Beginner - How to improve underexposed photos?

Tutorial:

Many thanks. I'll watch those tonight.

DB3 said:

I have a particular problem that I would like advice on. In an effort to avoid blown highlights, I often end up with areas that are too dark. (Mainly landscapes.)

Any suggestions on how best to improve this, probably by local editing, would be appreciated.

I currently only use Apple Photos for modest editing of my photos, so probably need additional software.

Click to expand...

I don't know what tools Apple Photos does and does not have, but what I'm about to suggest involves techniques widely available across lots of paid and free software (free e.g. RawTherapee, Darktable, and GIMP).

Look at the histogram, and if it has highlight warnings, turn them on. Is there a lot at the far right edge / border, and/or do the highlight warnings show large areas affected? If not, then you can use the curves tool and move the white point to the left, until an unacceptably-high or -important area clips white, then move it back a bit. Now do the same thing with the shadows and black point, except in mirror image, i.e., the left side of the histogram, the shadows warning, and potentially moving the black point to the right. At this point, is the image overall too dark, just right, or too light? If it's too dark, then you can grab the middle of the curve and drag it up and to the left somewhat. If it's too light, then you can grab the middle of the curve and drag it down and to the right somewhat.

This is a very basic approach, subject to exceptions and often better, more sophisticated alternatives. But IMO it's often a good technique to try first, especially for a relative beginner.

If you want to post one of your photos--preferably a raw file, but it doesn't have to be--people here could process it to their taste, post a processed version, and report what they did, so you could get a better sense of what approaches might provide the results you want.

Thank you. I'll try using the curves tool as you suggest.

I'll also try to post an example in the next day or two.

DB3 said:

I have a particular problem that I would like advice on. In an effort to avoid blown highlights, I often end up with areas that are too dark. (Mainly landscapes.)

Any suggestions on how best to improve this, probably by local editing, would be appreciated.

I currently only use Apple Photos for modest editing of my photos, so probably need additional software.

Click to expand...

DB3

If you are a beginner and shooting JPEG your best option is to shoot RAW files . . . this gives you the best option for highlight recovery as well as lowlight recovery and any other editing you wish to do . . . albeit at larger file sizes and more intricate post editing required.

Depends on how much time and effort you want to put into your photography.

IMHO making the capture is only half of the process to a good or great photo . . . post processing is the second half . . . and you can do amazing things in post with the incredible array of editors and systems both free and costly available out there in the photo editing world!

Good luck with your quest!

Best,

V G

NAwlins Contrarian said:

NAwlins Contrarian said:

DB3 asked:
I have a particular problem that I would like advice on. In an effort to avoid blown highlights, I often end up with areas that are too dark. (Mainly landscapes.)

Any suggestions on how best to improve this, probably by local editing, would be appreciated.

I currently only use Apple Photos for modest editing of my photos, so probably need additional software.

Click to expand...

I don't know what tools Apple Photos does and does not have,

Click to expand...

Apple Photos has lots of adjustments. It's much better than Picasa.

In the upper right hand corner, click Edit. Some combination of Light, Curves, and Levels sliders will do what you want. Or try the Auto button for these items. Underexposed photos often have additional noise, so Noise Reduction might help too.

In the future, possibly expose for highlights instead of simply underexposing.

Another option is to shoot HDR, if your camera is capable of it.

As already pointed out by Van Griff: Shoot RAW; and buy e.g. Topaz Photo AI or DxO PureRAW or PhotoLab Elite. These programs have the best noise reduction on the market.

You can use default setting at the beginning, but you will find yourself experimenting in no time. It is really incredible what you can make of your photo's in a natural way.

Have fun!

Ab S said:

As already pointed out by Van Griff: Shoot RAW; and buy e.g. Topaz Photo AI or DxO PureRAW or PhotoLab Elite. These programs have the best noise reduction on the market.

You can use default setting at the beginning, but you will find yourself experimenting in no time. It is really incredible what you can make of your photo's in a natural way.

