Red Roses

[jeeps]

I have a point and shoot Canon IXUS 800 IS. I love taking photos of flowers, using macro, particularly roses but the red roses never ever come out true to colour. The camera doesn't have many manual controls, which is ok for me but please can anyone tell me if there is some special way to get the colour right?

The red roses look more pinky than red and sometimes the centre of the rose tends to look blown out and I've tried to adjust it on PSE5 but it doesn't seem to work (probably not clicking the right buttons!). All the pink, yellow, white, even orange roses look great but not the red.

Hope someone can help.

Jeeps

[frank abramonte]

Post a copy of the photo so that we can see what your referring to.
It's difficult to critique a photo without seeing it.

[jeeps]

Oh dear, sorry but I've never posted a photo before, so I'll have to find out how.

Will have to leave it for tomorrow now, it's 11.40 pm here in the UK, time for bed I think

Thanks for your reply.

Jeeps

[frank abramonte]

jeeps:
Go to this link
http://www.pixentral.com/

and follow the pictured instructions.
Whatever you upload should be less than 2MB which is the size limit on what you can post on pixentral.

[jeeps]

Have I done this right? Ah well, I'm trying!

Jeeps

[jeeps]

Aha I did do it right, here's another for good measure

[TonyW]

I can see what the problem is although I'm not sure what the solution is. If you look at the histogram and look at the colors you'll find the red channel is blown out. Sample the colours of the rose and you'll find that the R is 255 over much of the rose - that also indicates it's blown out. Once the R gets to 255 it can't get any higher and adding to the G and B will make it look pinker.

Have you tried underexposing (I assume the camera has exposure compensation) - set it down say 1 stop and see if that makes it look redder. You can also try different lighting - maybe shade or an overcast day would be better. I think I read somewhere that flowers like roses have a waxy substance that refects light and that may contribute to blowing out the red channel in some areas.

Also red is a tricky color - and it could be your monitor calibration is also throwing it off. My calibrated monitor does make those roses you posted generally look red except in the centre and the petal edges which look pink because of being blown out.

Tony

[Chuck S.]

This is a common problem with red flowers - meaning I've experienced it with a variety of Canon cameras! As Tony said, the solution is to underexpose. Fortunately, your camera does have exposure compensation when set in Manual mode (+ or - 2 stops in 1/3 stop increments). Next time you're in bright sunlight with red roses or hydrangeas, try -1 or -2/3 and see if that eliminates the white that isn't there.

[lowbone]

There is allot of dark area in the background and I think your meter is reading that and trying to make it grey thereby blowing out the rose. Even if that is the case I have had this same problem with red flowers on a Canon 20D, 30D, 40D and G9. Whatever the cause, the advice given above is correct, underexpose.

[jeeps]

Thank you both so much for your replies.

The roses should actually be dark red; calibrating my monitor would be a whole new ball game - only just found out how to post images!

I will do as you suggest and play with the exposure setting taking into account the weather (which is very wet here at the moment). It's funny because we have had such a rotten summer, the days when the sun has been out I thought it a good idea to take the photos, think now a dull day would have been better.

Is there any way I can adjust the blown highlights in PSE5? Tried a few things but with no success.

Thanks again, Jeeps

ps thanks Lowbone (noticed you just posted) makes me feel better if even the super duper cameras struggle with red roses.