If you’ve ever taken a photograph and been unhappy with the results, it’s likely that you were dealing with blown highlights. In this article, we’ll discuss what blown highlights are, why they happen, and how to avoid them in your photography. With a little bit of knowledge and some practice, you can take amazing photos every time!
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What Are Blown Highlights?
Blown highlights are areas of a photograph that are overexposed and appear white. This can happen when there is too much light in the scene, or when the camera’s sensor is unable to handle the amount of light it’s receiving. When this happens, details in the highlight area are lost and the photo can look washed out.
Why do Blown Highlights Show Up In My Photos?
There are a few reasons why blown highlights might show up in your photos. The first is that you might be using a camera with a small sensor. This means that the camera isn’t able to handle as much light, and it can result in overexposed areas. Another reason is that you might be photographing a scene with very bright highlights, like the sun reflecting off of water. Finally, it could be that you have your camera’s exposure settings set too high. Whatever the reason, blown highlights can ruin an otherwise great photo.
The difference between blown highlights and under-exposed photos
It’s important to know the difference between blown highlights and under-exposed photos. Blown highlights are overexposed, meaning that there is too much light. This can be due to a number of factors, as we discussed above. Under-exposed photos, on the other hand, are simply photos that aren’t exposed long enough. This means that not enough light reached the camera’s sensor, and as a result, the photo is too dark.
How to spot blown highlights in your photos
Now that you know what blown highlights are and why they happen, let’s talk about how to spot them in your photos. The easiest way to do this is to look at the histogram. The histogram is a graph that shows you how much light is in each part of the photo. The left side of the graph represents the dark areas, the middle represents the midtones, and the right side represents the highlights. If there is a spike on the right side of the graph, it means that there are blown highlights in the photo.
Ways to avoid blown highlights in your photos
Now that we know what blown highlights are and why they show up in photos, let’s discuss how to avoid them.
Using Your Camera’s Histogram
As we mentioned above, one of the best ways to avoid blown highlights is to use your camera’s histogram. By looking at the histogram, you can see how much light is in each part of the photo. If you see that there are blown highlights, you can adjust your camera’s settings accordingly.
Setting Highlight Alerts
Another way to avoid blown highlights is to set highlight alerts on your camera. This will cause your camera to flash when it detects that there are blown highlights in the photo. This is a great way to avoid blown highlights, because you can see them as they happen and adjust your camera’s settings accordingly.
Using Filters On Your Camera
If you’re photographing a scene with very bright highlights, you might want to use a neutral filter on your camera. This will help to reduce the amount of light that enters the camera, and as a result, will help to avoid blown highlights.
Using Your Camera’s Metering Mode
You can avoid blown highlights by using your camera’s metering mode. This will help to ensure that your camera is exposed correctly, and as a result, will help to avoid blown highlights.
Shooting In RAW
RAW files contain all of the data from your camera, and as a result, they provide more flexibility when it comes to editing. This means that you can edit your photos after the fact and avoid blown highlights altogether.
Shooting At The Right Time Of Day
You can avoid blown highlights by shooting at the right time of day. The best times to shoot are early in the morning or late in the evening (otherwise known as during golden hours), when the sun is not as bright, to avoid over-exposing your photos.
Using HDR Or Exposure Bracketing
HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography is a great way to avoid blown highlights. HDR photography involves taking multiple photos at different exposures and then combining them into one photo. This helps to ensure that all of the details are captured, and as a result, helps to avoid blown highlights. You’ll need to shoot 3 or 5 images and then merge them during the post-processing step of your photography editing.
Final tips for avoiding blown highlights in your photographs
Here is a recap on how to avoid blown highlights in your photos:
Use the histogram to check for blown highlights.
Set highlight alerts on your camera.
Use filters to reduce the amount of light entering the camera.
Shoot during golden hours, early in the morning or late in the evening.
Use HDR photography or exposure bracketing.
By following these tips, you should be able to avoid blown highlights in your photographs. Remember to keep an eye on the histogram and adjust your camera’s settings accordingly. And, if all else fails, shoot in RAW format so that you can edit your photos after the fact. Thanks for reading! We hope this article was helpful.