Click to expand...

Some mixed messages here - is using AI a "natural way", in your books?

DB3 said:

I have a particular problem that I would like advice on. In an effort to avoid blown highlights, I often end up with areas that are too dark. (Mainly landscapes.)

Click to expand...

That is not unusual, in fact, most people would say, "expose for the highlights because you can always bring out detail in shadows". It is difficult to bring out detail in completely WHITE areas.

DB3 said:

Any suggestions on how best to improve this, probably by local editing, would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

Many many ways to boost shadow areas in underexposed images. Curves, Levels, Highlights and Shadow adjustment layers, etc, etc. These are usually done on LAYERS, where you can focus on just those dark areas, without affecting the properly exposed areas.

Many tutorials online from Great Retouchers on how to bring out Details in Shadow areas, and many of them easy to follow. BUT, you must have the software that is capable of doing that for you, and you must be willing to learn that software. Some of the software is .............. advanced, and requires a learning curve, which takes time.

Other software on the market will do it automatically, but many times does not offer the best results.

If you have a photo(s) that you would like help with, post it here, and I am 100% certain that many members here will show you how to correct the issues, and tell you how they did it, and with what software they used. That is what we do here, to help each other with photographs, and software.

DB3 said:

I currently only use Apple Photos for modest editing of my photos, so probably need additional software.

Click to expand...

I personally use Photoshop, and many people will tell you that Adobe Photoshop is the PREMIER Post Processing Software. But, it is kind of expensive, and it takes time to learn. But, it has automatic adjustment also that you could start out with.

Other great Software is Adobe Lightroom, Affinity Photo, and several others that people use here.

So, feel free to post any photo you would like help with, and then people will tell you what they did, and tell you the software they used and how they accomplished it.

Best of Luck to you.

Hope that helps.

DB3 said:

I have a particular problem that I would like advice on. In an effort to avoid blown highlights, I often end up with areas that are too dark. (Mainly landscapes.)

Any suggestions on how best to improve this, probably by local editing, would be appreciated.

I currently only use Apple Photos for modest editing of my photos, so probably need additional software.

Click to expand...

Hi DB3,

I have also fought this problem for my 60 years of photography and it was a battle between blown whites (clouds) and dark area noise. Eight years ago, I got a camera with HighLight metering and bought AI Noise reduction software. Problem now gone.

I worry about blown clouds when shooting sunny days landscape scenery with important dark foreground details. Like others have said, shoot RAW. I use Highlight Metering with +1 EV compensation. I process with DXO Elite and raise dark areas to taste. DXO NR takes care of remaining noise in dark areas. (1" SONY RX10M4 for past 8 years -- my last camera ;-) )

Regards,
Bert

DB3 said:

I have a particular problem that I would like advice on. In an effort to avoid blown highlights, I often end up with areas that are too dark. (Mainly landscapes.)

Any suggestions on how best to improve this, probably by local editing, would be appreciated.

I currently only use Apple Photos for modest editing of my photos, so probably need additional software.

Click to expand...

Apple Photos has quite a bit of capability, including the Curves tool that others have mentioned.

You can look up YouTube videos for using the curves tool for just about any editor (Photoshop, Affinity Photo, etc) and while such programs have more advanced capabilities the basic curves functionality is there in Apple Photos.

You can even edit raw files if the camera you are using is supported by the version of MacOS/iOS/iPadOS that you are using. Sometimes Apple can take six months or more to provide raw support for new cameras.

With both jpeg and raw you can go back and revert to the original even after exiting the editor.

One thing it doesn't support is layers, which makes it not useful for pixel level changes, selections, selective editing of portions of the image, etc. But you can get a lot out of it for global edits including some highlight and shadow recovery, both of which will work better with raw files (true of all editors)

I use Apple Photos quite a bit on my iPad for quick edits, and even occasionally on my Mac. I readied some images for print just using Apple Photos.

There are a number of good books and videos on using Apple Photos.

