mastering highlights and shadows with dxo optics pro 9

8/12/2019 Mastering Highlights and Shadows With DxO Optics Pro 9

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1

Brightening dark areas with DxO Smart Lighting

In our first example, we see that our image has strong backlighting that drowns out all of the details of the subject in the foreground. During

shooting, the camera set its aperture and shutter speed based on the brighter background. Using DxO Smart Lighting, we will brighten the

foreground and thus restore the details to the underexposed subject in the foreground.

1.1 - The “DxO default” preset

In DxO Optics Pro, in the Organize tab, open your image by clicking on the folder in which it is stored in the Source browser, which

displays your computer directories and peripherals.

When you open an image, DxO Optics Pro 9 applies the “DxO defaut” preset. This is a full preset that automatically corrects the exposure,

color rendering, noise, distortion, and lens softness in order to obtain a balanced and fault-free image. These corrections are adapted to your

equipment so long as it is supported by the software.

The “DxO default” preset also corrects for Tone, with the DxO Smart Lighting mode set at Slight.

In our example, the stones have been slightly lightened without affecting the sky, which lets us preserve the natural backlighting of the

image. However, the results can be further improved.

1.2 - Change the intensity

Let’s now go to the Customize tab, and then to Light and color > DxO Smart Lighting.

The DxO Smart Lighting palette offers two controls: a Mode menu for choosing among a certain number of presets, and an Intensity

slider to manually correct or adjust the results of the Mode preset applied.

Let’s set the DxO Smart Lighting Mode to Medium: the details are already much more visible, the dark zones are lightened, and the

background is still balanced.

tering highlights and shadows with DxO Optics Pro 9 | www.dxo.com http://www.dxo.com/intl/photography/tutorials/mastering-highlights-and...

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Now let’s try setting the DxO Smart Lighting Mode to Strong: the results are spectacular — the dar areas are now completely visible

without making the sky appear unnatural.

1.3 - Apply a manual setting


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The Intensity slider lets you manually fine-tune the results to an even greater degree. By default, it is set at a particular value depending on

the correction mode you choose: 50 for Slight, 100 for Medium (the standard setting), and 150 for Strong.

Here we will lower the intensity of the correction by setting the slider to 130.

2

Recovering clipped areas with the Selective tone tool

The Selective tone sub-palette is composed of four sliders: Highlights, Midtones, Shadows, and Blacks. Each of these sliders acts on a

well-defined area of the image without affecting the other areas.

Tip

The Selective tone tool replaces the Tone Curve tool in an advantageous way, thanks to its ability to differentiate between areas in the

image and to its ease of use.

2.1 - Display the clipped zones

Returning to our first example, by clicking on the highlight zones visibility button in the Histogram palette, we can display any burned

values as false colors in the bright zones of our image.


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When luminance exceeds the most extreme values that the camera is capable of photographically reproducing, the blown highlights are

rendered as absolute white, and the completely underexposed areas are rendered as absolute black. Any pixels in either condition are

considered to be “clipped” (sometimes also called “burned”).

2.2 - Fine-tune the tonal ranges

We will now correct the brightness in the different tonal range areas of our image.

By moving the Highlights slider to the left, we can recover the information and the details in the brightest parts of the image, notably

the sky, so as to bring out some contrast and depth.

By moving the Midtones slider to the right, we brighten the midtones (represented in the central section of the histogram).

By moving the Shadows slider to the left, we maintain some of the dark zones in the image so as to avoid an artificial-looking “HDR”

effect as well as keeping the proper shape of the subject.

By moving the Blacks slider to the right, we reveal the different levels of black and make them brighter (the extreme left of the

histogram moves toward the left and leaves no information in the darkest or densest parts of the image).

Note

Here are the slider values that we have set for our image:

Highlights: –75

Midtones : 10

Shadows: –15

Blacks: 10


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Here is our image with the details restored in both shadows and highlights — in just a few clicks!

3

Going further with Selective tone

Correcting “dense” images

In the two following steps, we will see how the Selective tone sliders work to correct an image that is both dense (in terms of shadowed

details) as well as a bit too bright.

In our first example below, the subject is backlit by a sky that is cloudy but still very bright. The goal here is to bring out the details of the

subject in the foreground while maintaining the details in the background.


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As there are very few highlights, we are first going to slightly darken the brightest areas by setting the Highlights slider to –15, and then

setting the Midtones slider to –30 to give more presence to the gray clouds.


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These two actions have had virtually no effect on the abbey walls, which we are now going to redress by setting the Shadows slider to 45.

The principal subject is now lighter without affecting the brightness of the sky.


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Brightening the dark zones has resulted in a loss of contrast, which we will compensate for by setting the Blacks slider to –3. The result is a

photo that is much more balanced, with better contrast lending more depth.


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Give more substance to an image

In our second example, the image is a bit too bright and lacks contrast. We will see how to restore the balance.


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First we will deal with the color density of the clouds and the surface of the water. Setting the Highlights slider to +45 and the Midtones

slider to –20 will subtly improve the contrast in the sky.

We will reinforce the overall contrast, particularly with respect to the water and green spaces, by strengthening the Blacks; we will set its

slider to –30.


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Finally, to restore some luminosity to the entire scene, we will increase Shadows to +20.

Here again, the resulting photo is better balanced and shows good contrast, all without distorting the original very sunny scene.

Photos credits: Christophe Gressin


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Want to try out these tips?

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