Suggestions to replace blown fireworks highlights

[terry_lee10]

Here's one for you digital post processing gurus.

 

What would you do to replace the blown hightlights ?

Anyone care to take a stab at it ?<div></div>

[tom moore]

Here a quick 60 second hack at it.... (Shawdow/Hightlight, LAB Color, Apply Image, Curves, Back to RGB).

 

--Tom

[lex_jenkins]

Some photo editing programs have tools that can help recover highlight detail: Bibble, Nikon Capture, Photoshop Elements, PSP X. They can't create detail where none exists - overdo it and you get gray highlights. But they can help bring out highlight detail that was captured. Works best on RAW files.

[bobmichaels]

Tom's approach seemed to help with the shadows but doesn't seem to do much with the highlights. As Lex said, when there is no data there, you just can't do anything with nothing to work with.

[leon chang]

Nothing. There not disturbing to me.

[Ed_Ingold]

Nothing can be done with the image you posted - the highlights are gone. You have more latitude starting from a RAW file - up to 4 stops of highlight recovery.

 

I wouldn't worry too much. The top burst looks good, the bottom one is much brighter. That's the luck of the draw. Next time, take a bunch of pictures.

[terry_lee10]

I like this shot because of the unique shape the tree.

 

Thanks guys, Tom's effort brightened the image & helped to bring out the silloutte of the tree.

 

I was very late in attending the fireworks and was only there for the the last 5 minutes, maybe even less thus didn't have much opportunity to explore other options which was entirely my fault.

 

That was my very first effort shooting fireworks with digital & in fact my first longish exposure with digital. I still use slides where long exposures are required or at least until when the film finally run out. My wife will be very happy as when time goes by, there will be more space in the fridge for food !

[JeffOwen]

I have found that fireworks are particularly difficult as the contrast range is so large. This might not help on your shot as has been already mentioned , blown highlights are very difficult to recover but I suggest in future you set up the camera on a tripod and get a shot of the surroundings, use several exposures as necessary then shoot the fireworks from the same location and use PS to merge the best firework photos into your background shot.

 

 

This example is not the best for the back ground but it does show several fireworks merged into one photo. By the way this photo was taken in Frisco, Texas last July 4th.<div></div>