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A must-read on exposure for DSLR'S

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gerards

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I read this tutorial a while ago but it was a great refresher: understanding HOW to make correct exposures on a DSLR: Gotta use histograms:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml

This is a must-read for anyone serious about getting the most out of digital photography.

enjoy.

g

“To take photographs means....... putting one’s head, one’s eye and one’s heart on the same axis.”-Henri Cartier-Bresson
 
I've heard "expose to the right" but didn't really understand it. Thanks for the link.
--
Bryan V.
P.S. I've had amnesia for as long as I can remember.
 
This might sound strange but I believe that in many cases one should do the opposite. The article cited above is correct theoretically if you have perfect knowkedge of your exposure. Usually you don't. For example rgb histrograms are skewed incorrectly based on the chosen white balance (although there is a trick suggested on this forum for loading in a neutral white balance to be able to see the correct rgb). Also, if you have light sources in your picture that will blow out highlights (intentionally of course) then you won't be able to read the histrogram and differentiate the highlights that are being blown out that you want (the light souces, e.g. the sun) vs the highlights you don't want blown out (a white dress).

So in the real world it is hard to know exactly where exposing to the right is and you run the risk of blowing out wanted highlights.

Secondly, as has also been discussed on these pages (by Julia Borg, et al.), is that if you are exposing to the right by increasing the ISO you aren't really buying yourself much if anything in noise performance. So for me, if I am light limited (which I usually am, i.e. I rarely have the luxury of shooting at ISO 100) I tend to exposure more to the middle of the historgram, i.e. I have generally started leaving my exposure compensation on -0.3 on average and then boost stuff up when necessary in Nikon Capture.

I keep promising myself that one day I will actually be able to take an ISO 100 picture. Until then I find no reason to expose to the right.
--
Jeff at http://folkins.net
 
Rules,rules,rules throw them out unless you are a beginner.If you are a novice then all these rules: shutter and aperture, exposure, composition, lighting they will teach you the basics and give you a foundation to allow you to break all of these rules with some success. If we all followed the same rules we would all be taking the same photographs. Which would be quit boring.
Boris

--
http://public.fotki.com/borysd/
http://www.pbase.com/borysd
 
As mentioned, using a linear cuve and uniwb while shooting raw will give you a true representation of your exposure as you view the histotgram. You must still expose the subject correctly.

Exposing for the sensor you would push to the right edge of the histogram and exposing for the scene you would expose for the value of color in the scene.

--
Just another Shooter
 
and how to minimize noise in the linear gamma of things.
Here is an adobe paper on the subject as well....clears things up a bit.

http://www.adobe.com/digitalimag/pdfs/linear_gamma.pdf

Here is his article on exposure:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understandexposure.shtml

I see is as a 2 part process....using my meter to gather enough information to make an edjucated metering decision (notic I said I make the decision...not the meter).....taking the shot...then using the histogram to insure the information (1's and 0's) are maximized.

Roman

--
What will I be given today, and will I be open to see it?
Minor White
http://www.pbase.com/romansphotos/
 
Ok don't get me wrong. When people spend time and effort to do test wether they are getting paid to do it or not......it is appreciated.
There is always two sides to a story and this is one side.
My side however is of a different one.

I shoot people and they are in all types of situations that cover almost every type of photography so I guess my type work is much more hader than shooting a tree with some mountains and bracketing the heck out of it and grabbing the best one. Or a paid runway model that looks great no matter what you do.
I have gone to both sides of the histogram and seen the light.(LOL)

I have found this " THERE IS NO EASY QUICK SHORTCUT TO MAKE EVERTHING COME OUT PERFECT"

people read this and think its simple just put the histogram here and perfecto. NOWAY to me histograms are the same as TTL flash, at times its dead on accurate and at times its garbage. To me I barely use TTL and as far as a histogram. Wake up people you are so darn spioled to be able to view each image after you shot it. Learn your LCD and what you know the final image will look like from it and it won't let you down.
I have some bad shots that the histogram said good and visa versa.

Again I'm not bashing free advice, I'm just telling you mine.

