WhistlerNorth
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I always shoot raw with my iphone, so I can do some adjustments in Post Processing. But, once you have blown out the Whites or Blacks, you are not going to get them back, unless you are lucky enough to be able to do that with a raw file. On a .jpg file, once blown out, 99.9% of the time, that detail is unrecoverable.

If referring to AI ... no, AI not used.More invented detail?
I was thinking more along the lines of "major Jack's" edit: cloned features.If referring to AI ... no, AI not used.More invented detail?
That was done with some selective shadow recovery, and cloning, and flipping the cloned areas to be placed as needed in the darkest areas.More invented detail?
@ BobKnDP and WhistlerNorthI wonder what was done. I played with the shadow, and found very little surviving detail.
Thanks lacogada--- very helpful@ BobKnDP and WhistlerNorthI wonder what was done. I played with the shadow, and found very little surviving detail.
ishwanu’s reply pretty much sums it up as to what was done.
Guess you can call it invented details if you wish.
Difference to me is, details were invented from the source image
... I think AI invents details from an external source.
Not much to worry about, given the small area that is clipped to black, and several have given alternatives on what to do.
Hi John, Not avoiding raw as 99.9 % of my photos are in raw from my fullframe camera. Just use my phone as handy sometimes in addition and liked this photo.Not much to worry about, given the small area that is clipped to black, and several have given alternatives on what to do.
For reference (and you may know this), the Sony raw format has 12 to 14 bits of data depending on operating mode. HEIC on the Sony A7IV has 10 bits of information (and lossy compression), and JPEG has only 8 bits of information and less desirable lossy compression. To take advantage of anything beyond 8-bit, your post-processing software needs to support 16-bit mode. Adobe ARC does, Photoshop does have the mode/capability, yet my understanding is that Photoshop Elements does not.
It was not clear whether you were trying to avoid raw for a given project, yet raw would allow you to pull more detail from the deep blacks, as you already noted.
If you shot in 10-bit HEIC mode, you could still pull more detail out by converting to 16-bit TIFF instead of JPEG and post-processing with a 16-bit post-processor. This avoids the less desirable compression of JPEG and preserves a couple more bits of bit depth for post-processing.
If, for simplicity, you want to convert to JPEG (8-bit), then using the least-compression (highest-quality) mode helps a bit more (I think you are probably already doing that). In which case, you end up with the problems you are seeing and can compensate by creative filling that has already been discussed.
Just some quick thoughts
John Wheeler
HI @WhistlerNorthHi John, Not avoiding raw as 99.9 % of my photos are in raw from my fullframe camera. Just use my phone as handy sometimes in addition and liked this photo.Not much to worry about, given the small area that is clipped to black, and several have given alternatives on what to do.
For reference (and you may know this), the Sony raw format has 12 to 14 bits of data depending on operating mode. HEIC on the Sony A7IV has 10 bits of information (and lossy compression), and JPEG has only 8 bits of information and less desirable lossy compression. To take advantage of anything beyond 8-bit, your post-processing software needs to support 16-bit mode. Adobe ARC does, Photoshop does have the mode/capability, yet my understanding is that Photoshop Elements does not.
It was not clear whether you were trying to avoid raw for a given project, yet raw would allow you to pull more detail from the deep blacks, as you already noted.
If you shot in 10-bit HEIC mode, you could still pull more detail out by converting to 16-bit TIFF instead of JPEG and post-processing with a 16-bit post-processor. This avoids the less desirable compression of JPEG and preserves a couple more bits of bit depth for post-processing.
If, for simplicity, you want to convert to JPEG (8-bit), then using the least-compression (highest-quality) mode helps a bit more (I think you are probably already doing that). In which case, you end up with the problems you are seeing and can compensate by creative filling that has already been discussed.
Just some quick thoughts
John Wheeler
I do not print anything large and played with the 12 bit at one point but do not need the large files. Who knows maybe one day. Thanks for your detailed answer-- interesting.
Yes I had figured that out but actual question was about dealing with the pronounced black clipping in resulting jpg that is not handled traditionally. Then had some good answers.Just export it from Apple Photos and it will be converted to a JPG.
Are you sure that the black clipping is due to the JPEG conversion?Yes I had figured that out but actual question was about dealing with the pronounced black clipping in resulting jpg that is not handled traditionally. Then had some good answers.Just export it from Apple Photos and it will be converted to a JPG.
I hope that's not what WhistlerNorth was saying. We know quite well that the act of JPEG conversion does not force black clipping. Exposure choices and/or processing actions are the things that force it.Are you sure that the black clipping is due to the JPEG conversion?Yes I had figured that out but actual question was about dealing with the pronounced black clipping in resulting jpg that is not handled traditionally. Then had some good answers.Just export it from Apple Photos and it will be converted to a JPG.
It'd be interesting if you could post a link to the original HEIC file.