Blown out moon...
I shot this as a full moon was rising in a thin cloud cover. I realize the moon is blown out and I unfortunately did not take a good enough second exposure for just the moon. Is there a way to salvage this photo? What suggestions or advice on post processing this image. The drama of the texture in the clouds would be really nice to retain. I have LR Classic, PS and Nik Collection to work with. Thanks!!!
You could replace the moon, but what I think would be a better option is to clone some of your clouds over the white. Done with a gentle hand, it would lessen our being drawn immediately to the stark white. If you don't need to keep a certain aspect, also consider cropping some from the top, leaving about a third of moon in the composition. You could also brighten - again, very slightly - the clouds directly under the moon.
Gorgeous photo!!
Golden Rule wrote:
I shot this as a full moon was rising in a thin cloud cover. I realize the moon is blown out and I unfortunately did not take a good enough second exposure for just the moon. Is there a way to salvage this photo? What suggestions or advice on post processing this image. The drama of the texture in the clouds would be really nice to retain. I have LR Classic, PS and Nik Collection to work with. Thanks!!!
You weren't expecting to see Moon craters thru the clouds and haze were you? Also the Moon is essentially a daylight exposure, it is reflected Sun light, say ISO 400, 1/400 sec, f/8 to f/16. Your "night scene" 1/4 to 2 sec. I might guess. No matter, yes it might take two separate images to make a "fake" moon shot.
I kinda like it as it is, just
burn the Moon down a little, much less than my manipulation.
I also like Linda's idea, more or less. That is probably how I would have shot it myself. Why introduce a possible flare problem from including Suns or Moons in perfectly good shots otherwise. Yes, the Moon behind a dead tree is cool for Halloween, but a cliche.
So this is why the astronauts on the moon 's photos showed no stars! You either expose for the 500 watt lightbulb in the sky, or the landscape. If you expose for the landscape, the moon is blown out stars gone, if you expose for the moon, the land is featureless black.
Best way is to shoot one of each, then combine PP- keeping the effect subtle. THing is, your eye adjusts instantly depending what you are looking at, so in effect your eye does the very same technique- combining them in your brain PP.
I like the shot!
Since you have Nik...
After a tiny bit of cloning clouds over sky, I used two filters:
1. darken edges/lighten center - with "center" being just below the moon at 7 o'clock position (if you haven't used this filter, note all the control sliders + set point for center)
2. contrast color range, red - masked from lower part, but looks good either way.
Both of these filters were used at lower opacity than the pre-sets. Note the difference in the clouds below the moon, particularly.
If you try these, start with white moon as-is. I'm not sure the cloning added any value
![](https://static.uglyhedgehog.com/images/smilies/sm02.gif)
Golden Rule wrote:
I shot this as a full moon was rising in a thin cloud cover. I realize the moon is blown out and I unfortunately did not take a good enough second exposure for just the moon. Is there a way to salvage this photo? What suggestions or advice on post processing this image. The drama of the texture in the clouds would be really nice to retain. I have LR Classic, PS and Nik Collection to work with. Thanks!!!
Put the Lightroom circular filter over the moon and reduce the exposure. With some faring.
I like the cropping idea. I have never tried a layers mask before and I did find a moon that might work that I took 5 mins. later that same night. It is smaller than the moon in the original photo but with some cropping it enlarged the moon. Would this moon work?
Golden Rule wrote:
I like the cropping idea. I have never tried a layers mask before and I did find a moon that might work that I took 5 mins. later that same night. It is smaller than the moon in the original photo but with some cropping it enlarged the moon. Would this moon work?
It's too dark as-is. Slap it in there and make selective adjustments 'til you like it.
Here is a crop with a bit of post processing.
IDguy wrote:
Put the Lightroom circular filter over the moon and reduce the exposure. With some faring.
Might want to try linear filter too. Here is my shot at the circular one:
Golden Rule wrote:
I shot this as a full moon was rising in a thin cloud cover. I realize the moon is blown out and I unfortunately did not take a good enough second exposure for just the moon. Is there a way to salvage this photo? What suggestions or advice on post processing this image. The drama of the texture in the clouds would be really nice to retain. I have LR Classic, PS and Nik Collection to work with. Thanks!!!
It pretty much is what it is, but you can always place a different moon into the picture.
Cropped looks best. Imho.
Keep a 1/3 of the moon and lower its brightness a little with a filter. (Someone did that already and I probably like that best.
Bracket next time and then combine but I think you have gotten that feedback already
The landscape and lights on the houses with the detail you were able to get is compelling in its own.
Forget the moon on this one and enjoy this gorgeous photo without trying to make the moon the subject. My personal opinion is that all the efforts to save the moon are not better than the original...other than some tweaking in the sky around the edges of the moon that Linda suggested.
The detail on the house's is really good especially given the low light.
Golden Rule wrote:
I shot this as a full moon was rising in a thin cloud cover. I realize the moon is blown out and I unfortunately did not take a good enough second exposure for just the moon. Is there a way to salvage this photo? What suggestions or advice on post processing this image. The drama of the texture in the clouds would be really nice to retain. I have LR Classic, PS and Nik Collection to work with. Thanks!!!
You could always try dodging it a bit in photoshop or even partially cropping but
IMO I think its a nice shot and it doesn't bother me.
I think it is beautiful as is...
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