Question about halo(?): I was working on this photo in Affinity and noticed a halo (probably not the correct terminology) along the vertical cable. This shot is SOOC. I would like to...

GeorgeK Loc: NNJ

I was working on this photo in Affinity and noticed a halo (probably not the correct terminology) along the vertical cable. This shot is SOOC. I would like to know what caused this. Any help is appreciated.

Canon &D Mark II
EF-S15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
ISO 400
1/640
f 13.0

(Download)

ebbote Loc: Hockley, Texas

I see no halo on my monitor George.

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

It's difficult to see but I'd guess the extreme difference between the dark cable and the lighter grey sky caused some problems with the software. Some of the more technical folks will have an answer for you.

GeorgeK Loc: NNJ

Thank for looking. I find that it is more noticeable against the darker mountain on the lower section.

Neilhunt

The "halo" can be seen when you zoom in close. It's called "sharpening" since viewed from a distance it makes the edges look crisper. Depending on your camera, you may be able to turn it down or off.

But most likely, I suspect you have set your camera to too low a resolution, which makes the pixels larger, and makes the sharpening more visible than if you have more of them.

Alternatively, you've done something like "download for email", with the same effect.

Neilhunt

Another possibility is that it's a jpg compression artifact (noise). Have you set your camera to fine or extra fine? That should fix it.

GeorgeK Loc: NNJ

Neil, you may be right about the settings. At the time I was shooting jpeg but have since changed to raw. Unfortunately, all I have to go by now is the exif data.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

There is no halo on the download original image, but there are JPEG compression artifacts on the thumbnail that appear to be a halo.

That is the result of starting with a very large original that has been sharpened at that size, and then resizing it smaller with an algorithm that causes ringing. You are no doubt seeing the same effect when it is displayed in your editor or with any viewer

You can correct this by applying no sharpening at all until the image is resized to the ultimate final size. It might also help on your home monitor to be sure to resize using appropriate software if you are super critical.

If the original is a SOOC JPEG from the camera the sharpen setting in the camera should be reduced to prevent this on future images. For this image it can be fixed by applying a very small amount of Gaussian blur to a copy of the original full size image and then use that to make smaller versions that you only sharpen after resizing.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

GeorgeK wrote:

I was working on this photo in Affinity and noticed a halo (probably not the correct terminology) along the vertical cable. This shot is SOOC. I would like to know what caused this. Any help is appreciated.

Canon &D Mark II
EF-S15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
ISO 400
1/640
f 13.0

Using the download and looking at it at 1:1 in a good monitor I do not see any halo nor do I see any compression artifact.

Since the original is SOOC do not suspect this as a problem.

Now... Suspect your eyes. When we look at something with a high contrast or long enough we ALL will see a halo.

GeorgeK Loc: NNJ

Apaflo wrote:

There is no halo on the download original image, b... (show quote)

It is possible that there was in-camera sharpening but this is no longer an issue. Thanks for the PP suggestion.

GeorgeK Loc: NNJ

Rongnongno wrote:

Using the download and looking at it at 1:1 in a good monitor I do not see any halo nor do I see any compression artifact.

Since the original is SOOC do not suspect this as a problem.

Now... Suspect your eyes. When we look at something with a high contrast or long enough we ALL will see a halo.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I am using an iMac Retina 5K, 27-inch monitor so I doubt that would be problematic. The problem is exacerbated when I use Nik plug-ins so that would lead me to believe that it is software related.

Tjohn Loc: Inverness, FL formerly Arivaca, AZ

Rongnongno wrote:

Using the download and looking at it at 1:1 in a good monitor I do not see any halo nor do I see any compression artifact.

Since the original is SOOC do not suspect this as a problem.

Now... Suspect your eyes. When we look at something with a high contrast or long enough we ALL will see a halo.

Right.

Now, look with one eye and, for me, the halo disappears.

rdubreuil Loc: Dummer, NH USA

Rongnongno wrote:

Using the download and looking at it at 1:1 in a good monitor I do not see any halo nor do I see any compression artifact.

Since the original is SOOC do not suspect this as a problem.

Now... Suspect your eyes. When we look at something with a high contrast or long enough we ALL will see a halo.

I couldn't see it a first either but, by looking directly at the cable for a while did produce a very faint halo. I think it's the eyes playing tricks, an optical illusion.

Jim Plogger Loc: East Tennessee

ebbote wrote:

I see no halo on my monitor George.

Me either!

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

Rongnongno wrote:

Now... Suspect your eyes. When we look at something with a high contrast or long enough we ALL will see a halo.

Thanks a million! Rongnongno, That phenomena has been troubling me for a while. Before my cataract surgery I thought it was me. Then after, I thought it might be my cameras and thanks to you, I know now, that it is actually my eyes and my mind's interpretation of all those photons!