# Photomatix: Blown Highlight areas/Red Blotch or Aura in areas - Advice?



## Jay_Z (Oct 14, 2012)

In using Photomatix (or probably and HDR software), I find that some  bright lights have somewhat of an aura around them or they end up  black/red.


For example, this is a small portion of this photo -  check out the headlights/street lights.  Any suggestions on improving  this? I realize there is likely no detail despite HDR due to the bright  lights but the 'aura' around it or red blotch I'd like to avoid.






BlownHighlights.jpg picture by jzenner - Photobucket

Suggestions? Thanks!!


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## vipgraphx (Oct 14, 2012)

use the deghosting option and that should take care of it. If not you will have to use a program like photoshop and bring in your original exposures and mask those areas back in. 

Not sure why it happens but it has happen to me and thats what I do.


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## PlanetStarbucks (Oct 15, 2012)

This always happens to me in night shots.  The problem is that the lights are peaking out the exposure so photomatix is masking it out.  Because the lights are moving, there's nothing for photomatix to put back in.  I've not found any great way of getting around this problem, so I usually live with it in night shots.  

I have an idea for a method in photoshop, but not sure it would work.  If you took an exposure just for the light trails, then used the threshold function to only have the highlights you might be able to have an "addition" layer on the top of the picture.  This should layer the light trails over the HDR.


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## vipgraphx (Oct 15, 2012)

simple fix is using the original exposures and masking it in,,,,


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