I keep blowing out a single color channel when taking pics of flowers

[bokemon]

The image in the viewfinder and preview look fine in terms of exposure, but when I look at the histograms, one of the channels is totally blown out. Sometimes it is red, sometimes blue, etc.

I set up a custom picture control that indicates over-exposure (by turning 254 and 255 to 0 on the exposure mapping curve) which makes over-exposed areas look black instead of white. But apparently this only works if all three channels are blown out (for example light bulbs and the sky) and doesn't work if only one channel is blown out.

How do you guys deal with this, or is it actually no big deal? In the future, do I have to make a mental note to turn down the exposure for all vibrant flowers?


No edits except Neutral picture control. Blue channel clipped.

Edit: oops, I forgot I asked a similar question a while back:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4425389

Viewed with a raw program, the color channel is less clipped than I thought, but still clipped. There is still no real-time indication when a color channel is overexposed. You have to look at the image preview later and look at all three histograms.

 

[rhlpetrus]

This is a common experience, as probably you are using matrix metering mode which works with complicated averages and banks of images. Turn to spotmetering and meter the brightest part of flower only, and compensate if needed or use manual exposure mode, a better option, as you have time, flowers don’t tend to move away. Use histograms always to expose important areas correctly, they are there for exactly that reason.

But, if you are not a RAW shooter, which would help in pping, then, for a realistic image ooc you may need to let some blowing hapoen. With raw, you can tweak exposure and adjust image locally better than with a jpeg file

 

[beatboxa]

The image in the viewfinder and preview look fine in terms of exposure, but when I look at the histograms, one of the channels is totally blown out. Sometimes it is red, sometimes blue, etc.

I set up a custom picture control that indicates over-exposure (by turning 254 and 255 to 0 on the exposure mapping curve) which makes over-exposed areas look black instead of white. But apparently this only works if all three channels are blown out (for example light bulbs and the sky) and doesn't work if only one channel is blown out.

How do you guys deal with this, or is it actually no big deal? In the future, do I have to make a mental note to turn down the exposure for all vibrant flowers?


No edits except Neutral picture control. Blue channel clipped.

Edit: oops, I forgot I asked a similar question a while back:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4425389

Viewed with a raw program, the color channel is less clipped than I thought, but still clipped. There is still no real-time indication when a color channel is overexposed. You have to look at the image preview later and look at all three histograms.

Use UniWB, along with your custom picture control.

• https://blog.kasson.com/using-in-caera-histograms-for-ettr/8-a-one-step-uniwb-procedure/

(Alternatively to using that method, you can just take a white balance picture with you lens cap on to approximate this).

Also, it might help to give your custom picture control slightly more tolerance than 254-255, since the issue here could be one of scaling.

 

[Ellis Vener]

Over-exposed or over-saturated?

what are the lighting conditions when you see this happening?

what ISO setting?

Which raw processing program? If Adobe Camera Raw, which color profile have you set output for? If Capture One Pro, which export formula are you using and do you have proofing turned on?

 

[Murray Bowles]

Highlight exposure mode is supposed to prevent blowout with blue and red spotlights in stage lighting. In my experience it doesn't quite, but you might try it. Many people have posted that they use it outdoors.

 

[Jack Hogan]

How do you guys deal with this, or is it actually no big deal? In the future, do I have to make a mental note to turn down the exposure for all vibrant flowers?

The chromaticities of many red/yellow/purple highly saturated flowers do not fit into typical gamuts like sRGB, see for instance Figure 9 here for an example (click on the image to see the detail).

For those the best you can do is shoot raw and select the best color space and gamut mapping intent for your intended application. Adobe RGB did not help much the image referenced above .

Jack