I shot over 2300 wedding and my last post someone mentioned how he would advise me to do better cause of a course he took. I wanna see that instructor come out and shoot sidfe by side with me and better yet I wanna see him or her be the lead shooter and I get all the easy candids (or do we say "PHOTOJOURNALISM")

Hope I made some sense and my old D2H still is all I need but youn can buy a D23-7F007HHH if you think it will make you shoot better, Fred
 
The last octive (10k-20khz) contains as much "information" (frequencies) as all the other octives combined. Therefore, when I am writing music, I compose to the right, and make sure I get a lot of really high notes in there. lol

--
Craig Ryder
 
I have been beating this same drum for some time but this article does a MUCH better job!

As another example, it is often possible to clip channels when shooting flowers and not even realize it. A classic example is California Poppies. Back in "film days" we used to have to use masking when making some prints from Velvia. Typical was a contrast reduction mask and a red mask (to separate some of the reds).

I certainly appreciate Thomas Knoll jumping aboard with his comments. For those of you who don't know who he is, he is one of the two Knoll brothers who invented Photoshop. Furthermore, he is still directing the development of Adobe Camera Raw and is a huge source for state-of-the-art raw conversions.
--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com
 
gerards said:
I read this tutorial a while ago but it was a great refresher:
understanding HOW to make correct exposures on a DSLR: Gotta use
histograms:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml
Click to expand...
Think of it as the purpose of RAW versus in camera JPG..

RAW you should be exposing and shooting a picture in efforts to capture as much digital information as possible about the scene to the point of clipping. RAW images, as long as you dont clip do much better being lowered in exposure than increased in exposure, by nature of the digital information captured.

"proper" exposure meaning you nailed the exposure isn't necessarily the best possible exposure for a digital RAW capture.
 
Boris, a photographer must be both a technician and an artist. Knowing the limitations of your tools is vital. I am far from a beginner or a novice (MS in Photography and 40 years in the field) and yet I find these "rules" extremely useful. In fact, they are pretty much imbedded in my daily operation. It is even more important to understand why. More importantly, they pose no limitations on my creativity. I listen to folks like Thomas Knoll, Bruce Fraser, and Ian Lyons. This knowledge then allows me to take a D200 and make wonderful 2' x 3' prints.

Here is what is possible using "rules". I don't consider it boring.


Boris said:
Rules,rules,rules throw them out unless you are a beginner.If you
are a novice then all these rules: shutter and aperture, exposure,
composition, lighting they will teach you the basics and give you a
foundation to allow you to break all of these rules with some
success. If we all followed the same rules we would all be taking
the same photographs. Which would be quit boring.
Boris

--
http://public.fotki.com/borysd/
http://www.pbase.com/borysd
Click to expand...
--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com
 
And for real life photography by real life people with real life limitations, both in equipment and technical understanding, you are exactly right Fred.

Knowing and learning the technical aspects of why and how an image is and should be captured is of paramount importance. Every photographer needs to have "at least" some basic knowledge about his/her tool as far as historgram and exposure. BUT, the LCD is also paramount.

In the old days when we all used film and it's seeminly infinite variartions, there just wasn't the ability to see "immediately" what we shot. No matter how good the film was or the camera being used. NOW we each can view at the very least, "a reasonable representation" of what we have just shot. This should be the main basis of all adjustments made for a particular exposure. YES, then also view the historgram (or do so simutaneously), and make a more exact and calculated change. But what should tell our eyes and brains right off about an image, is what we see immediately of that image on screen and then look up and view the actual and make an "instant" judgemental comparison to further us "up the line" to the most correct exposure we can get with what is available as far as light.

The manufacturers knew this when they made the DSLR and I believe they were made for just this reason. Can or should we rely totally on a camera LCD for judging exposure? Been answered many times ....NO!

Should we rely on the camera LCD for the "first instant example" of what has been captured vs what we also see and formulate some immediate thoughts about increasing or decreasing aperture/shutter speeds, white balance, EV, etc. ABSOLUTELY. That is why it is there. That is why manufacturers are also making the LCD more and more accurate to what we are actually viewing.

