Some people don't seem to get this, but at times under exposing and over exposing are perfectly acceptable and in fact superior when done right and on purpose.
canondoc wrote:
Some people don't seem to get this, but at times under exposing and over exposing are perfectly acceptable and in fact superior when done right and on purpose.
if you're planning to print your images, absolute black and absolute white just don't fly. at 255+ you're laying down no ink at all on the paper, leaving some really unflattering donuts in the over-exposed portions. also depends on the use of the print - no way you're laying down full black in a newspaper for example.
my goal in camera is to shoot to the right, keeping both highlight and shadow within the histogram for optimal exposure. that way, my post processing options are wide open. over/underexpose in camera and you're out of luck recovering detail in many instances.
pablo - great model, like the contrast, but of course, keep an eye on those levels
You may want to consider soft-proofing your files, just to satisfy yourself about the points that Chuck was making earlier. Since the intention is likely to be to use the image file at some point to make a print, by soft proofing you will, on a well calibrated monitor, save yourself money and also create a feedback loop to help you to fine tune your exposure practices so that when it come time to make a print that you know that you have a digital file with detail in the luminance rages that are important to you. To soft-proof you just need to know what surface you will be printing on and to enter the surface in the CUSTOM dialog box. You will need to have a profile for your printer with that surface. If you do not have a profile, you can buy one or have one made for you.
VIEW>PROOF SET UP>CUSTOM then also check gamut warning to get a reliable indication of what colors may be out of gamut.
Chuck, thanks as usual for your always helpful tips beautifully illustrated.
