Tag: viewnx
When over-exposure happens
by eNoBlog on Jul.21, 2009, under Techniques
After our previous discussion on how to employ Spot-metering in the quest for that perfect exposure, someone pointed how, though the Spot-metered image avoids over-exposure in the highlights, the shadow areas are much too dark. Maybe something else is needed. ADL, perhaps? Perhaps, or else we can open the RAW file in ViewNX and apply negative exposure compensation plus shadow protection on the over-exposed file? To demonstrate, here’s the exposure that Matrix Metering rendered 2/3-stops (+0.7EV) above the Spot-metered reading.
Now let’s see what happens to this same RAW file if we apply -0.7EV plus shadow protection of 30. The white flag regains some of its detail, and so does the trunk of that palm tree in the background.
When we compare this against the Spot-metered version, we see similar exposure in the midtones and highlight areas, but the shadows are noticeably more detailed. As a refresher, here’s the Spot-metered version again — you know, the one that avoids over-exposure.
Hmm. Maybe over-exposure isn’t such a bad thing. For a full treatment of this subject, including the relationship of exposure to noise performance and a possible cure for over-exposure phobia, see this article.