I hope that I was able to get this thought process out correctly and those interested were able to follow. But basically I wanted to affirm what Mr. James had already stated.

Good shooting all!
--
Mel
 
Steve

I have no quibble with following the rules while learning the craft of Photography as I stated in my previous post. I just am against being a slave to these rules. Not every photo has to be sharp without motion blur for instant, if it is unintentional than it doesn't work most of the time, but you can show action/movement with intentional blur. Or the rule of thirds or having dangling elements entering the frame ;) While your photograph is very good and makes one think what you trying to say the dangling arm is what in my opinion makes this photograph. Without the dangling arm it would only be a photograph of a mannequin with a small moon and some contrails. But with the dangling arm I start to think is the

mannequin thinking about her missing arm? but if you look closer there seem to be fingers showing at the bottom left so no arm is missing or is she thinking something of the moon.Or is there another mannequin attached to the dangling arm? But mannequins don't think do they?

All very surreal, that's why the photo works. Me think you broke a couple of the "rules" here:)
Boris
--
Stubborn and ardent clinging to one's opinion is the best proof of stupidity.
Michel de Montaigne

http://public.fotki.com/borysd/
http://www.pbase.com/borysd
 
Every reference I see recommended in these forums tends to be from an online resource. Me thinks maybe some of you might spend a tad too much time sitting behind your computers.

Everything seems to be Thoms pdf, Jasons pdf, Luminous Landscapes expose to the right. Blah blah blah.

Try going to the library or the bookstore. Try going to a seminar or workshop or something. If you are really that serious about your photography, get away from the computer.
Here is a good book on exposure that is available at Barnes and Noble.
It is titled "Exposure" by Chris Weston.

It covers just about everything you could ever want to know. Metering, noise, flash, light meters, gray cards, histograms, EV charts etc. etc. and so on and so on. You get the idea.

The cool thing is, that this is all included in one reference that you can take with you, or sit out in your easy chair and have a good read. No need to print it out, or sit in front of your computer. Nice 4/C illustrations professionally printed and binded in heavy coated stock. Much nicer. Yet costs about the same 22.95 US.

Not much more to spend for something that is a better product than some pdf. Of course this is just one example. There are tons of other great books all available to you with a trip to the bookstore. (just in case you forgot)
gerards said:
I read this tutorial a while ago but it was a great refresher:
understanding HOW to make correct exposures on a DSLR: Gotta use
histograms:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml

This is a must-read for anyone serious about getting the most out
of digital photography.

enjoy.

g

“To take photographs means....... putting one’s head, one’s eye and
one’s heart on the same axis.”-Henri Cartier-Bresson
Click to expand...
--
Scott A.

 
Amen Mel,

The histogram is a tool. when it works and it is used properly it can give amzing ressults but then again my very exspensive light meter used to take a shot and I know this exposure is dead on, doesn't jive with the histogram ??
And sometimes it does.

Alot of us had very exspensive poloroid backs for our cameras and would do one or two quick checks to see what is happening and make adjustments if needed. Now think about this is back then someone gave us a funky looking chart that looked like an ultra sound and said you need more light when our poloroid was dead on, we would kinda go with what our eyes see.

Yes some of my comparisons are not gospel truth but I hope others as you did, understand what I am trying to get across.

about the best example of this is when you do anatural light portrait and the face has way too much shadow and it's bright outside so you go with the histogram cause you can see that better. And guess what....wrong exposure for faces but the rest is good. Now the same set-up and you check the LCD pic with a shaded loop and see where to make adjustments and move on.

There are many many situations where one could work bettter than others but I will tell you this.......A LCD picture is worth a 1000 histograms.

My mind paints what my eyes see and my camera is my brush.....................................Fred James 2007

Here's 3 of my first out of the camera snapshots of the family with D2H. Followed by what I call a good exposure wedding shot's taken with only a flash on camer sb800 shot last sunday. The histogram was all the way to the left on the dance shot which is perfect exposure. The close -up of couple it showed a perfect exposure. So there you have it on these two 50/50 but guess what ? I never looked at the histogram and only the LCD so I was 100%









 
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