Overblown Highlights on footage

Mcph55

Mcph55

Active member
Hey all,

I just had a few questions about overblown highlights when shooting on a sunny day with the DVX....

it always seems to me that when i am shooting outside and its not overcast out i always have certain overblown highlights in parts of the frame, even with the neutral density filters on... no matter how much i play with it i can't bring the extreme highs down, and if i do manage to, everything else in the frame is just to dark...

i know DV cinema has this problem frequently but is there a feature on the DVX that can help with this? or are there any other techniques to help alleviate this problem like filters or something?


thanks so much,
 
You can switch to a gama setting that allows the use of the knee function and set it for "low." It might look a little weird but it might help a little.
 
zebras wont help me because i know whats blown out... and yes of corse i use the iris dial... thats the problem, no matter how much i mess around with it parts of the picture are blown out..
next time i will try the knee function
 
It can be extremely difficult to eliminate all blown-out highlights while keeping the rest of the frame at a reasonable exposure level. You need to stop the iris down, or apply lots of ND (not just the built in filters), or both, until the highlights are at a reasonable exposure level, and then use reflectors and lights to keep everything else in the right exposure range.
 
but wouldn't stopping down just open the iris more thus making the pic brighter? or are you saying do that with the ND so as to give enough light for the whole picture then cut out the highs with tons of ND.

also where is a good place to get filters for the DVX?
 
both... im just saying in general when i shoot outside.... like for instance if im shooting someone's face maybe their cheeks will be blown out
 
Mcph55 said:
but wouldn't stopping down just open the iris more thus making the pic brighter? or are you saying do that with the ND so as to give enough light for the whole picture then cut out the highs with tons of ND.

also where is a good place to get filters for the DVX?
Click to expand...
You use a combination of Iris and ND to get the highlights (sky, etc) where you need them to be and the F-stop where you want it to be (for depth-of-field, quality of image, etc). The rest of the image will probably be too dark, so you then need to use reflectors and lights to lighten up the rest of the image to the point where you want it to be.
 
The problem is that the CCDs don't have as much contrast as the human eye. They only have so much range, so once something gets to 100%, you have to cut out your low end by stopping down to keep it from going out. This is why people like the sunrise & sunset so much... with less direct sun hitting the sky, it doesn't get as hot, so you can keep your iris more open.

IMO, I generally bring the camera up, point it down, then expose for the subject & blow the sky out. Some people don't mind, some people like it, some hate it. YMMV.
 
mrWr0ng said:
The problem is that the CCDs don't have as much contrast as the human eye. They only have so much range, so once something gets to 100%, you have to cut out your low end by stopping down to keep it from going out. This is why people like the sunrise & sunset so much... with less direct sun hitting the sky, it doesn't get as hot, so you can keep your iris more open.

IMO, I generally bring the camera up, point it down, then expose for the subject & blow the sky out. Some people don't mind, some people like it, some hate it. YMMV.
Click to expand...
You should always expose for the subject, but if you don't want the sky to blow out, you need to bring up the subject to match the exposure of the sky. That might not always be possible on a low budget project, but it should be something for which to strive.
 
If you take a close look, you will see most news interviews and quick on-location work are shot in the shade. If you don't have any shade, reflectors are the key to bringing the light on faces up to match the background within a stop or two as mentioned previosuly.

If you don't have a reflector with you, look for a large light surface - a white or light colored wall is a common trick, or have your subject hold a folder that hides a reflective surface or piece of white foamcore - the audience will just think he/she has "important" documents. If working alone, tape the reflector or foamcore to a light stand if its not too windy.

Like the other replies, I would rather blow out my background and either leave it which is often acceptable, or fix it in After Effects later, than blow out my subject. Carry an extra screw on ND filter in your bag to add to the in-camera filters.

Another option I think is well worth considering is a low-contrast filter. This can make a huge difference to the range of contrast in the scene and will give you great results on bright sun-drenched days - there are different strengths you should try out. B&H and most Pro-Video stores will ahve them. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/shop/159/Contrast.html You want 72mm for the DVX100.

Phil Brown
 
also, to make the blow-outs more pleasing to the eye, I make use of (in post) a "desaturate highlights" plugin so that each color channel burns off to white uniformly.
 
agcohn said:
You should always expose for the subject, but if you don't want the sky to blow out, you need to bring up the subject to match the exposure of the sky. That might not always be possible on a low budget project, but it should be something for which to strive.
Click to expand...

Oh, absolutely. But sometimes you don't have that option.

This is what I pulled off on our shoot in Ireland:

willie3.jpg


Personally, if I'm in a spot where I can't add light to the subject, then I'll open until *parts* of the sky start to blow out. Let the highlights hit 100% because hey, they're clouds anyways. Even here you can see the subject is still underexposed, but it was the best I could do on a run & gun.
 
That's a nice shot

Another option would have been to swing 180 degrees (Or split the difference) and keep the sun at your back (assuming a nuclear facility wasn't at your back).
 
Sometimes you have to go with a tighter shot. More of the subject and less of the background can compensate. OF course, that's not always possible.

Having a blown out sky on a sunny day is alost unavoidable if you aren't using something other than the camera. Meaning a light or reflector on the subject to balance with the background, a silk over the subject, a net on between the subject and the background, or maybe a gradient filter.

Just using the camera, all you have is the iris, the ND filter, and your choice of camera placement and framing.

Edit:

I think that even on a run and gun, it's worthwhile to have a stand with a reflector...or at least the reflector. Sometimes you can get someone to hold it, or prop it up against something. Even a good shot like Mr. Wrong's would have looked a little better with one. It doesn't just balance the shot, it adds more visual pop to the subject, which is where you want the viewer's eye to go.

i have one like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/LIGHT-REFLECTOR...3582806QQihZ010QQcategoryZ88667QQcmdZViewItem

Whassup Hudson?
 
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Here's an idea ... by using a Luma Matte in your editing system or After Effects you can replace your blown out skies with an image or cloud footage.

Another way is to use a tripod and shoot the background exposed for blue skies, then have your talent step into the shot, adjust exposure for the talent keeping the tripod steady, and then film the interview. Easy to comp the two together in post by cutting along the horizon.

Here's a 2 minute example - obviously needs some fime tuning but you should get the idea.

Phil Brown

willie02.jpg
 
Really quick, i wanted to point out that putting on more ND filters will not fix the problem. All an ND filter does is cut down light so you can open up the iris more. ND's have more to do with DOF then they do with blown highlights. If appropriate, gradient filters might be better suited to help evenly expose sky and subject. Bottom line, the original issue was due to your using a limited digital camera.
 
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