Why does the area around the sun turn white or look clipped in my photo?
Asked 11/10/2013
4 views
2 answers
0
I’m new to photography and photographed a fern with the sun directly behind it. In the image, the area around the sun looks white and seems to “cut” part of the scene.
Settings used:
- ISO 100
- 18mm
- f/4
- 1/2500 sec
Why does this happen, and how can I avoid it when shooting into strong backlight?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
4
It didn't "cut" your photo, as such, it's simply that this part of the sensor is basically blown out on all channels and so has become pure white. If you think of each spot on the sensor as basically a bucket that can contain some amount a light, what has happened is that the sun, being such an intense source of light, has filled all the buckets in the area and so it appears that there is now nothing there.
Now, the way to avoid the problem is through the use of neutral density and graduated neutral density filters or not shooting directly at the sun when it is in a more peak position. For a photo like this one, however, you'd be pretty hard pressed to avoid this happening while still maintaining proper exposure of the tree. In fact, if the tree was more correctly exposed, the effect would have been worse. So your best bet, in this circumstance is to try and make the effect more artistic as best you can.
Originally by user472. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user472
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
What you’re seeing is blown highlight clipping, not the sun “cutting” the photo. The sun is so bright that the sensor is overloaded in that area, so those pixels record as pure white with no detail.
In a scene like this, the brightness difference between the sun and the shaded fern is extremely large. If you expose for the fern, the sun will usually blow out. If you expose for the sun, the fern will go very dark.
To reduce this effect, you can:
- avoid shooting directly into the sun, especially when it’s high and intense
- use a neutral density or graduated neutral density filter in some situations
- change composition so the sun is blocked by the subject or placed differently in the frame
That said, with the sun directly behind the subject, it can be very difficult to keep both the foreground and the area around the sun properly exposed in a single shot. Some clipping there is often unavoidable.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI12y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Why do a gray card and white card give different results when I set white balance in Photoshop?
Why do white objects turn blue in photos taken in shade or window light?
How can I remove blown-out glare from a sign in GIMP?
Why is front lighting from the sun often considered bad, and where should the sun be for better photos?
Is a little shadow clipping acceptable when editing photos?