Sky Banding Help

[T5iDesign]

Can someone toss me some ideas to fix this awful banding I'm having with this sky? I looked up a few tuts and did the "Spatter" filter technique but didn't help much. Also would love some critique!

 

[tirediron]

Looks like the result of low file size; what file format are you shooting in and how are you saving for web?

 

[jsecordphoto]

Are you shooting in raw or JPEG? I've seen posterizing like that in JPEG files when you try to pull shadows or exposure in post

 

[KmH]

Your photo lacks sufficient bit depth to render the gradient of colors in the sky.
JPEG has an 8-bit color depth, and 8-bits can only code 256 discreet colors per color channel (RGB - Red, Green, Blue).
Since there are 3 color channels JPEG is often said to be a 24 bit (8-bits x 3 color channels) file type
If the gradient in the sky contains more than 256 colors there are distinct borders in the areas of the sky 8-bits can't code the color of.
Raw files have a 16-bit color depth and can code 16,384 discreet colors per color channel. Like JPEG, Raw would be a 3 color channel x 16-bit = 48-bit file type.

Banding is also known as posterization. Image Posterization

PHOTO EDITING & POST-PROCESSING

 

[T5iDesign]

I'm actually working in 16bit RAW. And was shot at 25oISO. I saved it out for upload as a low res jpeg but this is pretty much what it looks like in LR.

 

[Ysarex]

I'm actually working in 16bit RAW. And was shot at 25oISO. I saved it out for upload as a low res jpeg but this is pretty much what it looks like in LR.

What shows in the photo doesn't make sense if you're original is a CR2 or DNG file being processed in LR. If you can put the original file on dropbox be happy to take a look and might be able to help.

Joe

 

[TCampbell]

I agree. Canon RAW is 14 bit, but this looks like it's gone through some process that stripped it of it's bit-depth.

 

[sscarmack]

I believe what you are seeing is the northern lights.....

Seriously.

 

[angelo_lightning]

I'm pretty new to photography. But is it normal to get stars on a dark sky and a straight on shot of the sun like this in the same photo?

 

[jsecordphoto]

I'm pretty new to photography. But is it normal to get stars on a dark sky and a straight on shot of the sun like this in the same photo?

Im gonna guess that that's the moon.

 

[deeky]

How hard have you pushed your sliders? If I push sharpening, contrast, or something else too far, it will turn out this way.

 

[TCampbell]

I was thinking that was likely the moon as well.