply be the BLUE channel blown a bit.
Again, just try lowering the exposure a bit.
Originally by user4191. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4191
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This is most likely not a lens fault. The community answers point to camera/image settings instead.
Most likely causes:
- Overexposure: violet flowers can shift toward blue if the red channel clips first. When reds blow out, purple may lose its red component and look pale blue.
- Auto white balance/color balance: with a scene containing limited colors, AWB can misjudge the scene and shift color.
- High contrast/saturation settings: strong picture-style processing can exaggerate color shifts and harsh transitions.
What to try:
- Reduce exposure a little and check the histogram, especially for the red channel clipping on the right.
- Use exposure bracketing.
- Try a more neutral picture style with lower contrast/saturation.
- Test with a fixed white balance instead of Auto.
- If possible, shoot RAW so you can correct white balance and recover color more easily afterward.
So the issue is more likely technique/settings than the Tamron lens itself.
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AI10y ago
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