HDR mode shifts blues to purple when increase exposure

[fennell_1842]

SDR left, HDR right.

The issue:
As I increase the exposure in HDR mode, the blue is replaced by the light purple. It's present in the output files. 

But as I increase the exposure in SDR mode, the blue doesn't shift hue (just gets lighter)

I'm a newbie to HDR mode and this is puzzling. 

[Aleke]

Hi @fennell_1842, welcome to the community!
Could you share a screenshot of what your Histogram looks like? It’s the graph in the top-right corner and is super helpful when editing HDR photos. It shows which colors are brighter than SDR and helps identify when tones go beyond your display’s HDR range.

Also, could you double-check if the “Visualize HDR” option is turned on? You’ll find it at the bottom of the Light (or Basic) panel. When enabled, it highlights HDR tones using four colors, from cyan to magenta, when they’re brighter than SDR white.

Thanks so much!
Alek

[fennell_1842]

@Aleke, thanks for your reply. The histogram, with visualised HDR on, is attached below

[fennell_1842]

@Aleke friendly bump as it's been a while.

[Aleke]

Hi @fennell_1842!

Sorry for the delayed response.

Could you share a RAW file so we can run some tests on our end? The System Info would be helpful as well. You can find it in Lightroom Classic under Help > System Info. Just copy the info to a text file and attach it to your response, or share it with us through Google Drive, WeTransfer, or another file-sharing platform.

Thanks!

Alek

[Forzadorza]

@Aleke 

Thanks for the offer to investigate. Please see the attached raw and system info file as requested. Just to set my expectation (and not to rush you), how long to expect, given your workload, the investigation might take, please?

thanks

this site didn't like the raw file so I've put it on google drive
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1anIWvOjJJeMVlqpkJEfCHwhxFeGicDhE/view?usp=drive_link

[Aleke]

Hi @Forzadorza! Welcome to the community, and thanks so much for sharing those files!
Would you mind setting the Google Drive link to public viewing so the team and I can access it?
Really appreciate your help!
Alek

[fennell_1842]

@Aleke link all sorted now. thanks

[Aleke]

Hi @fennell_1842 @Forzadorza, thanks so much for sharing the file!
I tested it on my end and was able to reproduce the same behavior. This also occurs when opening your photo in Photoshop and editing in HDR mode in Camera Raw, which suggests the issue is related to how Camera Raw interprets color. I’ve reached out to the Camera Raw and Lightroom teams for their input.

The conclusion so far is that this hue shift and saturation rolloff are part of the current design in Adobe Raw profiles. The team is investigating this and it may change in the future. For now, there isn’t a perfect workaround, but you can try adjusting the Saturation and Vibrance sliders, along with the Tone Curve tool, to achieve the color you want.

Thanks for your patience and for bringing this up!
Alek