How to show flashing highlights / shadows (or clipping)

JK
Posted By
John_Kemp
Aug 13, 2008
Views
2789
Replies
12
Status
Closed
In Lightroom and other programs I own I can click a button to show blown highlights or clipped shadows. I can’t find this in PS3 unless I apply a curve or levels adjustment. Can you help?

John
Related Tags
clip highlight how shadow show

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F
Freeagent
Aug 13, 2008
The histogram is your best friend. If it’s backed solidly up against the wall, you’re clipping.

Furthermore, if only one channel shows clipping at either side, it’s not exposure clipping, but gamut clipping. This can usually be overcome by converting to a wider-gamut color space and doing the appropriate saturation adjustments.
JK
John_Kemp
Aug 13, 2008
I find seeing the whole image and where the areas are not flashing that I can identify areas to clip more if I want eg a high key shot on white background that I may need to keeep white. CAn’t believe there’s no way to do this in PS?
RS
Robert_Shomler
Aug 13, 2008
Use the curve or levels tool. Position cursor over left or right triangle at bottom of curve or levels histogram display, press and hold left mouse button then press and hold alt key. When you press Alt key, image display will change to show clipping (in black or white for all channels, in color when not all channels are clipped). Release Alt key and full image display returns. Black and white triangles are, respectively, for black and white end clipping (and black or white end of the curve or levels histogram).
JK
John_Kemp
Aug 13, 2008
AS MENTIONED I WANTED TO DO A QUICK DISPLAY WITHOUT HAVING TO DO LEVELS AND CURVES. PLEASE READ ORIGINAL POST.
P
Phosphor
Aug 13, 2008
Quit yelling, Kemp. It’s impolite.
F
Freeagent
Aug 13, 2008
Sorry, John. Can’t be done.

Or, it can, but not by a single click or button.

Not that I know of anyway.
JM
J_Maloney
Aug 13, 2008
How about an action. Auto levels and threshold will get you your areas. Probably can’t have them flash but you could go for yellow/pink stripes. Each channel, combinations. You can do it, Kemp!
JK
John_Kemp
Aug 13, 2008
Bah! What a load of Baloney, Maloney! Too complicated for me.

Why can’t PS give us the simple things as well as the clever stuff. They can do it on LR for Gawd’s sake! It’s just like the difference in keyboard shortcuts – R in LR and C in PS!! You’d think the two were made by different orgnaisations – drives me MAD!

Kemp
PR
Paul_R
Aug 13, 2008
How about a script using J Maloney idea?

#target photoshop

doc = activeDocument;

var savedState = doc.activeHistoryState;

doc.activeLayer.autoLevels();

Threshold();

doc.channels[0].visible= false;

alert("Blown?");

doc.channels[0].visible= true;

doc.activeHistoryState = savedState;

function Threshold() {

var de1 = new ActionDescriptor();

de1.putInteger( app.charIDToTypeID(‘Lvl ‘), 245 );

executeAction( app.charIDToTypeID(‘Thrs’), de1, DialogModes.NO );

}
C
Curvemeister
Aug 13, 2008
On Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:44:18 -0700, wrote:

Bah! What a load of Baloney, Maloney! Too complicated for me.

In all fairness, John, you are taking him to task for trying to help you.

It seems to me that a lot of people are doing this: biting the hand that feeds them. There must be something in the water.
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Aug 14, 2008
I fix clipping in my RAW developer prior to Photoshop. Maybe this would be a good idea?
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Aug 15, 2008
If you are not working with RAW files, may I suggest an Action that will do a Levels / Threshold to show the clipping? That way, its just a click or buttonpress away.

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