need advice re: fixing overexposed highlights

[halldis_kelly]

I am brand new to photoshop (just bought CS3) but have been spending a good deal

of time reading up/watching tutorials. I recently shot senior pics for a

friend's daughter, and of course, the ONE AND ONLY must-have photo this girl

wants is the one that has seriously overexposed highlights. It's a color photo

(and I'd upload it if I knew how, but I don't think that's an option here).

Does anyone have any suggestions regarding options I might try? I've played

with curves, levels, shadows/highlights, ..... I haven't really gotten the burn

tool to do much at all or it just adds kind of a grayish color.....

I probably need something more sophisticated/complicated than a simple one-step

option and even at that, I'm not certain it's salvageable.

thanks for any input.<div></div>

[Ed_Ingold]

If the original image is a RAW file, then ACR can correct up to 2 stops of overexposure perfectly, or up to 4 stops adequately if at least one channel has some headroom left.

 

If this is a JPEG, then you cannot make any meaningful correction.

[mag_miksch]

What I see are there a lot of 255/255/255 pixels, there is nothing to save or heal beside painting. Regards Martin

[ellis_vener_photography]

try the recovery slider in Adobe Camera Raw.

[gdanmitchell]

1. Shoot RAW

 

2. Use the recovery slider in ACR (as mentioned above).

 

3. Adjust the exposure in ACR.

 

4. Perhaps burn in the areas in PS

 

If it is totally burned, there may be nothing to recover.

[blumesan]

For those still doubting, another example of why it's better to always shoot RAW.

 

But in this case, we don't know if the OP's camera is capable of RAW.

[mag_miksch]

255/255/255 is totally burned^^

[mag_miksch]

Burn more

[blumesan]

mag--

 

I don't think that will help. When you burn a completely blown area it just goes from white to gray to black without revealing any details.

[halldis_kelly]

To all of you who were kind enough to share your expertise THANK YOU! I've spent the last few hours researching how to implement your remedies (remember, I said I only recently bought photoshop CS3 so I didn't even really know what ACR meant).... I wasn't able to get to everything, but it is seeming as if the hotspots are irretrievable (in mag's words 255/255/255 means totally burned -- although I don't know how to view these numbers). In regard to shooting RAW, my camera is capable of it, but I recall one of my tutorials suggesting against using it-- I can't recall why, other than maybe it's b/c each time you open/change/close the file it loses some resolution whereas photoshop files don't. The good news is that I found this group, that I learned I MUST start using that bridge program that came with CS3, I can now explain why I get GRAY when I try to burn an area, that ACR can repair 2 to 4 stops of overexposure (!), that I need to revisit whether or not to shoot in camera RAW (actually, maybe that tutorial said it would cause problems with the lab due to colormatching or something?), and that there are lots of great people like yourselves that take the time to share info with those in need. Thanks again.

[digitmstr]

Well, if shoot JPG it's and you have blown highlights it means there is no data to recover. Even if you shoot RAW you only have so much latitude.

 

There an editing technique that can remedy somewhat an otherwise throw-away. It's not perfect but, considering the alternative sometimes it's better than nothing.

 

You'd have to create either a layer mask of the burned areas or a duplicate layer and select by color the burned areas. Then, you can clone some of the color from the adjacent areas onto the burned ones. It's trickery and can look fake if not done properly but, again...if the alternative is nothing, it may work.

 

Here's a sample of what I mean. I did mine in less than a minute just for illustration purposes but, if you take the time you can make it look right.<div></div>

[halldis_kelly]

Oh my! It's incredible! I can't tell you the hours I've spent

playing with curves, recovery, etc.... anything that slid or took

adjustment that I could see, I played with! I'll tell you, I had

considered the idea of creating a mask for the highlights, and had even gotten the highlights selected, but then, didn't know how to

turn that into a mask; I would not have thought of cloning, though.

I did try healing brush, but that looked crummy also. thank you so

much.... I had given up on the photo (for all practical purposes)

but you've renewed my hope in achieving something that could work.

In regard to the mask, may I ask..... did you mask highlight areas in white (reveal) so you could paint on them? Did you smudge or blend

after you did this? you really got a smooth appearance given the extent of damage (and yes, I unfortunately shot this is JPG)

[digitmstr]

One easy way to do it is:

 

Use the 'select by color' option and pick the burned area. This will select it. Then, simply copy that selection (also SAVE it and name it) and then, work carefully with the cloning tool at different opacity levels. The key is to get the skin texture to match with the non-burned area.