My favorite eBook is this one:


Besides covering the edition tools, it goes into a lot of detail on organizing and managing your library, importing and exporting files, and everything else you can do with photos.

Another program for purchase that adds even more tools on top of Apple Photos that almost gives your a Lightroom lite for a lot less is RAW Power. Raw Power adds raw support to newer cameras via updates much sooner than Apple does.

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DB3 said:

I have a particular problem that I would like advice on. In an effort to avoid blown highlights, I often end up with areas that are too dark. (Mainly landscapes.)

Any suggestions on how best to improve this, probably by local editing, would be appreciated.

I currently only use Apple Photos for modest editing of my photos, so probably need additional software.

Click to expand...

The old-school method for landscapes is a Graduated ND filter. The top part (sky) of the composition is toned down by a few stops while the bottom part is not. You get less noise in the dark areas this way. You photo's dynamic range is reduced when taking the shot, making your post-processing a bit easier.

DB3 said:

I have a particular problem that I would like advice on. In an effort to avoid blown highlights, I often end up with areas that are too dark. (Mainly landscapes.)

Any suggestions on how best to improve this, probably by local editing, would be appreciated.

I currently only use Apple Photos for modest editing of my photos, so probably need additional software.

Click to expand...

Here's a very recent example of mine. I was shooting in Kolmanskop ghost village in the Namibian Desert. It was a diamond mining village that was started in 1910, started to run down by 1928, and was completed abandoned by 1956. Since them, the desert has been reclaiming it. I shot raw:

This is the small embedded JPEG extracted from the raw file:


Exposure chosen to ensure the desert was visible through the windows

And then the processed raw file:


Processed from raw using DxO PhotoLab 8

This is the raw file if you want to have a go:

Digital Nigel said:

DB3 said:

I have a particular problem that I would like advice on. In an effort to avoid blown highlights, I often end up with areas that are too dark. (Mainly landscapes.)

Any suggestions on how best to improve this, probably by local editing, would be appreciated.

I currently only use Apple Photos for modest editing of my photos, so probably need additional software.

Click to expand...

Here's a very recent example of mine. I was shooting in Kolmanskop ghost village in the Namibian Desert. It was a diamond mining village that was started in 1910, started to run down by 1928, and was completed abandoned by 1956. Since them, the desert has been reclaiming it. I shot raw:

This is the small embedded JPEG extracted from the raw file:


Exposure chosen to ensure the desert was visible through the windows

And then the processed raw file:


Processed from raw using DxO PhotoLab 8

This is the raw file if you want to have a go:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10HVMbE4qrv4ru1vAgIeJh-FWsryZSCUD/view?usp=sharing

Click to expand...

Great shot

I ran it through my old PhotoLab6 Elite and it is really amazing stuff.
Bert

Took about two minutes.

RAWTherapee to get a TIFF

Picture Window Pro using a curve to recreate the full range and add some saturation. Finally PWPs Denoise.

Both apps are Freeware.

Happy?

Tony

TonyGamble said:

Took about two minutes.

RAWTherapee to get a TIFF

Picture Window Pro using a curve to recreate the full range and add some saturation. Finally PWPs Denoise.

Click to expand...

I think it shows you get what you pay for. There's no lens distortion correction (all the straight lines are bent), and no competent noise reduction. With images like this, it's easy to lift the shadows, but it's hard to do that cleanly. It appears that none of the free products can do that. It's a lesson to the OP to choose competent software, which isn't free.

You've also greatly over-saturated the bright sky, but that could be corrected.

Many thanks to all for your suggestions and good wishes.

I found both examples of processing the Namibia photo amazing.

Thank you Nigel,

No lens distortion correction.

Over saturated.

Yes Yes. You are smarter than me.

I wanted to show what two minutes of freeware would do as I felt that might take the OP on a step or two.

When he is worried about lens distortion I'll show him how to correct it.

Saturation. A lesson how to move a slider!

He says what I showed was 'amazing'

Good enough for me.